These small glass shards may not look like much, but this microscopic volcanic ash can provide immensely important age estimates for the peat sequences we work with. Each group of shards belongs to a different volcanic eruption and it is possible to tell the difference between them based on subtle variations in shape, colour and, perhaps most importantly, their chemical makeup. You can learn more about tephrochronology – the practice of dating sediments using volcanic ash – by clicking here.
Even more tephra shards!
Highly magnified Icelandic tephra shard found in a Scottish bog. Photo credit: Pete Langdon.
More tephra shards
T – tephra, close up image of an individual tephra shard. Photo credit: Pete Langdon.
Tephra shards
Bogology 