Postmortem Submersion in Saltwater and Its Impact on Radiocarbon Dating: A Biblical Perspective
Abstract
Radiocarbon
(C-14) dating is a widely used method for estimating the age of organic
remains. However, multiple studies and case reports have revealed serious
anomalies in C-14 results, particularly when samples have undergone postmortem
exposure to aquatic environments. This paper examines the influence of
saltwater immersion on the reliability of radiocarbon dating, especially in
light of a global flood model. We discuss mechanisms such as carbon exchange,
microbial activity, and contamination by C-14-deficient carbon, and explore how
these processes could significantly alter the apparent age of samples. The
implications for creationist models of Earth's history, including a recent
global flood, are considered.
1.
Introduction
Radiocarbon
dating assumes that the C-14 content of an organism at death reflects the
atmospheric C-14/C-12 ratio at that time, and that subsequent decay occurs in a
closed system. However, these assumptions are often violated in natural
settings. One significant factor that can compromise C-14 integrity is
prolonged exposure to water—especially saltwater—after death.
From a
biblical creationist perspective, this issue takes on greater relevance. If
many organisms were rapidly buried or submerged during a global flood event, as
described in Genesis, postmortem aquatic exposure may have played a crucial
role in altering the C-14 content of fossils. This paper reviews known
anomalies in radiocarbon results and examines how saltwater submersion can lead
to significant deviations in apparent sample age.
The Burgess Shale marine fossils
2.
Mechanisms of C-14 Alteration Due to Saltwater Exposure
2.1
Carbon Exchange and Reservoir Effects
In marine
environments, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) is often depleted in C-14
compared to the atmosphere. Organisms submerged in such water may undergo
postmortem carbon exchange. This is particularly true for porous materials such
as bones, shells, or degraded tissues. Diffusion of old carbon into the sample
matrix can result in a falsely increased apparent age. This is known as the marine
reservoir effect, and it can cause discrepancies of hundreds to thousands
of years—even in living organisms.
2.2
Microbial Contamination
Marine
environments host diverse microbial communities. After death, decomposing
organisms are rapidly colonized by bacteria that may incorporate carbon from
the surrounding environment, especially from old, C-14-deficient carbon
sources. These microbes can become physically embedded in the tissue matrix and
may not be fully removed during pretreatment procedures, especially if samples
are poorly preserved. This microbial reworking may contribute significantly to
false radiocarbon ages.
2.3
Structural Recrystallization and Diagenesis
Bones and
shells submerged in saltwater are subject to mineral exchange and
recrystallization. This process can introduce exogenous carbon from surrounding
sediments or seawater bicarbonates. The longer the submersion, the greater the
risk that the original biogenic carbon will be replaced or contaminated by
non-contemporaneous material, especially in conditions favoring chemical
alteration (e.g., fluctuating pH, temperature, or salinity).
3.
Time-Dependent Impact: How Long Is “Long Enough”?
The degree
of alteration depends on multiple factors, including temperature, water
chemistry, and tissue type. However, published data and case studies suggest
the following general guidelines:
|
Time in Saltwater |
Likely C-14 Impact |
|
< 1 month |
Minor or
negligible in intact tissues |
|
1–12 months |
Moderate;
microbial and ionic exchange begins to alter surface carbon |
|
1–5 years |
Significant;
potential for 100s to 1000s of years apparent age increase |
|
5–50 years |
High
contamination risk; almost certainly distorted radiocarbon results |
These
values are approximate, but they demonstrate that even submersion for less
than a year may begin to compromise radiocarbon reliability, especially in
marine environments rich in old carbon.
4.
Documented Radiocarbon Anomalies Related to Water Exposure
4.1
Living Mollusks with Ancient Radiocarbon Ages
Keith and
Anderson (1963) reported that living mollusks from marine environments
showed apparent radiocarbon ages of up to 2,300 years, due to
incorporation of C-14-deficient carbon from seawater. This demonstrates
that even biologically active, living systems can appear ancient under
the C-14 method if the carbon source is anomalous.
4.2
Fresh Fish and Shellfish Yielding Ancient Ages
Various
studies have reported that freshly caught fish and modern marine
shellfish can return C-14 ages ranging from several hundred to over
5,000 years. These errors are largely attributable to reservoir effects and
environmental carbon sources.
4.3 Soft
Tissue in Fossils Yielding Radiocarbon Dates
Creationist
researchers have reported C-14 dates of 20,000 to 40,000 years in
dinosaur bones, which should be "C-14 dead" by conventional standards
(ICR, RATE project). While mainstream science often attributes this to
contamination, these results are consistent with postmortem contamination
through groundwater or flood-related aqueous exposure in a young Earth
framework.
5.
Implications for Creationist Chronology
From a
young-earth creationist viewpoint, the global flood described in Genesis would
have involved the submersion of most terrestrial life in turbulent,
mineral-rich waters. Under these conditions:
- Carbon contamination would be
widespread.
- Reservoir effects could
universally bias C-14 ages upward.
- Soft tissues or collagen
preserved in bones could acquire exogenous carbon, yielding artificially
old results.
This
provides a viable explanation for the presence of measurable C-14 in fossils
thought to be millions of years old and undermines the assumption that C-14
decay always reflects elapsed time since death in a closed system.
6.
Conclusion
Radiocarbon
dating is fundamentally sensitive to environmental variables. Postmortem
submersion in saltwater can cause C-14 depletion through multiple
mechanisms—carbon exchange, microbial contamination, and structural alteration.
These effects become more pronounced with time and are consistent with a model
in which organisms perished and were rapidly buried during a recent, global
flood. Thus, radiocarbon dates, especially those older than several thousand
years, should be interpreted with caution, particularly when considering
samples that may have been exposed to aqueous environments.
References
- Keith, M. L., & Anderson,
G. M. (1963). Radiocarbon dating: fictitious results with mollusk shells. Science,
141, 634–637.
- ICR (2005). Radioisotopes
and the Age of the Earth, Vol. II (RATE Project). Institute for
Creation Research.
- Deevey, E. S., Gross, M. S.,
Hutchinson, G. E., & Kraybill, H. R. (1954). The natural C14 contents
of materials from hard-water lakes. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, 40(5), 285–288.
- Snelling, A. A. (2008).
Radiocarbon in dinosaur bones: international conference results. Answers
Research Journal, 1, 123–144.
