Assessment of the Performance of <sup>210</sup>Pb-Based Dating Models with a Challenging Sediment History in Maryport Harbour (UK)

The <sup>210</sup>Pb-based method is used for absolute age determination in recent sediments (<150 years). Different assumptions are possible, leading to different models and chronologies. The evaluation of the capacities and limitations of the models in challenging sedimentary scenar...

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Main Author: José M. Abril-Hernández
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/1/144
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author José M. Abril-Hernández
author_facet José M. Abril-Hernández
author_sort José M. Abril-Hernández
collection DOAJ
description The <sup>210</sup>Pb-based method is used for absolute age determination in recent sediments (<150 years). Different assumptions are possible, leading to different models and chronologies. The evaluation of the capacities and limitations of the models in challenging sedimentary scenarios is of broad interest to the scientific community, and this is the aim of the present work. The performance of the classical models, CFCS and CRS, and the novel TERESA is assessed with a 2 m long, high-resolution core sampled in Maryport Harbour, UK, by using raw data from the literature. It was affected by dredging, shortening, and by the anthropogenic impacts of radionuclides released by the Sellafield nuclear plant and the phosphate industry in Whitehaven and was considered non-datable by the <sup>210</sup>Pb method. A reference chronology from Sellafield-derived radionuclides serves to assess the <sup>210</sup>Pb dating models. The study uses the mass depth scale and solves the estimation of the unsupported fraction of <sup>210</sup>Pb needed for the models. The profile was very irregular, and a cluster analysis led to an ambiguous use of the piecewise CFCS model. The inventory was incomplete and in an unsteady state, but the CRS model can be tentatively applied with the reference SAR and the reference date methods, although also with ambiguous results. TERESA can explicitly handle <sup>210</sup>Pb<sub>exc</sub> fluxes and sedimentation rates that vary over time and shows the best performance with insightful outputs.
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spelling doaj-art-67aa532de61a426b91e9213ac2c5a1cf2025-01-24T13:37:01ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122025-01-0113114410.3390/jmse13010144Assessment of the Performance of <sup>210</sup>Pb-Based Dating Models with a Challenging Sediment History in Maryport Harbour (UK)José M. Abril-Hernández0Departamento de Física Aplicada I, Universidad de Sevilla, 41004 Sevilla, SpainThe <sup>210</sup>Pb-based method is used for absolute age determination in recent sediments (<150 years). Different assumptions are possible, leading to different models and chronologies. The evaluation of the capacities and limitations of the models in challenging sedimentary scenarios is of broad interest to the scientific community, and this is the aim of the present work. The performance of the classical models, CFCS and CRS, and the novel TERESA is assessed with a 2 m long, high-resolution core sampled in Maryport Harbour, UK, by using raw data from the literature. It was affected by dredging, shortening, and by the anthropogenic impacts of radionuclides released by the Sellafield nuclear plant and the phosphate industry in Whitehaven and was considered non-datable by the <sup>210</sup>Pb method. A reference chronology from Sellafield-derived radionuclides serves to assess the <sup>210</sup>Pb dating models. The study uses the mass depth scale and solves the estimation of the unsupported fraction of <sup>210</sup>Pb needed for the models. The profile was very irregular, and a cluster analysis led to an ambiguous use of the piecewise CFCS model. The inventory was incomplete and in an unsteady state, but the CRS model can be tentatively applied with the reference SAR and the reference date methods, although also with ambiguous results. TERESA can explicitly handle <sup>210</sup>Pb<sub>exc</sub> fluxes and sedimentation rates that vary over time and shows the best performance with insightful outputs.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/1/144environmental radioactivity<sup>210</sup>Pb datingrecent sedimentsTERESA modelmodel inter-comparisonMaryport Harbour
spellingShingle José M. Abril-Hernández
Assessment of the Performance of <sup>210</sup>Pb-Based Dating Models with a Challenging Sediment History in Maryport Harbour (UK)
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
environmental radioactivity
<sup>210</sup>Pb dating
recent sediments
TERESA model
model inter-comparison
Maryport Harbour
title Assessment of the Performance of <sup>210</sup>Pb-Based Dating Models with a Challenging Sediment History in Maryport Harbour (UK)
title_full Assessment of the Performance of <sup>210</sup>Pb-Based Dating Models with a Challenging Sediment History in Maryport Harbour (UK)
title_fullStr Assessment of the Performance of <sup>210</sup>Pb-Based Dating Models with a Challenging Sediment History in Maryport Harbour (UK)
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of the Performance of <sup>210</sup>Pb-Based Dating Models with a Challenging Sediment History in Maryport Harbour (UK)
title_short Assessment of the Performance of <sup>210</sup>Pb-Based Dating Models with a Challenging Sediment History in Maryport Harbour (UK)
title_sort assessment of the performance of sup 210 sup pb based dating models with a challenging sediment history in maryport harbour uk
topic environmental radioactivity
<sup>210</sup>Pb dating
recent sediments
TERESA model
model inter-comparison
Maryport Harbour
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/1/144
work_keys_str_mv AT josemabrilhernandez assessmentoftheperformanceofsup210suppbbaseddatingmodelswithachallengingsedimenthistoryinmaryportharbouruk