Radiocarbon dating
Measuring levels of radiocarbon to monitor the impacts of climate change
Carbon is a central component of all organic material on Earth. As an element, it exists in a range of different isotopes, and you can think of them as different “flavours” of carbon. Radiocarbon is one such isotope, notable because it is radioactive.
Radiocarbon can be used both as a dating tool and as a tracer of carbon cycles in the environment. For example, when a plant dies, its radiocarbon “clock” starts ticking. By measuring the radiocarbon in a sample, researchers can determine its age and understand whether that sample represents a source or a sink of carbon in the atmosphere. This information is crucial for understanding climate change and the impact of human activities on the environment.
Radiocarbon measurements offer a unique window into the past and the future, made possible by careful study in the present.
Radiocarbon research at SUERC
At SUERC (Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre), part of the University of Glasgow, we support a wide range of projects that apply radiocarbon techniques to answer questions in environmental science.
We can measure radiocarbon in a diverse set of sample types, including:
- Water
- Gases
- Solids
Alongside supporting external projects, we also conduct our own research, pushing the boundaries of what can be explored using radiocarbon analysis.
Developing low‑cost sampling equipment
Over time, it has become clear that proprietary sampling equipment is often extremely expensive. This poses a significant barrier, especially in regions where radiocarbon measurements are urgently needed.
To address this, Dr. Mark Garnett has led a programme to design and build low‑cost field sampling equipment. This equipment acts as a direct replacement for costly commercial instruments, and can be:
- Assembled from widely available components
- Maintained by users after training
- Used effectively in the field with minimal resources
This approach dramatically improves global accessibility to radiocarbon sampling.