Dear colleague,

During the next 14C conference in Wellington in September, a special
session on radiocarbon dating of soils is planned for the 18th
International Radiocarbon Conference in Wellington NZ from September 1-5
2003:

Recent developments in radiocarbon dating of the terrestrial environment

Radiocarbon dating of terrestrial environment mostly means dealing with
open systems. Therefore, sample selection, sample preparation as well as
interpretation of the results has to be adjusted accordingly. On the other

hand, radiocarbon measurements can provide here information beyond a
simple date, giving unique insight into dynamic processes in soils and
sediments.

Subtopics of this session are:
- paleosols, disturbed or preserved, as historical event markers
- dynamics of soil organic matter
- problems and advantages of dating carbonates in soils and sediments
- model approaches to carbon cycling
- stable isotopes as well as other cosmogenic isotopes than radiocarbon
- soil genesis and developments


If you plan to attend the conference and have a presentation which
may fit to the topics of the soil session, please make a referring
note on your abstract submission.  NOTE THAT THE ABSTRACT AND EARLY
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS JULY 1.

Troy Baisden from Landcare Research (one of New Zealand's government
research institutes) is offering to organize a 1 day field trip to
the sites of the classic Radiocarbon papers which are revisited by
new projects. Please register now as you have the rare chance to
visit the classic NZ sites of soil radiocarbon research of the
Sixties and Seventies.

If you have any ideas or suggestions or questions, please email Troy or me.
Troy's email address is [log in to unmask]

Looking forward to seeing you soon in Wellington

Peter Becker-Heidmann
<[log in to unmask]>