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Guam coral - Bomb radiocarbon record (1939-2000)

Metadata Updated: February 21, 2025

High-resolution radiocarbon (14C) analyses on a coral core extracted from Guam, a western tropical Pacific island, revealed a series of early bomb-produced 14C spikes. The typical marine bomb 14C signal—phase lagged and attenuated relative to atmospheric records—is present in the coral and is consistent with other regional coral records. However, 14C levels well above what can be attributed to air-sea diffusion alone punctuate this pattern. This anomaly was observed in other Indo-Pacific coral records, but the Guam record is unmatched in magnitude and temporal resolution. The Guam coral ¿14C record provided three spikes in 1954–55, 1956–57, and 1958–59 that are superimposed on a normal 14C record. Relative to mean pre-bomb levels, the first peak rises an incredible ~700‰ and remained elevated for ~1.2 years. A follow up assay with finer resolution increased the peak by ~300‰. Subsequent spikes were less intense with a rise of ~35‰ and ~70‰. Each can be linked to thermonuclear testing in the Pacific Proving Grounds at Bikini and Enewetak atolls in Operations Castle (1954), Redwing (1956), and Hardtack I (1958). These 14C signals can be explained by vaporization of coral reef material in the nuclear fireball, coupled with neutron activation of atmospheric nitrogen (14C production), and subsequent absorption of 14CO2 to form particulate carbonates of close-in fallout. The lag time in reaching Guam and other coral records abroad was tied to ocean surface currents and modeling provided validation of 14C arrival observations.

Access & Use Information

License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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Dates

Metadata Date February 13, 2025
Metadata Created Date October 19, 2024
Metadata Updated Date February 21, 2025
Reference Date(s) 2016 (publication)
Frequency Of Update notPlanned

Metadata Source

Harvested from NMFS PIFSC

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Date February 13, 2025
Metadata Created Date October 19, 2024
Metadata Updated Date February 21, 2025
Reference Date(s) 2016 (publication)
Responsible Party (Point of Contact)
Contact Email
Guid gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:36758
Access Constraints Cite As: Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, [Date of Access]: Guam coral - Bomb radiocarbon record (1939-2000) [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36758., Access Constraints: NA, Use Constraints: NA
Coupled Resource
Frequency Of Update notPlanned
Harvest Object Id ccf0ad3b-aef5-4e79-8625-e548fdb0d616
Harvest Source Id c0beac72-5f43-4455-8c33-1b345fbc2dfe
Harvest Source Title NMFS PIFSC
Licence NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose.
Lineage See publication: Andrews, A.H., R. Asami, Y. Iryu, D.R. Kobayashi, and F. Camacho. 2016. Bomb-produced radiocarbon in the western tropical Pacific Ocean—Guam coral reveals operation-specific signals from the Pacific Proving Grounds. Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans 121: 6351-6366 (dx.doi.org/10.1002/2016JC012043)
Metadata Language eng
Metadata Type geospatial
Progress completed
Spatial Data Service Type
Spatial Reference System
Spatial Harvester True
Temporal Extent Begin 1939
Temporal Extent End 2000

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