(SGER) Electron Spin Resonance Dating of Ancient Speleothems From Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico

他们提议开始探索新墨西哥州的Lechuguilla洞穴的潜力，以获得贯穿更新世的氧同位素古气候记录。此时，著名的魔鬼洞方解石岩洞是美国西南部唯一可追溯到中更新世的稳定同位素记录（Winograd et al, 1992）。他们在Lechuguilla洞穴中发现了一个乳突状方解石，它比魔鬼洞的方解石更古老。通过氧同位素（18O）测量，该样本有可能提供与魔鬼洞的分辨率相当的古气候记录。任何此类研究的重要任务之一是发展数字年龄年表。他们将使用电子自旋共振（ESR）光谱测年来实现这一目标。

9523977 Stuiver They propose to begin exploring the potential of Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico, for obtaining oxygen-isotope paleoclimate records extending throughout the Pleistocene. At this time, the famous Devil Hole calcite speleothem is the only stable isotope record reaching back to the middle Pleistocene in the Southwestern US (Winograd et al, 1992). They have recovered a mammillary calcite speleothem from Lechuguilla Cave which is older than the Devils Hole calcite. This sample the has the potential, through oxygen isotope ( 18O) measurements, of providing a paleoclimate record comparable in resolution to that at Devils Hole. One of the significant tasks in any such study is the development of a numerical age chronology. They will use electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopic dating to accomplish this goal.