Náttúrufræðingurinn - 1995, Page 113

flat surface is at about 19 m a.s.l., suggesting a
marine terrace of Finiglacial age. The two
beds are separated by an erosional unconform-
ity of uncertain origin. A conventional radio-
carbon age of the shells turned out to be
20,630 ± 340 BP years, which is by far the
higest radiocarbon age reported sofar from
Iceland. Correction of the dating to a true age
is difficult. By comparing our dating to correc-
tions of radiocarbon ages of corals by com-
parison to U/Th datings (Bard et al. 1993), the
age may be in the region of 24,000-25,000
years. This high value is unexpected. The re-
sults from Greenland ice-core suggest that the
time interval between 20,000 and 30,000 years
was the coldest spell during the last glaciation,
though with warmer peaks (Dansgaard et al.
1993), and at that time sea level should have
been at its lowest (Bard et al. 1990).
PÓSTFANC HÖFUNDA/AUTHORS'
ADDRESS
Haukur Jóhannesson
Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands/Icelandic
Institute of Natural History
Hlemmur 3
IS-105 Reykjavík
Iceland
Kristján Sæmundsson
Orkustofnun/National Energy Authority
Grensásvegi 9
IS-108 Reykjavík
Iceland
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