Guam coral - Bomb radiocarbon record (1939-2000)
Data Set (DS) | Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC)GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:36758 | Updated: February 13, 2025 | Published / External
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Summary
Short Citation
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2025: Guam coral - Bomb radiocarbon record (1939-2000), https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36758.
Full Citation Examples
High-resolution radiocarbon (14C) analyses on a coral core extracted from Guam, a western tropical Pacific island, revealed a series of early bomb-produced 14C spikes. The typical marine bomb 14C signal—phase lagged and attenuated relative to atmospheric records—is present in the coral and is consistent with other regional coral records. However, 14C levels well above what can be attributed to air-sea diffusion alone punctuate this pattern. This anomaly was observed in other Indo-Pacific coral records, but the Guam record is unmatched in magnitude and temporal resolution. The Guam coral ¿14C record provided three spikes in 1954–55, 1956–57, and 1958–59 that are superimposed on a normal 14C record. Relative to mean pre-bomb levels, the first peak rises an incredible ~700‰ and remained elevated for ~1.2 years. A follow up assay with finer resolution increased the peak by ~300‰. Subsequent spikes were less intense with a rise of ~35‰ and ~70‰. Each can be linked to thermonuclear testing in the Pacific Proving Grounds at Bikini and Enewetak atolls in Operations Castle (1954), Redwing (1956), and Hardtack I (1958). These 14C signals can be explained by vaporization of coral reef material in the nuclear fireball, coupled with neutron activation of atmospheric nitrogen (14C production), and subsequent absorption of 14CO2 to form particulate carbonates of close-in fallout. The lag time in reaching Guam and other coral records abroad was tied to ocean surface currents and modeling provided validation of 14C arrival observations.
Distribution Information
Child Items
Type | Title |
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Entity | GUAM_CORAL_DATA |
Entity | GUAM_CORAL_HIGH_RES |
Entity | GUAM_CORAL_REPLICATE |
Contact Information
Point of Contact
Eva M Schemmel
eva.schemmel@noaa.gov
Extents
Guam, US Territory
1939 - 2000
Validated timeline for the coral core radiocarbon record using previously published seasonal/annual temperature changes.
Item Identification
Title: | Guam coral - Bomb radiocarbon record (1939-2000) |
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Short Name: | Guam coral radiocarbon record |
Status: | Completed |
Publication Date: | 2016 |
Abstract: |
High-resolution radiocarbon (14C) analyses on a coral core extracted from Guam, a western tropical Pacific island, revealed a series of early bomb-produced 14C spikes. The typical marine bomb 14C signal—phase lagged and attenuated relative to atmospheric records—is present in the coral and is consistent with other regional coral records. However, 14C levels well above what can be attributed to air-sea diffusion alone punctuate this pattern. This anomaly was observed in other Indo-Pacific coral records, but the Guam record is unmatched in magnitude and temporal resolution. The Guam coral ¿14C record provided three spikes in 1954–55, 1956–57, and 1958–59 that are superimposed on a normal 14C record. Relative to mean pre-bomb levels, the first peak rises an incredible ~700‰ and remained elevated for ~1.2 years. A follow up assay with finer resolution increased the peak by ~300‰. Subsequent spikes were less intense with a rise of ~35‰ and ~70‰. Each can be linked to thermonuclear testing in the Pacific Proving Grounds at Bikini and Enewetak atolls in Operations Castle (1954), Redwing (1956), and Hardtack I (1958). These 14C signals can be explained by vaporization of coral reef material in the nuclear fireball, coupled with neutron activation of atmospheric nitrogen (14C production), and subsequent absorption of 14CO2 to form particulate carbonates of close-in fallout. The lag time in reaching Guam and other coral records abroad was tied to ocean surface currents and modeling provided validation of 14C arrival observations. |
Purpose: |
Establish a comprehensive bomb radiocarbon reference for use in age validation of regional marine organisms and to explain the oceanographic propagation of the signal through the western Pacific Ocean. |
Notes: |
Data set also available via the NOAA Climatic Data Center Double Reef, Guam 60 Year Coral Bomb-Produced Radiocarbon Data https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/20346 |
Other Citation Details: |
Publication: Andrews, A.H., R. Asami, Y. Iryu, D.R. Kobayashi, and F. Camacho. 2016. Bomb-produced radiocarbon in the western tropical Pacific Ocean—Guam coral reveals operation-specific signals from the Pacific Proving Grounds. Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans 121: 6351-6366 (dx.doi.org/10.1002/2016JC012043) |
Physical Location
Organization: | Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center |
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City: | Honolulu |
State/Province: | HI |
Country: | USA |
Data Set Information
Data Set Scope Code: | Data Set |
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Data Set Type: | Excel and SAS Dataset |
Maintenance Frequency: | None Planned |
Data Presentation Form: | Document (digital) |
Support Roles
Distributor
Date Effective From: | 2016 |
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Date Effective To: | |
Contact (Organization): | Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) |
Address: |
1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu, HI 96818 USA |
Email Address: | pifsc.info@noaa.gov |
Phone: | 808-725-5360 |
URL: | https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov |
Business Hours: | 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. |
Point of Contact
Date Effective From: | 2023-08 |
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Date Effective To: | |
Contact (Person): | Schemmel, Eva M |
Email Address: | eva.schemmel@noaa.gov |
Contact Instructions: |
Contact via email. |
Extents
Currentness Reference: | Publication Date |
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Extent Group 1
Extent Group 1 / Geographic Area 1
Description |
Guam, US Territory |
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Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 1
Time Frame Type: | Range |
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Start: | 1939 |
End: | 2000 |
Description: |
Validated timeline for the coral core radiocarbon record using previously published seasonal/annual temperature changes. |
Access Information
Security Class: | Unclassified |
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Security Classification System: |
NA |
Security Handling Description: |
NA |
Data Access Policy: |
NA |
Data Access Procedure: |
NA |
Data Access Constraints: |
NA |
Data Use Constraints: |
NA |
Metadata Access Constraints: |
NA |
Metadata Use Constraints: |
NA |
Distribution Information
Distribution 1
Download URL: | https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/20346 |
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Distributor: | |
File Name: | Guam 14C Data |
Data Quality
Quality Control Procedures Employed: |
Further QC after data entry. |
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Data Management
Have Resources for Management of these Data Been Identified?: | Yes |
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Approximate Percentage of Budget for these Data Devoted to Data Management: | Unknown |
Do these Data Comply with the Data Access Directive?: | No |
Is Access to the Data Limited Based on an Approved Waiver?: | No |
If Distributor (Data Hosting Service) is Needed, Please Indicate: | NCDC |
Approximate Delay Between Data Collection and Dissemination: | None |
Actual or Planned Long-Term Data Archive Location: | Other |
If World Data Center or Other, Specify: | NCDC |
Approximate Delay Between Data Collection and Archiving: | None |
How Will the Data Be Protected from Accidental or Malicious Modification or Deletion Prior to Receipt by the Archive?: |
PIFSC ITS performs scheduled back-ups. |
Lineage
Lineage Statement: |
See publication: Andrews, A.H., R. Asami, Y. Iryu, D.R. Kobayashi, and F. Camacho. 2016. Bomb-produced radiocarbon in the western tropical Pacific Ocean—Guam coral reveals operation-specific signals from the Pacific Proving Grounds. Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans 121: 6351-6366 (dx.doi.org/10.1002/2016JC012043) |
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Child Items
Rubric scores updated every 15m
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Type | Title |
---|---|---|
Entity | GUAM_CORAL_DATA | |
Entity | GUAM_CORAL_HIGH_RES | |
Entity | GUAM_CORAL_REPLICATE |
Catalog Details
Catalog Item ID: | 36758 |
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GUID: | gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:36758 |
Metadata Record Created By: | Allen H Andrews |
Metadata Record Created: | 2017-02-10 15:19+0000 |
Metadata Record Last Modified By: | Michael Chang |
Metadata Record Last Modified: | 2025-02-13 22:57+0000 |
Metadata Record Published: | 2025-02-13 |
Owner Org: | PIFSC |
Metadata Publication Status: | Published Externally |
Do Not Publish?: | N |
Metadata Last Review Date: | 2019-07-23 |
Metadata Review Frequency: | 1 Year |
Metadata Next Review Date: | 2020-07-23 |