Beyond 500ka: Progress and prospects in the UPb chronology of speleothems, and their application to studies in palaeoclimate, human evolution, biodiversity and tectonics

Abstract

This review summarises current research aimed at extending the chronology and thus scientific utility of speleothems beyond the 500. ka limit previously imposed by conventional U. Th dating methods. The U. Pb decay scheme is familiar to all geoscientists but its application to speleothems is a relatively recent development, and one set to revolutionise their use in studies of climate change, human evolution and migration, biodiversity, tectonics and landscape evolution. Technological advances, such as the introduction of multi-collector ICPMS instruments, have played a key role in this breakthrough and multiple inter-laboratory and inter-method comparisons provide evidence that the methodolo..