Radiocarbon dating is frequently used by researchers to establish the age of several fossilised plant and animal specimens. Since carbon has a half-life of about 5,700 years, it is impossible to detect isotopes in samples older than 50,000 years

Scientists have made a surprising discovery in the depths of the Pacific Ocean: an unexpected accumulation of the radioactive isotope Beryllium-10. This finding has the potential to significantly improve the accuracy of geological dating methods.

Beryllium-10 is a rare radioactive isotope. It forms in the Earth’s atmosphere when cosmic rays interact with nitrogen and oxygen atoms. Because of its unique properties, Beryllium-10 provides valuable insights into the history of our planet.

A research team, including scientists from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), TUD Dresden University of Technology, and the Australian National University (ANU), published their findings in the journal Nature Communications on 10th FEBRUARY.

The researchers suggest that this accumulation of Beryllium-10 may be the result of cosmic events that occurred around 10 million years ago, possibly a nearby supernova explosion.

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