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Decoding deep-time proxies with U-Pb cave chronology

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment volume 2, page 743 (2021)Cite this article

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Speleothems are dripstones that form as carbonate precipitates from percolating water within caves. As they grow, speleothems archive climate-controlled changes in water chemistry — information vital to palaeoclimate reconstructions. However, terrestrial palaeo-proxies need anchoring to radiometric ages, such as uranium–lead (U–Pb) dating, so that they can be put in geological context. Trace quantities of U (~1 µg g–1) are transported into cave waters that, following calcite precipitation, slowly decays into Pb and starts the radiometric clock. Because of the long half-life and low starting abundance of U, very little radiogenic Pb is created, and therefore, U–Pb dating of carbonates remains a challenging methodology.

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Acknowledgements

Funding for this project was received from Australian Research Council grant FL160100028 to J.D.W.

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  1. School of Geography, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    John Engel

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Correspondence to John Engel.

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Engel, J. Decoding deep-time proxies with U-Pb cave chronology. Nat Rev Earth Environ 2, 743 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-021-00229-w

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