Carbon-14 Dating of Groundwater from Selected Wells in Quaternary and Quaternary-Tertiary Sediments, Athabasca Oil Sands (In Situ) Area, Alberta

The Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) collected samples of groundwater for carbon-14 age (14C-age) dating at three sites within the Athabasca Oil Sands (in situ) Area of Alberta. Each site has a nest of piezometers completed at various depths in Quaternary or Quaternary-Tertiary aquifers. Not all of the piezometers at each site were sampled for 14C-age dating, however. The three Quaternary intertill/intratill aquifer water samples at the first site possess ages of 1558 plus or minus 91 radiocarbon years at 41 m depth, 2402 plus or minus 110 radiocarbon years at 76m depth and 2532 plus or minus 58 radiocarbon years at 120 m depth. A basal Quaternary aquifer at a second site has a calculated age of 30 880 plus or minus 257 radiocarbon years at a depth of 158 m below ground. A groundwater sample from a Quaternary-Tertiary buried channel aquifer water sample at a third site has a calculated age of 11 186 plus or minus 79 radiocarbon years at 230 m depth.