Growing emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are threatening the effectiveness of radiocarbon dating, according to new research. Developed in the late 1940s, the method measures carbon-14, a radioactive form of the element. Its produced in the atmosphere and then absorbed by plants through photosynthesis.

Is carbon 14 bad for the environment?

Carbon-14 can combine with oxygen in the atmosphere to create carbon dioxide, which is then absorbed by plants and makes its way through the food chain. The amount of carbon-14 in living plants and animals matches the amount in the atmosphere, but when plants and animals die, they no longer absorb carbon-14.

Does climate change affect carbon dating?

This changes the ratio of 12C to 14C, which is what is measured to date artifacts. If the excess C12 in the atmosphere brought about by global warming enters the carbon cycle, the ratio of 12C to 14C increases greatly, making new organic material read as much older (Graven, Heather D. 2015).