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This paper explores the possibilities of the use of architectural design in benefiting the human condition in polluted cities and shows the role of art in shifting people's ideas about its influence on an urban wellbeing. The authors depict the possible usage of titanium dioxide (TiO2) technology as a component of building materials and its impact on clearing the atmosphere from nitrogen oxides. This research is focused on shaping the architectural form to promote light-active building materials for ecological thinking. The results of the academic research programme undertaken at WPUT (West Pomeranian University of Technology) in Szczecin, in cooperation with the Necmettin Erbakan University in Konya, are presented here.

Spring-fed fen deposits (peat-tufa sequences) from northern Poland were investigated for Holocene environmental reconstruction (climate and hydrology) using multi-proxy analysis (lithofacies, molluscs, pollen, plant macrofossils, geochemistry, and stable oxygen- and carbon-isotopes). The main aims of these studies were: (1) comparison of several similar sites with the same type of groundwater supply and sedimentation on a widespread space scale, (2) detailed reconstruction of their long-term development, assessing their sensitivity to climate change, (3) verification of the synchronicity of the record of different proxies in distant sites in the context of Holocene climate changes in relation to specific well-known global and/or regional climate events (so-called Bond events), and (4) discussion on permafrost degradation as a driver of spring-fed fens development. Based on our palaeogeographical data, we have distinguished an asynchronicity of the beginning of the development of spring-fed fens in the eastern and western parts of the studied region that is associated with different times of ascending groundwater supply unblocking after complete permafrost degradation. Therein, asynchronicity of permafrost degradation was brought about by multiple climatic, geological and structural conditions. Our results also indicate significant differences in the trends of succession (ecological and lithological) caused by the geographical location of the studied sites. Asynchronicity of the occurrence of wet and dry phases, as well as significant differences in their duration were noted. This depended upon the influence of oceanic (western part) or continental climates (eastern part). Warm and humid oceanic climate promoted the domination and longer duration of wet phases (especially in the Eo- and early Mesoholocene), while the harsh continental climate promoted the more frequent occurrence of dry phases, with short episodes of increased humidity. From the middle Mesoholocene, this marked regional diversification becomes less pronounced. Results also allowed for the recognition of several palaeoclimatic events on a regional scale. Four main cold episodes (Bond events 8–5): during LG/H transition (11.5 ky cal BP), Eo- (∼10.25 ky cal BP, ∼9.4 ky cal BP) and at the beginning of the Mesoholocene (∼8.2 ky cal BP) are well-documented by multiple proxies at all study sites. Other cold episodes (Bond events 4–0) are slightly less documented and are not clear for interpretation. The results of our study demonstrate the importance of spring-fed fen deposits for detailed palaeoenvironmental reconstruction on a regional scale.

In this paper, a record of the 14C and 13C isotope content of atmospheric CO2 for Gliwice is presented for samples collected on a weekly basis in the years 2011–2013. In addition, measurements were performed on the early and late wood from the annual rings of pine trees from five sites located 3–6 km from the atmospheric CO2 sampling point. The concentration of 14C in CO2 samples from the air was much lower relative to the concentration of this isotope in “clean air,” indicating a pronounce Suess effect, with a mean Δ14C lower by ca. 60‰ than Jungfraujoch data when the 15% of the highest differences are excluded, which leads to the FFCO2 estimate of 5.8%. In winter, the main source of fossil CO2 was fuel combustion, as confirmed by significant correlations with air pollutants. In the vegetation seasons, the Δ14C was highly variable due to biogenic influence and more variable winds. The isotopic results were also affected by an additional significant CO2 source for the Gliwice air, which was a closed mine shaft. The Δ14C and δ13C in tree rings did not record a strong Suess effect in the years 2008–2013 in woodland areas around Gliwice city.

Aim The aim was to decipher Europe‐wide spatio‐temporal patterns of forest growth dynamics and their associations with carbon isotope fractionation processes inferred from tree rings as modulated by climate warming. Location Europe and North Africa (30‒70° N, 10° W‒35° E). Time period 1901‒2003. Major taxa studied Temperate and Euro‐Siberian trees. Methods We characterize changes in the relationship between tree growth and carbon isotope fractionation over the 20th century using a European network consisting of 20 site chronologies. Using indexed tree‐ring widths (TRWi), we assess shifts in the temporal coherence of radial growth across sites (synchrony) for five forest ecosystems (Atlantic, boreal, cold continental, Mediterranean and temperate). We also examine whether TRWi shows variable coupling with leaf‐level gas exchange, inferred from indexed carbon isotope discrimination of tree‐ring cellulose (Δ13Ci). Results We find spatial autocorrelation for TRWi and Δ13Ci extending over a maximum of 1,000 km among forest stands. However, growth synchrony is not uniform across Europe, but increases along a latitudinal gradient concurrent with decreasing temperature and evapotranspiration. Latitudinal relationships between TRWi and Δ13Ci (changing from negative to positive southwards) point to drought impairing carbon uptake via stomatal regulation for water saving occurring at forests below 60° N in continental Europe. An increase in forest growth synchrony over the 20th century together with increasingly positive relationships between TRWi and Δ13Ci indicate intensifying impacts of drought on tree performance. These effects are noticeable in drought‐prone biomes (Mediterranean, temperate and cold continental). Main conclusions At the turn of this century, convergence in growth synchrony across European forest ecosystems is coupled with coordinated warming‐induced effects of drought on leaf physiology and tree growth spreading northwards. Such a tendency towards exacerbated moisture‐sensitive growth and physiology could override positive effects of enhanced leaf intercellular CO2 concentrations, possibly resulting in Europe‐wide declines of forest carbon gain in the coming decades. Spanish Government, Grant/Award Number: AGL2015‐68274 ‐C3 ‐3‐R; Sixth Framework Programme, Grant/AwardNumber: EVK2‐2001 ‐00237; Seventh Framework Programme, Grant/AwardNumber: COST ‐STSM ‐ECOST ‐STSM ‐FP1304‐140915‐066395 and ERANET‐Mundus program (Grant agreement 20112573)

This study reports the variation of tree-ring widths and annual variation of concentration of metals (Na, Mg, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb) in pine growing nearby chemical factories. The conifers (Pinus silvestris L.) investigated in this study covered the time span from 1920s to 2010 AD. Tree-ring widths were measured, dated and rechecked using the COFECHA. Radial trace-element profiles were determined by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. The combined usage of tree ring width and chemical composition of wood provides historic records of anthropogenic impact on the environment and allows identifying the behavior adaptation of trees to the pollution. Data of pine tree cores collected from the sites nearby chemical factories show increasing levels of pollution linked to the increasing of industrial activities in Poland and subsequent dust fallout around the site. This study evidences that tree rings can be used as archives of past environmental contamination.

The importance of human impacts on Earth has led to the proposal of a new geologic epoch called the Anthropocene. However markers, recognizable in all records, are required to define this period. Here we combine elemental geochemistry with stable lead (Pb) isotopes and mineralogical analyses to decipher the sources of lead in two exploited ombrotrophic peat bogs (Puścizna Mala and Puścizna Krauszowska) from Southern Poland. The most disturbed parts of the cores, distinguished using bulk density and age–depth models (22–45 cm in PM and 22–46 cm in PK), were excluded from the interpretation. The two studied cores record ca. 2000 years of variations in lead accumulation rates and isotopic compositions. In the lowest part of the cores (2nd to 4th century AD for Puścizna Mala and 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD for Puścizna Krauszowska), the 206Pb/207Pb ratios (1.188) are consistent with natural supplies from the erosion of the nearby Tatra Mountains. From the 9th to the 19th century AD, 206Pb/207Pb ratios (1.176–1.179) are similar to the signatures obtained from Polish galena ores. The highest Pb accumulation rates are found around 1950 AD and reflect the primary influence of bituminous coal combustion together with the secondary influence of leaded gasoline. This result agrees with the occurrence and abundance of spheroidal aluminosilicates, an unambiguous marker of human industrial activity and coal burning as well as with the acceleration of Zn, Cd and Fe accumulation rate. Our results provide evidence that similar geochemical patterns exist in both analysed cores despite differences in the history of peatland exploitation. Therefore, given that extra care is taken to identify the disturbed peat layers, exploited peatlands can be used to record past changes in lead isotopic signature during the Anthropocene.

The mass spectrometric investigations of carbon isotope composition of glucose received from α-cellulose samples derived from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing in Niepołomice Forest were the main aim of this study. The annual rings covered the time span from 1950 to 2000. α-Cellulose samples were extracted from increment cores of four representative trees, and then acid hydrolysis was performed. The number of sunshine hours, thermal and pluvial conditions of the growing season and in the preceding months had a significant effect on pine. Also non-climatic factors, most likely by industrial pollution signal, have been recorded in the isotopic composition of glucose. The relationship between climatic conditions, carbon dioxide emission and annual tree-rings carbon isotopic composition was analysed, using methods of correlation and response function, and multiple regression function.

We present the first analysis of the influence of climate change on carbon and oxygen isotope fractionation factors for two saccharides (glucose and α-cellulose) of pine wood. The conifers grew in the Niepołomice Forest in Poland and the annual rings covered a time span from 1935 to 2000 AD. Glucose samples from acid hydrolysis of α-cellulose were extracted from annual tree rings. The carbon and oxygen isotope fractionation factors between glucose and α-cellulose were not stable over time. The mean value for the carbon isotope fractionation factors between glucose and α-cellulose was greater than unity. The mean value for the oxygen isotope fractionation factors between glucose and α-cellulose was lower than unity. We established, with respect to climate change, the significance of the interannual and intraannual variation in the carbon and oxygen isotope fractionation factors between both saccharides. We used moving interval correlation results for May of the previous year through September of the current year using a base length of 48 years. The relationship with summer temperature is the main climate signal in the carbon isotope fractionation factor between glucose and α-cellulose. The relationship with autumn sunshine is the main climate signal in the oxygen isotope fractionation factor between glucose and α-cellulose for the tree ring chronology.

New results of carbon isotopic composition from tree rings have been analyzed. Δ14C and δ13C data, representing the isotopic composition of carbon in “clean air”, were obtained from annual rings of a pine tree (Pinus sylvestris) taken in the Niepolomice area, 25 km east Krakow, Poland. All samples were processed to extract α-cellulose, and the radiocarbon concentration in each annual ring was measured using AMS at the University of Nagoya. Stable isotopic composition of carbon was determined using isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The dataset covers the growth period between 1960 and 2003. The average difference between radiocarbon concentrations in Niepolomice and the North Hemisphere zone 1 (NH zone 1) for the period between 1960 and 1999 is 3.5 ± 1.6‰. These data are compared with previously presented results from the city of Krakow, where a local decrease in 14C concentration was observed due to local CO2 emission from fossil fuel use. The differences in observed 14C concentrations were used to estimate a magnitude of the local Suess effect in Krakow. Based on mass balance equations for CO2 14C concentrations, it was possible to calculate the CO2 concentration associated with fossil fuel emission (Cfoss) into the atmosphere. The highest values of Cfoss were recorded in the years 1986 (11.9 ± 1.4 ppm V) and 1983 (8.1 ± 1.3 ppm V), while the lowest value of 0.6 ± 1.8 ppm V was recorded in 2001.

Southern Poland is home to numerous large mining and energy industry facilities, which consume relatively great amounts of fossil fuels. Temporal and spatial distribution of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere were estimated on the basis of 13C and 14C isotope measurements in atmospheric CO2 and in α-cellulose from pine tree rings. The Suess effect was evaluated in the atmospheric CO2 from the High Tatra Mountains (Kasprowy Wierch) and the urban area (Kraków), as well as in tree rings from Niepołomice Forest near Kraków. Two different models were used to estimate the emission component recorded in tree ring δ13C on the background of climatic changes.

A simplified model of hydrological changes during the Late Glacial and Holocene is presented for the northern Polish regions that were ice covered during the Last Glacial. This reconstruction is based on a group of 197 radiocarbon dates from about 120 localities reflecting the sequence of alternating lake transgressions and regressions. The earliest transgressions were related to dead-ice melting (sometimes in 2–3 phases), while the later ones started during more humid phases. However, these were usually followed by regressions, which may have been connected with the formation of new drainage systems and with the overgrowing of shallow lakes by peat bogs. DOI: 10.2458/azu_js_rc.55.16343

Tree-ring samples were taken from a from a pine tree (Pinus pinea) growing in Villar de Peralonso, a rural area 50 km west of the city of Salamanca, Spain. All samples were processed to extract α-cellulose and the radiocarbon concentration in each annual ring was measured using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) at the University of Nagoya, Japan. The data set covers a growth period between 1979 and 2006, and represents the concentrations of 14C in a “clean area.” The average difference between 14C concentrations in Villar de Peralonso and NH zone 1 for the period 1979–1999 is 4.1 ± 1.3%. A sample was taken to obtain the reference level of 14C for the Iberian Peninsula, for a study of anthropogenic emission of CO2 in urban areas. As part of the initial study, 14C concentration data in tree rings from the city of Valladolid were used to recalculate the fossil fuel component (cfoss) using reference data from Villar de Peralonso.

Lime mortars may contain carbon from different origins. If the mortars are made of totally burnt lime, radiocarbon dating yields the true age of building construction. The presence of carbonaceous aggregates gives the so-called dead carbon effect, which may generate older ages. Another source of carbon is charcoal present in mortars. An attempt has been made to apply the radiocarbon method to mortars of archaeologically estimated age from the Dead Sea region. Petrographical analyses of these samples show the carbonaceous character of the binder and large amounts of limestone aggregate. Determination of the mineral composition of the mortars and comparison with the geology of the surrounding, allows the provenance of the raw materials to be identified. They probably represent the Cretaceous rocks of the Judea Group. Separate radiocarbon dates were made on bulk mortar samples, binder, charcoal fragments and separated fractions from mortars. In the case of binder-aggregate mixture the reservoir effect correction has been applied.

Abundant wood remains and buried trees have been found in the western part of Lithuania near Zakeliškiai and Lyduvėnai on Dubysa River (a tributary of Nemunas River) where deposits are rich in organic remnants and buried soils. In Zakeliškiai and Skiručiai sections of Dubysa River oxbow sediments were investigated by various methods (dendrochronological, carbonate, granulometric, pollen and mollusc fauna analysis). In addition, these sections were dated using the radiocarbon method. Samples were collected from deposits of Dubysa River outcrops. The studied oxbow lakes have existed for more than 5 thousand years (from ca. 4300 BC to 1000 AD). During this period organic rich deposits with trees and branches were formed in the oxbow lake. This indicates that at the end of Atlantic, during Subboreal and in the early Subatlantic periods there was a forest growing that contained mainly oaks which were falling down into an oxbow lake and later were covered by sandy and silty deposits. The granulometry of alluvial deposits, as well as the mixture of medium-grained sand and silt show different stages of Dubysa River palaeochannel formation: riverbed and oxbow lakes. Three climate warming cycles were revealed according to carbonate analysis data in all investigated sections. The rheophile thermophilous Holocene age molluscs species Bithynia tentaculata L., Unio cf. crassus Philipsson, Pisidium amnicum (Müller), Theodoxus fluviatilis (Linnaeus) have been found. The pollen composition and sequences have been divided into five local pollen assemblage zones (LPAZ) and described according to pollen spectra in each zone. In this way it is possible restore palaeoclimatic coherent evolution, trends and cyclical change.

The Holocene delivers a unique possibility to establish climatic stratigraphic boundaries based on detailed chronostratigraphy reflected in various facies of continental sediments, in their lithological parameters and organic remains. These sediments are dated by the 14C method in the case of organic remains, by counting annual laminations in lacustrine facies, and by dendrochronological method in the case of fluvial sediments. The existence of well dated profiles enables to reconstruct various climatic parameters like amplitudes of seasonal temperatures, types and frequency of extreme rainfalls and floods and, finally, to distinguish rare rapid changes and most frequent gradual ones. This reconstruction is based on the analogous effects of various types of present-day rainfalls. The current authors present a critical review of existing chronostratigraphic divisions starting from simple millennial division by Mangerud based on Scandinavian palynological stratigraphy of peat-bogs and Starkel’s concept based on fluctuations in rainfall and runoff regime reflected in fluvial and other facies of continental deposits. In the last decades, the calibration of 14C dates allowed a new approach to be used for the construction of the probability distribution function of these dates in various facies or types of sediments, which formed a background for distinguishing and correlating climatic phases and defining boundaries between them. These approaches have been creating new opportunities for revision of the existing chronostratigraphy. The aim of this paper is to present a revised version of chronostratigraphic division based on climatic fluctuations reflected in various facies of sediments on the territory of Poland and discuss their correlation with other European regions and global climatic changes.

The paper reports the results of a palynological study of a newly exposed section in the peat sediments of Bezděkov site and its correlation with the previous palaeobotanical studies. The main goal was to elucidate the stratigraphic position and paleogeographic development of fossil peat bog and its environment in the Protected Landscape Area Žďárské vrchy and Železné hory in the Bohemian-Moravian Uplands. The development of peatbog vegetation, as shown by the pollen analysis and radiocarbon dating, took place in the Holocene. Pollen analyses provide evidence for occurrences of wetland assemblages with huge representation of alder wood in all the part of succession, followed by willow near the Cerhovka Brook. Alnus and Abies were the dominant trees during all the time. The deciduous forests consist of elm (Ulmus), oak (Quercus), lime tree (Tilia), maple (Acer) and hazel (Corylus). The mosaic picture of woodland and wetland, which covered this landscape during the Upper Holocene, contrasts with the present day monotonous open lowland. Sediments of the peat bog provide information on the origin and vegetation evolution of this area.

Landslides affecting narrow mountainous valleys might significantly determine sedimentation dynamics of floodplains. We present here a detailed study of the sedimentary archive within a landslide-controlled impounded floodplain (Smrdutá site, Czech Flysch Carpathians) using geochronological (14C and 137Cs), sedimentological and pollen evidence. A sedimentary sequence deposited above the landslide dam points to three highly discontinuous and instantaneous depositional events dated to 4.6 and 2.0 cal. ka BP, whereas the last cycle started approximately in the 17–18th centuries and has continued to recent times. Such sedimentary pulses characterized by the duration of several decades to a few centuries originated as a consequence of the blockage and/or reduction of the valley floor width by successive long-runout landslides from a slope formed by tectonically and lithologically anisotropic flysch bedrock. Stages of mass movement activity revealed by the Smrdutá landslide correlate well with major humid late-Holocene oscillations suggesting its high sensitivity to century-scale climatic deteriorations. The character of lithological units forming individual sedimentary pulses, erosional hiatuses and sedimentary traces caused by the July 1997 extreme flood indicate a decisive role of large flood events during accretion and erosion of the floodplain-impounded section.

This article presents an application of a fixed-energy balance counting window in radiocarbon dating of geological peat samples. We determine a fixed-energy balance counting window with an inexpensive liquid scintillation counting ICELS system. We show long-term modern biosphere standard records that show stability sufficient for dating samples up to approximately 30,000 14C yr BP. We then compare our results to ones obtained previously using a Quantulus 1220™.

The paper presents the results of interdisciplinary (multiproxy) palaeoenvironmental studies of peat — calcareous tufa depositional sequences of spring mire from Radzików site (east Poland). Analyses of three biotic proxies (plant macrofossils, pollen, molluscs) were supplemented with sedimentological, geochemical, oxygen and carbon stable isotopes analyses and radiocarbon dating and used for reconstruction of environmental changes in Late Glacial and Holocene. The obtained results enable us to (1) reconstruct main phases of mire development and (2) determine environmental factors influencing changes of water supply. The object started to develop in Allerød. The Late Glacial and Early Holocene deposit sequence is relatively thick (about 1.0 m), with good palaeoecological record. The boundary between Younger Dryas and Preboreal is especially well confirmed by palynological and malacological analyses as well as radiocarbon dating. The Mesoholocene deposits are considerably worse preserved. Mire development was evaluated in terms of general mire ecology.

In this paper we present the new LSC spectra evaluation method for high precision 14 C dating with Quantulus 1220™. The generally used fixed window is replaced with the fixed energy balanced counting window. The lower and upper channel of the window in the multichannel analyzer vary according to the quench level of each individual measurement. The position of the window is determined with the external standard quench parameter SQP(E) of Quantulus 1220™. We show how this fixed energy balance window for each sample secures high stability and reduced quench correction. This method is compared with the typically used fixed channel window.

One of the largest long-runout landslides in the modern history of the Czech Republic originated on the southern slopes of the Girova Mountain (Outer Western Carpathians) at the end of extreme rainfalls in May 2010. The structurally predisposed Girova Mountain rockslide occurred very quickly within fault-weakened, deeply-weathered flysch bedrock. Its main phase, during which a wedge-like block collapsed in the upper part of slope, lasted for a few hours. The overloaded slope collapsed and its motion lasted for the following 3 days. The May 2010 Girova Mountain rockslide is an excellent case of a recurrent long-runout landslide nested within a deep-seated gravitational slope deformation with a long history of Late Quaternary mass movements. The chronology of slope failures within the studied slope was reconstructed by means of radiocarbon dating and dendrogeomorphological analysis. At least one Holocene long-runout landslide (7.4 cal ka BP) and several smaller failures (~ 1.5 and ~ 0.6 cal ka BP) preceded this recent catastrophic failure. Dendrogeomorphological analysis showed that the failure had been preceded by at least 80-year-long creep movement that accelerated over the years due to extreme rainfall events. Despite the fact that extreme precipitation of May 2010 represented the last incremental change before catastrophic collapse of the slope, its main reason was gradual weakening of rock massif and concentrated creeping (with some accelerated phases) in the upper part of the slope deformation.

Scarisoara Ice Cave (NW Romania) contains the world's largest underground perennial ice deposit. In this paper we present the results from pollen, micro- and macro-charcoal, and plant macrofossil investigations of a vertical ice exposure spanning the past ca. 1000 years in the Little Reservation from this cave. These results are then compared with three peat sequences close to the study area in order to evaluate the potential of using biotic remains preserved in the ice block for past vegetation, environment and climatic reconstructions. Pollen data from Scarisoara Ice Cave suggest that each impurity-poor layer is likely to include a smaller number of years, compared to organic-rich layers in which repeated, multi-annual melting events may have concentrated a higher amount of organic matter. However, layers with abundant presence of organic matter and also containing plant macro-remains, micro- and macro-charcoal particles appear to indicate a rapid wash-in of surface material into the cave. Evidence from the pollen record suggests the prevalence of close forest dominated by Fagus sylvatica between ca. AD 1200 and 1500 and by Picea abies between ca. AD 1000 and 1500 and from AD 1550 onwards. Contrary to the pollen records from the surface, the pollen assemblages from Scarisoara Ice Cave are characterized by low frequencies and diversity of pollen of herbaceous plants (non-arboreal pollen, NAP) and coprophilous spores. However, there are fluctuating frequencies in these taxa, which appear to track changes in climate conditions (higher during the Medieval Warm Period and lower during the Little Ice Age), which suggest that land-use changes were likely modulated by the climate. High amounts of micro- and macro-charcoal particles between AD 1600 and 1850, when climate conditions were cool and wet, suggests that the charcoal was washed into the cave during times of extreme rainfall events, rather than associated with increased burning regime. A comparison with pollen records from the surface shows analogous forest development and fluctuations in the NAP, therefore supporting the hypothesis that the cave ice can be a valuable paleoecological archive.

The paper presents an analysis of depositional sequences of landslide peat bog situated in the depressions developed within the landslide landforms Jesionowa in the Beskid Sądecki Mts. (Outer Carpathians). The peat bog, with depositional sequence 2.80 m long, started to form at the beginning of the Atlantic Phase ca. 6390–5910 cal BC. Palynological and lithological analyses as well as several (14) radiocarbon age determinations of different horizons in the sediments enabled the reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental changes during the Meso-and Neoholocene. The increase in climate humidity at the beginning of the Subboreal and Subatlantic Phases was observed as delivery of minerogenic material to the peat bog basin and formation of a mineral horizon and an illuvial level within the peat. The particularly intensive delivery of allochthonous material to the peat bog took place at the beginning of the Subboreal Phase and was the result of both significant humid climate and increased human impact (colonization of the Funnel Beaker Culture) in the landslide area. Similar influence of younger colonisations of landslide area (Przeworsk Culture and, later, Valachian colonisation) was also recorded within the deposits of peat bog (illuvial and mineral horizons) in the early Subatlantic Phase. Rejuvenation of the landslide zone and formation of the younger landslide were connected with the increase in climate humidity at the beginning of the Subboreal Phase. The peat bog deposits situated within this younger landslide, which are ca. 1.8 m thick, are significantly contaminated with mineral material.

We present the first results of the quantitative and qualitative gas chromatographic and isotope ratio mass spectrometric analysis of monosaccharides derived from acid hydrolysis of α-cellulose extracted from annual pine tree-rings. The conifers investigated in this study grew in the Niepolomice Forest in Poland, and the annual rings covered the time span from 1940 to 2000 AD. The main components of the α-cellulose samples were two saccharides: glucose and mannose. The amount of glucose in the annual rings varied between 17 and 44%. The δ13C of glucose was found to be less negative than that of α-cellulose and the δ18O values in glucose were less positive than those in α–cellulose. The content of monosaccharides in the α-cellulose samples has an influence on the isotope fractionation factors. The values of the carbon isotope fractionation factor increase with an increase in the monosaccharides concentration in α-cellulose, while the values of the oxygen isotope fractionation factor decrease with an increase in monosaccharides concentration in α-cellulose. The challenge is to establish, with respect to climate changes and environmental conditions, the significance of the interannual variations in the observed monosaccharide concentration. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

It is shown that quantitative measurement of the saccharides from enzymatic hydrolysis of α-cellulose extracted from individual annual tree-rings has the potential to provide insight into the ecosystem in which the tree grew. The quantitative measurement reported here, which is the first of its kind, concerned the complex of cellulases Trichoderma Reesei and α-cellulose samples from annual tree-rings of Pinus sylvestris L for the period 1968–2000. Monosaccharides were measured using electrospray mass spectrometry. There were significant differences among concentrations of monosaccharide from different annual tree-rings. We attribute these variations to structural differences in the α-cellulose. The hypothesis put forward is that higher concentrations of monosaccharide reflect higher degrees of crystallinity. The concentrations of monosaccharide correlated positively with annual precipitation; the concentrations did not correlate with other climate indicators. It is pointed out that the widths of annual tree-rings are known to correlate positively with these other climate indicators, but not with annual precipitation.

Radiocarbon Dating of Peat Profile with Metallurgy Industry Evidence In this work an age model for a peat core from the site near Żyglin, based on 14C is presented. The investigated profile is marked with some possible evidence of early human activity in this region. The earliest metallurgy industry is expected to correspond with charcoal production and the recent increase of metal content in this profile. In this work the Quantulus 1220™ recently purchased was used for 14C dating with liquid scintillation counting (LSC) technique. Therefore results of calibration, tests and verification with use of samples from inter-comparison programs (VIRI, FIRI) are also presented.

We present the first results concerning interannual variations in concentrations of glucose and cellobiose, obtained through enzymatic hydrolysis of alpha-cellulose. The alpha-cellulose was extracted from late-wood of oak. The tree-ring chronologies, wood components and their physical and chemical properties provide information about the ecosystem in which the tree grew, and thus information regarding climate variability and the impact of human activity in the past. The large molecular size and insolubility make it difficult to determine precisely the chemical and physical properties of the intact cellulose polymer. Enzymatic hydrolysis is the principal method of degradation of cellulose. In this study the feasibility has been examined of characterizing (alpha-cellulose through analysis by mass spectrometry (MS) of the degradation products from hydrolysis. Degradation of alpha-cellulose was possible without using alkaline or acid buffers. Analysis by MS provided the opportunity to obtain information on the biodegradation of saccharides. The presence of cellobiose and glucose in the degradation product was evidenced by the mass spectra. We have compared the abundances of these glucose and cellobiose ions with carbon isotope ratios, the efficiency of extraction of alpha-cellulose from the wood and tree-ring width indices. The challenge is to establish, with respect to climate changes and environmental conditions, the significance of the variations from one year to another in the observed abundances of glucose and cellobiose ions. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Archaeological excavations at the Syrian settlement of Tell Qaramel have been conducted since 1999. They are concentrated on remnants of the Protoneolithic and early stages of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period. The settlement has revealed an extremely rich collection of everyday use of flint, bone, and mostly stone objects, such as decorated chlorite or limestone vessels; shaft straighteners used to stretch wooden arrow shafts, richly decorated in geometrical, zoomorphic, and anthropomorphic patterns; as well as different kinds of stones, querns, mortars, pestles, grinders, polishing plates, celts, and adzes.Excavations brought the discovery of 5 circular towers. Some 57 charcoal samples were collected during the excavations and dated in the GADAM Centre in Gliwice, Poland. The stratigraphy of the settlement and results of radiocarbon dating testify that these are the oldest such constructions in the world, older than the famous and unique tower in Jericho. They confirm that the Neolithic culture was formed simultaneously in many regions of the Near East, creating a farming culture and establishing settlements with mud and stone architecture and creating the first stages of a proto-urban being.

Santa Lucía is a pottery production site dating to the Formative period (about 1600 BC to AD 200). It is located in the Cochabamba valleys of the eastern Bolivian Andes. The settlement consists of a residential area and a separate workshop area. A peripheral sector of ash mounds was used as refuse sites and burial grounds. The excavations yielded a total of 16 radiocarbon samples from all 3 sectors, which were dated at the Gliwice Radiocarbon Laboratory (Gliwice, Poland). The results from the deepest trench in the workshop sector (Trench 5) provide information for the stratigraphic sequence and help to define spatial and socioeconomic changes at around 600–500 BC with the beginning of the Late Formative or Santa Lucía III phase. The 14C dates from Santa Lucía, therefore, contribute to a better definition of the existing regional Formative period phases and finally to a better understanding of the processes during the Formative period in the south-central Andes.

Oxbow lake deposits of the Neris River at the Valakupiai site in Vilnius (Lithuania) have been studied by different methods including radiocarbon dating. A timescale was attained for the development of the oxbow lake and climatic events recorded in the sediments. 14C dates obtained for 24 samples cover the range 990–6500 BP (AD 580 to 5600 BC). Medieval human activity was found in the upper part of the sediments. Mollusk fauna found in the basal part of the terrace indicate contact between people living in the Baltic and the Black Sea basins. Mean rates were calculated for erosion of the river and for accumulation during the formation of the first terrace.

New records of δ13C and Δ14C values in annual rings of pine and oak from different sites around the world were obtained with a time resolution of 1 yr. The results obtained for Europe (Poland), east Asia (Japan), and South America (Peru) are presented in this paper. The δ13C and radiocarbon concentration of α-cellulose from annual tree rings of pine and of the latewood of oak were measured by both accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and liquid scintillation spectrometry (LSC). The values of 14S, which represent decreasing 14C concentrations caused by the emission of CO2 from fossil fuel use (Suess effect; Suess 1955), were calculated for each site. Low average 14S (about −0.4 to 0.8%) values for clean areas and high values (about 3.4–3.6%) for industrial and/or urbanized areas were noted. Records of the δ13C values obtained for pine and oak from Poland were used to reconstruct climate changes during the last 400 yr. The results clearly indicate the climate cooling during the periods of the Maunder minimum (1645–1715) and the Dalton minimum (1790–1820). The anti-correlation between the δ13C and Δ14C records during those 2 periods is clear if the 14C record is shifted toward older ages by 24 yr.

Carbonate binders from mortars and plasters as well as charcoal fragments sampled at the ancient settlement of Hippos (Sussita) have been subjected to radiocarbon dating by gas proportional counting (GPC) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Hippos is situated on the east coast of the Sea of Galilee (32°46′N, 35°39′E) at the top of a hill in the Golan Heights area, Israel. According to historical-archaeological data, the town had functioned since the 3rd century BC until AD 749, when it eventually crumbled into ruins after an earthquake. The appropriate sample selection and preparation based on the results of petrographic observations permitted us to distinguish different phases involved in the expansion of the settlement. More than 200 samples were taken from the settlement and subjected to petrographic and chemical analyses. Of the 200 total samples, about 20 were selected for dating. Here, we present the first 10 results of 14C dating carried out for Hippos. The oldest sample dated thus far gave an age corresponding with the 2nd century BC to 1st century AD—probably indicating an old Roman temple, on the base of which the North-West church (NWC) was later erected. The next dates extend up to the 8th century AD, the age related to the last phase of settlement inhabitation. Research is continuing as new excavations take place.

Considering the combined effects of CO2 fertilization and climate change drivers on plant physiology leads to a modest increase in simulated European forest transpiration in spite of the effects of CO2-induced stomatal closure. The Earth’s carbon and hydrologic cycles are intimately coupled by gas exchange through plant stomata1,2,3. However, uncertainties in the magnitude4,5,6 and consequences7,8 of the physiological responses9,10 of plants to elevated CO2 in natural environments hinders modelling of terrestrial water cycling and carbon storage11. Here we use annually resolved long-term δ13C tree-ring measurements across a European forest network to reconstruct the physiologically driven response of intercellular CO2 (Ci) caused by atmospheric CO2 (Ca) trends. When removing meteorological signals from the δ13C measurements, we find that trees across Europe regulated gas exchange so that for one ppmv atmospheric CO2 increase, Ci increased by ∼0.76 ppmv, most consistent with moderate control towards a constant Ci/Ca ratio. This response corresponds to twentieth-century intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) increases of 14 ± 10 and 22 ± 6% at broadleaf and coniferous sites, respectively. An ensemble of process-based global vegetation models shows similar CO2 effects on iWUE trends. Yet, when operating these models with climate drivers reintroduced, despite decreased stomatal opening, 5% increases in European forest transpiration are calculated over the twentieth century. This counterintuitive result arises from lengthened growing seasons, enhanced evaporative demand in a warming climate, and increased leaf area, which together oppose effects of CO2-induced stomatal closure. Our study questions changes to the hydrological cycle, such as reductions in transpiration and air humidity, hypothesized to result from plant responses to anthropogenic emissions.

Slightly inclined Holocene marine terraces cover parts of two circular salt diapirs (Hormoz and Namakdan) in the Persian Gulf. Their relative altitude above present sea level results from a combination of general marine transgression/regression affecting the whole area, and of local uplift related to salt diapirism. Differential uplift rate of the studied diapirs in centre-to-rim profiles was calculated from results based on: (i) radiocarbon ages of skeletal remains of benthic faunas (19 samples), which originally grew close to sea level; (ii) original altitude of samples, estimated from general sea-level oscillation curves for the last 10 kyr, and (iii) present sample altitude measured in the field. Calculated uplift rates increase from rim to centre on both diapirs in the range from: 2 mm yr−1 at the rim to 5–6 mm yr−1 at the interior of Hormoz, and 1–3 mm yr−1 at the rim to 3–5 mm yr−1 at the interior of Namakdan. Such uplift rate distributions fit into the parabolic profile of Newtonian fluid rather than to profiles typical for pseudoplastic fluids. The increase in uplift rate with distance from rim to centre of diapirs is gradual as demonstrated also by generally smooth surface of marine terraces. No tectonic dissections were found. The depositional history on both salt diapirs is similar although they are situated more than 100 km apart. Marine sedimentation started at about 9.6k cal. yr BP on Hormoz and at 8.6k cal. yr BP on Namakdan. Owing to rapid transgression, the sea partially truncated both salt diapirs and rapidly deepened, and carbonate mud was deposited on the peripheries of both salt diapirs. Between 7 and 5k cal. yr BP beach deposition replaced carbonate mud. Soon after 5k cal. yr BP, the sea retreated from most of the marine terraces on both salt diapirs. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recently radiocarbon (14C) concentration in the atmospheric CO2 has decreased over time due to the exchange of CO2 between atmosphere and ocean, but also due to emission of 14C free-CO2 from burning fossil fuels. The second contribution, known as the Suess effect, can be observed in the highly industrialized and/or urban area. 14C concentrations in annual rings of a pine tree from the urban area in Nagoya, Japan, that grew over the last 24 years were measured with AMS to be remarkably lower than those observed in “clear air” of corresponding years at Schauinsland station in Germany. The measured data were used to estimate the rate of the fossil component in atmospheric CO2 that was derived from fossil fuel burning. Exponential and linear functions were fitted to the secular variations of 14C concentration in annual rings to calculate the decay constant and an average decreasing rate of 14C concentration. The result suggests that the use of annual rings of trees to obtain the secular variations of 14C concentration of atmospheric CO2 can be useful and efficient for environmental monitoring and modeling of the carbon distribution in local scale.

Tree rings can be used as archives of climatic and environmental data with annual resolution. Tree rings widths, maximum late wood density and other parameters as stable composition in tree rings can be used for the reconstruction of past climatic and environmental changes. Stable carbon isotope ratios in tree rings may provide valuable information on past climatic conditions. 13C/12C ratios of plant organic matter can reflect corresponding 13C/12C ratio of atmospheric CO2 during formation of the rings. Investigations of isotopic carbon composition in tree rings from in the ecologically clean the Augustów Wilderness region in the north-eastern part of Poland (22 degrees 58'E, 53 degrees 51'N) (nowadays a sanctuary) were undertaken. Series of delta13C in alpha-cellulose and in wholewood were acquired. Those measurements constituted a part of more complex investigations of carbon isotope composition in tree rings including the measurements of radiocarbon concentration and tree ring widths. This article presents preliminary results. It is argued that contrary to the tree ring widths and delta13C in wholewood that do not reveal significant correlation with temperature, the variation of delta13C in the latewood alpha-cellulose is correlated with combined July and August temperatures.

Mesolithic sites in modern Poland are mainly located in the southern part of the country. Radiocarbon dating of organic material, such as charcoals, wood, and peat, provide a time frame of human settlements in those regions, and dating of speleothems and peat formations provide information on climatic conditions and the timing of climatic change in the region. Here, we present the results of calibrated 14C ages from 3 main Mesolithic sites: Glanów, Chwalim, and Całowanie. Summary probability density distributions of the calendar ages were obtained, and time ranges were ascribed to the cultures in conjunction with archaeological information. These distributions also reveal the changes in human settlement.

New results of radiocarbon concentration in tree rings from the Kraków region covering a growth period of 20 yr have been analyzed, and the relationship between them and 14C concentrations in the atmospheric CO2 are described. This enabled assessment of the uptake period for pine trees at the regional climatic conditions. Both sets of data show lower 14C concentrations than reported for “clean air” at the reference station, indicating a remarkable input of “dead” CO2 of fossil fuel origin. Using data of carbon dioxide and 14C concentrations from Schauinsland, summer values of the fossil component (Cf) in carbon dioxide were calculated for the Kraków area. Fitting exponential and linear functions to experimental data, the exchange time was calculated, and expected future 14C concentration in the atmosphere was estimated.

Carbon isotopes are widely used as indicators in the study of atmospheric CO2 variability in space and time. Preliminary results are part of a project investigating 13C and 14C concentration changes during the last 150 yr in Poland, both in industrial and ecologically clean regions, using annual tree rings (Pinus sylvestris, Populus nigra). The results describe the local Suess effect recorded in the industrial Kraków and Upper Silesia regions compared to changes of background radiocarbon concentration caused by global human activity in a “clean region,” Augustów Wilderness. The δ13C record also shows the influence of the local Suess effect.

We report on a statistical analysis of a large set of radiocarbon dates for reconstruction of paleoclimate. Probability density functions were constructed by summing the probability distributions of individual 14C dates. Our analysis was based on 2 assumptions: 1) The amount of organic matter in sediments depends on paleogeographical conditions; 2) The number of 14C-dated samples is proportional to the amount of organic matter deposited in sediments in the examined time intervals. We quantified how many dates are required to give statistically reliable results. As an example, 785 peat dates from Poland were selected. The dates encompassed the Holocene and Late Glacial period. All dates came from the Gliwice Radiocarbon Laboratory. Results were compared with other paleoenvironmental records. Detailed analysis of the frequency distributions showed that preferential sampling plays an important part in the shape determination. The general rule to take samples from locations where visible changes of sedimentation are apparent (e.g. from the top and the bottom of the peat layer) results in narrow peaks in the probability density function near the limits of the Holocene subdivision.

Black coloured laminae have been detected inside speleothems from nine caves situated in the Krakow-Wielun Upland. The black colour results from the occurrence of charcoal particles and organic compounds. These particles originated inside the caves during wood combustion caused by prehistoric human activity. The ultrastructures of charcoal particles prove that most originated in temperatures ranging from 400 up to 600°C, suggesting that the charcoal is connected with domestic fires rather than torches. Although the laminae are proof of human activity in the caves, the occurrence of one particular lamina cannot be associated with a single episode of human occupation. It is due to the fact that depositional processes and corrosion control the number and thickness of the laminae discussed. The presence of black coloured laminae within the studied Holocene speleothems indicates that the investigated caves were settled in the Neolithic, the Bronze Age and later periods. This is consistent with the former archaeological data.

Pachacamac, covering an area of about 600 hectares (ha) near the Pacific shore, is one of the largest and most important archaeological sites in Peru. Most of the monumental adobe-made buildings of the later pre-Inca period (or Late Intermediate Period, about 10th–15th century AD) are so-called pyramids with ramps (the role of the ramps has been interpreted in different ways). Precise dating of the pyramids appears as a crucial step in defining the functions of Pachacamac in pre-Inca times. In this paper, we present the results obtained from 3 field campaigns at Pyramid III, one of the biggest buildings of the site. A total of 24 radiocarbon datasets from 4 different laboratories will help us to place the various steps of development of Pyramid III on a timescale, defined on the basis of the excavations. More absolute dates are available from another pyramid with ramps, which allow us to make comparisons and propose a new model of interpretation for the Pachacamac site during the Late Intermediate Period (LIP).

Cellulose delta18O and deltaD can provide insights on climates and hydrological cycling in the distant past and how these factors differ spatially. However, most studies of plant cellulose have used only one isotope, most commonly delta18O, resulting in difficulties partitioning variation in delta18O of precipitation vs. evaporative conditions that affect leaf water isotopic enrichment. Moreover, observations of pronounced diurnal differences from conventional steady-state model predictions of leaf water isotopic fractionation have cast some doubt on single isotope modeling approaches for separating precipitation and evaporation drivers of cellulose delta18O or deltaD. We explore a dual isotope approach akin to the concept of deuterium-excess (d), to establish deuterium deviations from the global meteoric water line in leaf water (deltad(l)) as driven by relative humidity (RH). To demonstrate this concept, we survey studies of leaf water delta18O and deltaD in hardwood vs. conifer trees. We then apply the concept to cellulose delta18O and deltaD using a mechanistic model of cellulose delta18O and deltaD to reconstruct deuterium deviations from the global meteoric water line (deltad(c)) in Quercus macrocarpa, Q. robur, and Pseudotsuga menziesii. For each species, deltad(c) showed strong correlations with RH across sites. deltad(c) agreed well with steady-state predictions for Q. macrocarpa, while for Q. robur, the relationship with RH was steeper than expected. The slope of deltad(c) vs. RH of P. menziesii was also close to steady-state predictions, but deltad(c) were more enriched than predicted. This is in agreement with our leaf water survey showing conifer deltad(l) was more enriched than predicted. Our data reveal that applications of this method should be appropriate for reconstructing RH from cellulose delta18O and deltaD after accounting for differences between hardwoods and conifers. Hence, deltad(c) should be useful for understanding variability in RH associated with past climatic cycles, across regional climates, or across complex terrain where climate modeling is challenging. Furthermore, deltad(c) and inferred RH values should help in constraining variation in source water delta18O.

A new Greek sequence of early Upper Palaeolithic, Aurignacian, Epigravettian, and Mesolithic assemblages, which differs from the sequences of Franchthi and Kephalari caves, was uncovered during the excavations in Cave 1 in Klisoura Gorge (Western Peloponnese). This is the first case of Middle Palaeolithic deposits immediately covered by an early Upper Palaeolithic assemblage. The long Middle Palaeolithic in this site underlies a long sequence of Upper Palaeolithic layers. Most interesting is the Early Upper Palaeolithic industry which contains numerous arched backed blades and other lithics demonstrating morphological affinities to the Italian Uluzzian, a resemblance that raises questions concerning the potential makers of this industry. Above it, several Aurignacian levels dated from 24 to 34 ka bp were exposed. This is the first well-dated sequence of Aurignacian occupations in Greece in which a number of basin-like hearth structures were exposed, lined with a clay that had been brought in and specially prepared. The Aurignacian sequence is covered by Epigravettian layers. The unconformity between the Epigravettian and the underlying Aurignacian corresponds to the Last Glacial Maximum. A Mesolithic layer caps the prehistoric sequence.