Radiocarbon (14C) is useful for estimating groundwater ages for transport and water resource exploitation assessment. If the 14C content of dissolved inorganic carbon (14CDIC) is known, the age of groundwater can be estimated by applying a radiocarbon decay equation combined with an appropriate geochemical correction model. However, age determinations are subject to uncertainties caused by parameters which need to be estimated or assumed. Here, we discuss the principles of 14C-based groundwater age estimations and the corrections and errors that affect age determinations differently. Generally, the two factors that impact the results of 14C groundwater age are Type-1 and Type-2 errors. Type-1 errors are pulse-type changes on derived groundwater ages that are independent of the water age. Type-2 errors cause gradual changes on derived groundwater 14C ages that depend on the water age. The cumulative impact of these errors substantively reduces the accuracy and confidence of 14C age determinations and corrections. When using 14C for groundwater age, consideration of both error types along with the use of samples having a range of 14CDIC contents helps practitioners recognize and minimize 14C age uncertainty, especially for groundwater ages of <1000 and >30,000 years B.P.

中文翻译：

---

地下水输运和资源评价14C年龄估算的原理和不确定性

放射性碳 (14C) 可用于估算地下水年龄以进行运输和水资源开发评估。如果溶解无机碳 (14CDIC) 的 14C 含量已知，则可以通过应用放射性碳衰变方程结合适当的地球化学校正模型来估计地下水的年龄。然而，年龄的确定受到需要估计或假设的参数引起的不确定性的影响。在这里，我们讨论了基于 14C 的地下水年龄估计的原理以及对年龄确定产生不同影响的修正和错误。一般来说，影响14C地下水年龄结果的两个因素是Type-1和Type-2误差。类型 1 错误是衍生的地下水年龄的脉冲型变化，与水年龄无关。类型 2 错误导致衍生的地下水 14C 年龄的逐渐变化，这取决于水年龄。这些错误的累积影响大大降低了 14C 年龄确定和更正的准确性和可信度。将 14C 用于地下水年龄时，考虑两种误差类型以及使用具有一系列 14CDIC 含量的样本有助于从业人员识别和最小化 14C 年龄的不确定性，尤其是对于 <1000 年和 >30,000 年 BP 的地下水年龄