Peat bog dating

How old are peat bogs?

Also, an important factor in the dating of bogs is the huge influence of the Ice Age. Secular and creationist scientists agree that peat bogs were established towards the end of this period in Earth’s history.

How do scientists date bogs?

Some scientists date bogs by estimating the current rate for peat deposition, and extrapolate back through time, based on the depth of peat. One contemporary rate for peat growth often quoted is 1 mm depth of accumulation per year.

Do peat bogs release more CO 2 than they produce?

Also, agricultural and forestry-drained peat bogs actively release more CO 2 annually than is released in peat energy production in Finland. The average regrowth rate of a single peat bog, however, is indeed slow, from 1,000 up to 5,000 years. Furthermore, it is a common practice to forest used peat bogs instead of giving them a chance to renew.

Where can peat be found?

Many peat swamps along the coast of Malaysia serve as a natural means of flood mitigation, with any overflow being absorbed by the peat, provided forests are still present to prevent peat fires. The climate, geography, and environment of Finland favours bog and peat bog formation. Thus, peat is available in considerable quantities.

How old is the soil in a peat bog?

Peat soil contains vast amounts of organic carbon. (Globally, peatlands store at least twice as much carbon as is held in forests.) Dead bog plants, some of which are up to 10,000 years old, don’t fully decompose in a bog’s acidic, low-oxygen soil, where microorganisms find it hard to live.

What is the difference between a bog and peatland?

Peat refers to the saturated organic soil that forms underneath a bog’s surface. Peat soil contains vast amounts of organic carbon. (Globally, peatlands store at least twice as much carbon as is held in forests.)

What is the carbon content of peat bogs?

Most modern peat bogs formed 12,000 years ago in high latitudes after the glaciers retreated at the end of the last ice age. Peat usually accumulates slowly at the rate of about a millimetre per year. The estimated carbon content is 547 GtC (Northern Peatlands), 50 GtC (Tropical Peatlands) and 15 GtC (South America).

How long does it take for a peat bog to regenerate?

The average regrowth rate of a single peat bog, however, is indeed slow, from 1,000 up to 5,000 years. Furthermore, it is a common practice to forest used peat bogs instead of giving them a chance to renew.

Where is peat found in North America?

The North American peat deposits are principally found in Canada and the Northern United States. Some of the worlds largest peatlands include the West Siberian Lowland, the Hudson Bay Lowlands, and the Mackenzie River Valley.

Where are peatlands found in the UK?

Peatlands are found across the UK, in the uplands of Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales, and in lowland areas such as the Manchester Mosslands, the Humberhead Levels, the Fens and the Somerset Levels. Did you know? Peat can hold up to 20 times its own weight in water.

What is another name for peat?

For other uses, see Peat (disambiguation). Not to be confused with peat moss, a plant from which peat often forms. Peat ( / piːt / ), also known as turf ( / tɜːrf / ), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs.

What is a Dry peatland?

Dry peat releases carbon dioxide and is one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas. The Trust looks after 40 peatland Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 3 per cent of raised bogs, significant fens and valley mires, and huge tracts of blanket bog. Our peatlands in England and Wales hold 2 per cent of the total carbon, in soil and vegetation.