Download C-14 is used to date

Carbon-14 Dating
Arnold C Mendez
Bible Study
1-28-17
Harlingen, TX
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The Importance of Carbon-14
Dating and Evolution

C-14 is used to date fossils that contain carbon-once living.

Includes wood, charcoal, animal and human tissue, nonmineralized bones, shells, or anything organic.

Used to date the recent history of fossil men, including
Neanderthal, and Homo erectus fossils.

These dates imply that man has existed for > 70,000 years.

C-14 has been used to support the idea that the dates in the
Biblical record are incorrect.
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C-14 is used to date:
36 KYA
55 KYA
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Carbon-14 and the Bible

C-14 Dates and the Biblical dates do not agree.

The Bible through the use of genealogies reveal that humans are only
a few thousand years old approximately 6,000 years.

C-14 dates can be compared to historical artifacts. For example we
can date wooden beams found in ancient temples.

The C-14 dates and historical dates/artifacts agree until about 4,400
ybp or about 2300 BC. After that the C-14 dates are older than the
Biblical record.

C-14 and the Bible do not agree when older dates are examined (45K).

For example the Stone age lasted several million years and ended
about 7,000 ya.
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How is C-14 Used to Date Fossils
All living things absorb carbon, through eating and
respiration, some of this carbon is Carbon-14.

A living organisms when it dies quits collecting
carbon, including C-14.

After the organism dies about ½ of the C-14 will
change/decay into nitrogen in about 5,730 years.

By measuring how much C-14 is left in the fossil or
artifact the date can be calculated.

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The nucleus of an
atom is made up of
protons and neutrons.
All carbon atoms
have 6 protons.

Carbon Atoms
If the carbon atom
has 6 neutrons then it
has an atomic mass
of 6 + 6 = 12.

A carbon atom with 6
protons and 6
neutrons has an
atomic mass of 12
and is know as
Carbon-12.

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Carbon and its Isotopes
Carbon atoms can have
three different configurations
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How is Carbon-14
Produced?
Cosmic Rays
From Outer
Space
Secondary Rays of
Neutrons

Cosmic rays are composed of protons (83%), helium nuclei
called (α) alpha rays (16%), elemental nuclei, and electrons
traveling at the speed of light. These high-speed particles are
emitted from the sun and supernova explosions.

These cosmic rays strike the atoms in the upper atmosphere,
mostly oxygen and nitrogen atoms.

They form secondary rays from broken up particles of the
oxygen and nitrogen atoms. These secondary rays include
slow moving neutrons.

14C
is formed when these neutrons strike the nitrogen atom
causing the emission of a proton. The nitrogen is then
converted into 14C. Over time the carbon-14 decays back into
non-radioactive, stable 14N.
C-14 is formed
N-14  C-14  N-14
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C-14 Production from Nitrogen and
C-14 Decay back to Nitrogen
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The Carbon-14 Cycle
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C-14 Assumptions
Major Assumption--The Carbon-14 cycle has not varied
1.The amount of cosmic rays coming from the sun and other stellar
sources has not varied.
2.The composition of the atmosphere has not varied, including CO2,
nitrogen, ozone, and other atmospheric gases.
3.The strength of the magnetic field of the sun and earth has not varied.
4.The ratio of C-14 and C-12 has not varied, this would include volcanic
eruptions and the amount of C trapped in the oceans, and other areas.
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The Carbon 14 Cycle
has varied
In this Bible Study we are going to look at some
of the factors that have varied.
1.Earth’s Magnetic Field
2.Solar Activity has varied the amount of cosmic rays
3.Supernovas
4.Volcanic activity has varied the C-12 and C-14 ratio.
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The Flood of Noah
Genesis 6: 9-13 This is the genealogy of Noah.
Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations.
Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons:
Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was
corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with
violence. So God looked upon the earth, and
indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted
their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “The
end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is
filled with violence through them; and behold, I will
destroy them with the earth.
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Earth’s Magnetic Field
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Earth’s Magnetic Field and Cosmic Rays
1. The Strength of the Magnetic Field of the earth
will affect the amount of cosmic rays that come
into the upper atmosphere.
2. If more cosmic rays enter the atmosphere more
C-14 will be produced. C-14 dates will be too
young.
3. If less cosmic rays enter the atmosphere less C14 will be produced. C-14 dates will be too old.
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Earth’s Magnetic Field and C-14 Production
Adapted from Bucha
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Solar Activity


Sunspots
Solar Flares
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Sunspots
Sunspots are places of intense
solar and magnetic activity.
With increased solar activity
the magnetic field of the sun
intensifies, which shields the
earth from cosmic rays from the
sun.
So less C-14 is produced
when the sun has a high
sunspot population.

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Solar Flares




Solar flares last a few hours
or days.
Solar flares increase the
cosmic ray production by
+1000%.
This increases C-14
production.
Solar flares also insert into
the earth atmosphere C-14
produced in the sun’s
interior.
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Supernova Explosions
Supernova is the titanic explosion of a dying star.
As the star explodes it expels all of its stellar
matter into space.
This produces an expanding shock wave of stellar
material which sweeps up other material along its
path.
This shock wave is know as a SuperNova
Remnant Shell or SNR.

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Supernovas
Crab Nebula is a
SNR of a supernova
that was visible
about 900 ya. It is in
the same place of
the sky where a
bright supernova
recorded in 1054 AD
by Chinese
astronomers.
It is about 11 ly
across and is
expanding at the
rate of 930
miles/sec.

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Supernovas

SNR 0519-69.0
Located 150K light years
from the earth.

Southern constellation
Dorado (Dolphin fish).

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Supernovas

SNR 0509-67.5

Visible about 400 ya.
It is located in the
Large Magellanic cloud.

The SNR is 23 light
years across.

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SuperNova Remnants

Supernovas are prime producers of cosmic rays.
Cosmic rays are simply high energy fast moving particles of
matter.

Cosmic ray composition: 83% helium nuclei called alpha
particles (α), the other 16% are nucleus of various atoms and
some electrons.


Cosmic ray are responsible for the production of C-14.
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Volcanic Activity
Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980.
Released 24 megatons of
thermal energy, and .64 cubic
miles of material.
The mountain’s height was
reduced by 1300 ft.

Mount St. Helens
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Volcanic Activity
Releases large amount of CO and CO2 into the
atmosphere.
Mt. St. Helens released approximately 650 metric
tons per day.
Volcanic Carbon is nonradioactive C-12.
It dilutes the carbon balance and makes the C-14
ratio smaller.
This will give false dates for material that absorbs
this carbon, giving older C-14 dates.

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Volcanic Emissions
Plants and trees growing near volcanoes that are
dormant have reduced ratios of C-14 and increased
amounts of C-12.

Wood from mine
timbers in a volcanic
mountain gave ages of
1805 years BP, 1820
years BP, 2540 years
BP, and 4350 years BP.

Source: Saupe F. et al.
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Summary of Factors Affecting C-14
Carbon-14 production and ages can vary.
Intensity of the earth, sun, and galactic
magnetic field.
Solar Activity such as sunspots and solar
flares.
Supernovas causing an increase in cosmic
ray intensity.
Volcanic activity diluting the C-12/C-14 ratio.

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Various Other Factors



Astral body striking the earth. Large amounts
of carbon in the air, nitrogen production levels
would be changed.
Change in the carbon holding capacity of the
oceans. Size of the Oceans, etc.
Changes to the earth’s upper and lower
atmosphere.
Hundreds of Other Factors
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Genesis Flood Affects C-14

Gen. 6:5-13 The flood destroyed the Earth.

Gen. 7:11 Great fountains of the deep broken.

Gen. 7:19-20 The water covered the oceans.

Gen. 10:24 Ocean basins were rising. Ice was
melting. Pelagic (def.)- relating to the
sea/oceans.

Psalms 104:8 Mountain building, ocean basins.
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Bible is More Reliable

Historic record via genealogies. Genesis 5 & 10.

Most C-14 dates are accurate for the last 4,0005,000 years.

Before this time period C-14 dates are too old
compared to chronological years.

The Noachian flood occurred about this time
period.
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Question and Answers
Carbon-14 Dating
Arnold C Mendez
Sermon
1-28-17
Harlingen, TX
33
Works Cited and Research Notes

. Pavel P. et al. Human presence in the European Arctic nearly 40,000 years ago. Nature. 413:64-67. 2001 (figure 1).


. Stanely SM. Earth and Life Through Time. W. H. Freeman and Co. New York. 1986. p 585.


. Tarbuck EJ. Lutgens FK. Earth an Introduction to Physical Geology 5th ed. Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ. 1996. p 185
(slide 9)..


. Lingenfelter RE. Ramaty R. Astrophysical and geophysical variation in C14 production. 12th Nobel Symposium,1969, Uppsala
Universitet. Wiley Interscience Division. New York. 1970.



. US Dept of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Art work by Endo, K. Nikkei Science Inc. Japan.
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/potfld/magdata.shtml. June 2002 (slide 15).
. Tarduno JA. Cottrell RD. High geomagnetic intensity during the Med-Cretaceous from Thellier analyses of single plagioclase crystals.
Science. 291:1779-1783. 2001.


. Bucha V. Influence of the Earth's magnetic field on radiocarbon dating. 12th Nobel Symposium, 1969, Uppsala Univesitet. Wiley
Interscience Division. New York. 1970.


. Suess HE. The three causes of the secular C14 fluctuations, their amplitudes and time constants. 12th Nobel Symposium,1969,
Uppsala Universitet. Wiley Interscience Division. New York. 1970.


. Burchuladze AA. Pagava AV. et al. Short-term variations of cosmogenic radiocarbon with solar activity. Proceeding of the 16th
International Cosmic Ray Conference. University of Tokyo. Japan. MG3-1:200-5. 1979.


. Rampino MR. Ambrose SH. Volcanic winter in the Garden of Eden: the Toba supereruption and the late Pleistocene human population
crash. Geological Survey of America. Special paper 345. 71-82. 2000.



. Saupe F. et al. A possible source of error in 14C dates: volcanic emanation (examples from the Monte Amiata District, Provinces of
Grosseto and Sienna, Italy). Radiocarbon. 22:2:525-531. 1980.
Photos of stellar and geological objects courtesy NASA/USGS.
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