Nota sobre la edad de las calizas coralinas del Pleistoceno marino en las Islas de San Andrés y Providencia (Mar Caribe Occidental, Colombia)

Abstract

Los análisis de radiocarbón de tres muestras de corales, tomadas de la terraza terrestre de San Andrés y de su equivalente en Providencia, dieron por resultado edades entre 26.000 y 33.000 años. Estos valores deben considerarse como mínimos, en vista de un posible intercambio significativo de isótopos de carbón, bajo la influencia de la atmósfera, que no se puede excluir por completo.

Radio carbon dates of coral samples from Pleistocene reef terraces of the Western Caribbean islands of San Andres and Providencia, indicate ages of coral deposits ranging from 26,000 and 33,000 years. Contamination of coral skeletons with atmospheric 14C isotopes subsecuent to exposure of terraces to atmosphere cannot be completely ruled out. So the values obtained may represent only minimum ages, and the terraces in fact could be considerable older. The dates, however, exclude a recent to subrecent age, that former authors have attributed to parts of the terraces. A slight tectonic uplift of the islands, since the formation of these terraces as suggested by other evidence, would interfere with the original eustatic position of sea level.