Blake excursion at Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy): Revised K-Ar and 40Ar/39Ar ages

In this study, we combine the unspiked K-Ar and the 40Ar/39Ar methods to refine the dating of the directional excursion recorded in a lava sequence from Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy) and attributed to the Blake excursion. This approach evidences some errors in the K-Ar dating of the Vulcano sections (erroneous determination of K contents, insufficient gas clean-up). Coupled with the inability of the unspiked method to evidence excess/fractionated 40Ar and/or xenocrystic contamination, we consider the 40Ar/39Ar technique the most appropriate one for calibrating time scales by the K-Ar clock. Our new five ages assess that the directional excursion as recorded in the Vulcano section belongs to the termination of the Blake excursion that we date at 110.7 ± 1.6 ka. We suggest an age ranging from 106.7 ± 1.6 to 105.2 ± 1.4 ka for the beginning of the Post-Blake excursion.