%0 Generic
%A Kerber, Inga Kristina
%C Heidelberg
%D 2023
%F heidok:34024
%R 10.11588/heidok.00034024
%T Precision, timing and frequency distribution of Th/U dated secondary carbonates
%U https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/34024/
%X Many carbonate-based climate archives are dated using the 230Th/U technique. Thus, further progress in measurement protocols for fast, accurate and precise age determination  is required. With regard to growing age datasets, the closer examination of methods to extract information from age frequency curves through time becomes relevant. This  thesis focusses on both aspects.  A simultaneous measurement protocol using a multi collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer was optimized. New correction strategies for scattering signals with  large impact (percent range) on age accuracy were described. A reference material was introduced for this, and a graphical user interface to ensure reproducible age analysis is presented.  A statistical data descriptor (adaptive Kernel Density Estimation) was systematically tested with an artificial dataset. This proved its ability to reconstruct complex variable signals, as are expected for the factors driving cold-water coral occurrence. Potential biases on datasets were discussed. Patterns of temporal coral occurrence were analyzed for several regions in the North Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, and show signatures of multimodal growth in the last glacial in the Gulf of Cadiz, and different peak occurrences of two species during the Holocene in the Alboran Sea.