This study characterized cremated bone to better understand isotope exchanges during burial, using archeological samples. The cremated bones of Jokei, a Buddhist monk (AD 1155–1213), found in an urn from the Jisho-in Temple, Nara Prefecture, Japan, were used for the analysis. ¹⁴C dates were determined for eight of Jokei bone fragments of different colors (black, gray, and white). The white fragments had the highest x-ray diffractometry (XRD) crystallinity index (CI) values (0.89–1.05), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) splitting factor values (IRSF) of 5.3–7.1, and the lowest Ba concentrations. The calibrated date of the white bone fragments is 1152–1216 cal AD, consistent with Jokei’s lifespan, showing these fragments yield reliable ¹⁴C ages. Meanwhile, the black and gray fragments, which probably experienced lower temperatures during cremation, had lower CI and IRSF values of 0.25–0.46 and 4.2–4.9, respectively, and higher Ba concentrations. The black and gray fragments tended to show unreliable younger ¹⁴C dates and higher ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values close to the soil value due to soil contamination. The results in this study indicate that it is important to check crystallinity of apatite and soil contamination using chemical indexing methods such as Ba capture, to clarify the reliability of ¹⁴C dates for cremated bone samples.

Ebrahim-Attar granitic pegmatite, which is distributed in southwest Ghorveh, western Iran, is strongly peraluminous and contains minor beryl crystals. Pale-green to white beryl grains are crystallized in the rim and central parts of the granite body. The beryl grains are characterized by low contents of alkali oxides (Na₂O = 0.24–0.41 wt.%, K₂O = 0.05–0.17 wt.%, Li₂O = 0.03–0.04 wt.%, and Cs₂O = 0.01–0.03 wt.%) and high contents of Be₂O oxide (10.0 to 11.9 wt.%). The low contents of alkali elements (oxides), low Na/Li (apfu) ratios (2.94 to 5.75), and variations in iron oxide (FeO= 0.28–1.18 wt.%) reveal a poorly evolved magmatic source of the beryl grains. Low abundances of rare earth elements (ΣREE = 0.8–4.9 ppm) with high ⁸⁷Sr^/86Sr_(i) ratios of 0.739 ±0.036 for the beryl grains and 0.7081 for the host granites infer that the primary magma was directly produced by partial melting of the upper continental crust (UCC). The crystallization temperature of the Ebrahim-Attar granitic pegmatite changes from 586 to 755 °C (average = 629 °C), as calculated based on the zircon saturation index. Furthermore, the quartz geobarometer calculation shows that crystallization occurred at pressures of approximately 233–246 MPa. This pressure range is a promising condition for saturation of Be in magma. During granitic magma crystallization, the melt was gradually saturated with Be, and then beryl crystallized in the assemblage of the main minerals such as quartz and feldspar. Likewise, the host granite is characterized by high ratios of Nb/Ta (4.79–16.3) and Zr/Hf (12.2–19.1), and peraluminous signatures are compatible with Be-bearing LCT (Li-Ce and Ta) pegmatites.

Diurnal variation in the atmospheric CO₂ concentration and the carbon isotopic composition (Δ¹⁴C and δ¹³C) was measured in a forest in an urban area on 9 February 1999. The carbon isotope approach used in the present study differentiated between the quantitative contributions from anthropogenic and biogenic CO₂ sources in the urban atmosphere. The anthropogenic (fossil fuel) and biogenic (soil respiration) contributions was estimated, and they ranged from 1 to 16% and from 2 to 8% of the total atmospheric CO₂. The diurnal variation of the anthropogenic CO₂ was the major cause of the total atmospheric CO₂ variation, while the biogenic CO₂remained relatively constant throughout the day. Estimating the contribution of soil respired CO₂ provided the mean residence time of soil respired CO₂ within the forest atmosphere. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.2002.00231.x

Charcoal is widely used for radiocarbon dating in archaeological and paleoenvironmental studies. Reliable ¹⁴C dating requires appropriate chemical treatment to remove postdeposition contamination from the charcoal samples. This study assesses two pretreatments: acid-base-acid (ABA) and acid-base-oxidation with stepped combustion (ABOx-SC). In addition to ¹⁴C, the effects of the treatments on the chemical structure and composition of charcoal were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and C/H/O elemental analysis. Samples of pine wood charred in the laboratory at 270, 300, 400, 500, and 600°C, and environmental samples of charred pine wood from pyroclastic flow deposits in southern Kyushu, Japan, were tested. The laboratory-charred samples showed that NaOH treatment removed highly hydrophilic organic components derived from endogenous and exogenous organic materials in the samples and that oxidation treatment caused the oxidative degradation of molecules in samples starting from its edges. The ABA-treated environmental charcoal yielded younger ¹⁴C dates than the ABOx-treated samples, probably owing to the effects of remaining organic contaminants bound to the edges of the aromatic molecular structures produced by the original pyrolysis. Meanwhile, it was found that ABA-SC treatment can reduce contaminants as effectively as ABOx-SC treatment. This implies that the stepped combustion (SC), not the chemical oxidation, is the key to reduce contaminant residue left after ABA and ABOx treatments. The results in this study indicate that the investigation of the structural and compositional changes of charcoal during its pretreatment is useful for assessment of the reliability of the ¹⁴C ages.