About this Earth and Planetary Sciences article

A multimethod dating study of ancient permafrost, Batagay megaslump, east Siberia by Julian B. Murton; Thomas Opel; Phillip Toms; Alexander Blinov; Margret Fuchs; Jamie Wood; Andreas Gärtner; Silke Merchel; Georg Rugel; Grigoriy Savvinov; Sebastian Wetterich is a Earth and Planetary Sciences article available to read on EtoBox.

## Abstract Dating of ancient permafrost is essential for understanding long-term permafrost stability and interpreting palaeoenvironmental conditions but presents substantial challenges to geochronology. Here, we apply four methods to permafrost from the megaslump at Batagay, east Siberia: (1) optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of quartz, (2) post-infrared infrared-stimulated luminescence (pIRIR) dating of K-feldspar, (3) radiocarbon dating of organic material, and (4) ^36^Cl/Cl dating of ice wedges. All four chronometers produce stratigraphically consistent and comparable ages. However, OSL appears to date Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 to MIS 2 deposits more reliably than pIRIR, whereas the latter is more consistent with ^36^Cl/Cl ages for older deposits. The lower ice complex developed at least 650 ka, potentially during MIS 16, and represents the oldest dated permafrost in western Beringia and the second-oldest known ice in the Northern Hemisphere. It has survived multiple interglaciations, including the super-interglaciation MIS 11c, though a thaw unconformity and erosional surface indicate at least one episode of permafrost thaw and erosion occurred sometime betwee

Author

Julian B. Murton; Thomas Opel; Phillip Toms; Alexander Blinov; Margret Fuchs; Jamie Wood; Andreas Gärtner; Silke Merchel; Georg Rugel; Grigoriy Savvinov; Sebastian Wetterich

Publisher

Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Published

2021

Language

EN

Field

Earth and Planetary Sciences (Physical Sciences)