... And the ancient volcano Thera.. . . and the ancient volcano Thera Radioactive emissions from nuclear testing Nuclear tests are experiments carried out to determine the effectiveness, yield and explosive capability of nuclear weapons. Throughout the twentieth century, most nations that have developed nuclear weapons have staged tests of them. and accidents are not the only events that create geological reference markers. By ejecting ash and debris into the atmosphere, volcanoes also leave their mark. The violent eruption of the Aegean island of Thera (or Santorini) about 3,500 years ago left an important legacy not only for geologists but for archaeologists as well, because it buried a number of developing Bronze Age Bronze Age, period in the development of technology when metals were first used regularly in the manufacture of tools and weapons. Pure copper and bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, were used indiscriminately at first; this early period is sometimes called the settlements on the island and is thought to have wiped out the Minoan civilization on Crete, to the south. Unfortunately, although Thera's debris long ago settled to ground, the exact date of its eruption remains up in the air. By comparing Thera's cultural development with that found elsewhere, most archaeologists have placed the eruption at about 1500 B.C., whereas radiocarbon dating of shrubs and other objects suggests dates more than 100 years older. In the Aug. 6 NATURE, Danish researchers present the results of yet another method, which produced dates slightly older than the radiocarbon ra·di·o·car·bon n. A radioactive isotope of carbon, especially carbon 14. radiocarbon Noun a radioactive isotope of carbon, esp. studies. C.U. Hammer at the University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen (Danish: Københavns Universitet) is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. and colleagues searched for acidity peaks in South Greenland ice cores. They found one layer containing high levels of sulfuric acid sulfuric acid, chemical compound, H2SO4, colorless, odorless, extremely corrosive, oily liquid. It is sometimes called oil of vitriol. Concentrated Sulfuric Acid (which is formed from volcanic sulfur dioxide), and by counting seasonal variations in snow deposits, they conclude that Thera erupted in 1645 B.C. |
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