Caroline Welte

Last Name

Welte

First Name

Caroline

ORCID

0000-0001-5680-8736

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08559 - Information Literacy Hub ETH-Bibliothek / Information Literacy Hub ETH Library

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Publications 1 - 10 of 31

Advances and limitations of ¹⁴C dating in the field of heritage sciences
Hendriks, Laura; Hajdas, Irka; Scherrer, Nadim C.; et al. (2021)
Technè
In heritage sciences, the ability to obtain information about the origin and dating of cultural heritage objects is fundamental for placing an object into its historical context. Radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dating can help to identify the period during which a work of art was created by dating its constitutive materials. Such information can, however, only be obtained by removing a sample from the object, which is critical since art is irreplaceable and demands that the sampling be kept to a minimum. In this context, we propose a novel dating approach, which targets the natural organic binder of the pictorial layer as a new ¹⁴C candidate. In combination with spectroscopic techniques to ensure suitable sample selection, both canvas and paint samples were dated from three oil paintings. While not authenticating the paintings for belonging to a given artist, the ¹⁴C results from the baroque and neoclassical objects tend to align themselves with the purported attribution. The third object, attributed to the beginning of the 20th century’s modern expressionism movements, showcases the challenges in dating the natural organic binder owing to the presence of paraffin wax. The presented case studies showcase, how ¹⁴C dating of the natural organic binder may complement or offer alternate routes of study in assessing an object’s historical context. Moreover, the importance of material studies in the sampling step is enlightened as a prerequisite to access reliable ¹⁴C ages.
From Library to Lecture Hall: Empowering Students & Staff with genAI Skills
Mihálka, Réka; Welte, Caroline; Edinger, Eva-Christina; et al. (2025)
Academic communities are forced to rapidly react to the dynamic technological developments in the field of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) and therefore want to integrate genAI tools into learning and research workflows. This affects everyone from students to lecturers and from research groups to entire departments. The need for support and expertise to navigate this transition is substantial. ETH Library is creating tailored solutions for its diverse target groups including students, lecturers, and researchers. ETH Library has successfully established itself within ETH Zurich as an expert contact point at the intersection of information literacy, the use of generative AI tools, and academic integrity through various offerings that support students as well as staff in utilizing generative AI tools. With these offerings, we can continuously inform our various target groups about the latest developments in genAI and raise awareness about ethical aspects, scientific integrity, and plagiarism prevention. Recently, ETH Zurich has allocated funding for the development of innovative learning opportunities in the context of genAI to ETH Library. This has allowed us to expand our service range even further: Pop-up library stands for multiple target groups. A self-learning online course on genAI. Single-issue and problem-based AI Labs in a flipped classroom format. Discipline-specific discussion series. AI competition to collect expertise from power users on best practices. The response to the newly developed formats has been very encouraging and has shown that ETH Library is not only a partner for teaching traditional information literacy but also an increasingly important player in teaching digital skills. We will present our insights including success stories and challenges that we have encountered during the development and implementation of these new learning formats.
From library to lecture hall
Welte, Caroline; Mihálka, Réka; Bärtsch, Christine (2025)
o-bib. Das offene Bibliotheksjournal
Im Rahmen eines von der ETH Zürich geförderten Projekts entwickelte die ETH-Bibliothek eine Reihe von Angeboten, um die Kompetenzen von Studierenden und Mitarbeitenden im Bereich der generativen Künstlichen Intelligenz zu fördern. Die neuen Angebote beinhalten einen umfassenden Selbstlernkurs, der eine Einführung und einen Überblick über das Thema bietet, sowie verschiedene Formate mit hohem Anteil aktiven Lernens, die sich an Forschende unterschiedlicher richten. Inhaltlich liegt der Fokus dieser neuen Formate auf dem Einsatz KI-gestützter Werkzeuge an der Schnittstelle von wissenschaftlichem Schreiben, wissenschaftlicher Integrität und Literaturrecherche.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) meets Information Literacy (IL): Strategies at ETH Library
Künzle, Cornelia Denise; Welte, Caroline; Edinger, Eva-Christina; et al. (2024)
Graduate collective in earth sciences: Promoting network building among doctoral students
Welte, Caroline; Gilli, Adrian; Hemingway, Jordon (2023)
ETH Learning and Teaching Journal
Doctoral students need to acquire a large skillset to meet the numerous and diverse challenges they face during their studies. Several factors can have a positive influence on how students navigate their doctoral projects independent of their supervisor’s commitment. These include informal networks of doctoral students that are regarded as key components to scientific success. Although there are opportunities for building informal networks within individual research groups, few opportunities exist at the institute and department level. Several research groups within the Department of Earth Sciences (D-ERDW) gathered to launch the Graduate Collective in the spring semester 2022. In a series of four seminars and ten workshops, we made use of the common thematic framework to provide 16 doctoral students with the tools and resources they need to navigate their graduate studies. Students worked closely together on the various topics in groups of different sizes, thus enabling them to build networks with co-students from related research fields. In addition, informal networking events were organized that allowed the students to deepen and stabilize their new connections with co-students. Students could earn 2 credit points for taking part in this course. We evaluate and reflect the effect of our course on network building based observations made during the course. Overall, the results underline our hypothesis that a teaching format installed between the department and group level enables participants to build networks of interpersonal support.
Re-dating the Lower Pecos Canyonlands SMM (Skiles) mummy burial, dating a red-colored deerskin strap
Rowe, Marvin W.; Blinman, Eric; Wacker, Lukas; et al. (2021)
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
An early 1980s University of Texas (UT) radiocarbon (14C) decay-based assay of colon contents from mummy SMM recovered from southwest Texas (41VV656) placed the death at 1150 ± 70 14C years ago. This mummy of a “relatively tall, gracile adult male” was discussed in some detail in a comprehensive paper on Late Archaic mortuary practices in the Lower Pecos River region. The megacolon of the mummy was described as a condition that is usually associated with Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. A red colored deerskin strap had encircled the mummy, restraining the distended colon, and a portion of the strap was submitted for additional radiocarbon dating to test the reliability of the original UT date. Using low energy plasma radiocarbon sampling (LEPRS) at the Office of Archaeological Studies, Center for New Mexico Archaeology, we extracted CO2 by oxidation of organic material from four pieces of the strap and obtained eight 14C dates at the ETH-Zürich MICADAS AMS facility. Multiple samples were prepared to deal with the possibility of contamination from lacquer/shellac/varnish that was probably applied during the 1930s and of contamination from decades of handing. Our best estimate of the age of that burial is an average of four dates on a piece of the strap where all surfaces had been physically removed to avoid potential surface contamination. This average is 780 ± 30 14C years BP, 370 years more recent than the previous UT determination. It is likely that the original radiocarbon date is incorrect, and the difference is consistent with two other redatings of UT 14C dated contexts where more recent assays have been roughly 400 years younger when compared to the UT laboratory dates.
Going with the flow: rapid pollen sorting for radiocarbon analysis
Nakajima, Kai; Heusser, Christian; Welte, Caroline; et al. (2022)
Book of Abstracts 24th Radiocarbon - 10th ¹⁴C & Archaeology Conference
Pollen grains have long been suggested ideal targets for radiocarbon (14C) dating of terrestrial sediment records. They are ubiquitously abundant in lacustrine sediments and represent atmospheric 14C concentrations as they form each year. Because pollen are established markers for terrestrial ecosystem variability, pollen-based 14C data provide the ideal, proxy-specific chronology for palynological research. Traditional approaches for pollen separation from sedimentary matrices have proven difficult due to a trade-off between purity, processing time, and yield. In recent years, a growing number of studies have demonstrated the suitability of flow cytometry cell sorters, in combination with physical and chemical processing, for the rapid separation of pollen grains from terrestrial sediments at high purity, e.g., [1]. With a dedicated flow cytometer (BD Influx Cell Sorter, BD Biosciences, US), we examine the robustness of this novel approach to isolate pollen grains for 14C analysis. We will provide the relevant parameters for reliable sorting and a detailed assessment of sorting efficiencies. First 14C results with elemental-analyzer-accelerator-mass-spectrometry of blank assessments at different preparation stages of the pollen separation and finally of natural sediment samples show that our protocol is suitable for microscale (< 20 µg C) pollen-14C dating. This will enable the dating of sediments previously limited by the lack of suitable material. With an established protocol and a dedicated instrument paving the way for routine application, pollen-14C dating will provide a versatile alternative to traditional dating approaches for terrestrial records. [1] R. K. Tennant et al. (2013), JQS 28(3), 229-236.
Bomb radiocarbon dating and age estimation of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) of Norway
Andrews, Allen H.; Welte, Caroline; Mihaljevic, Marina; et al. (2025)
Radiocarbon
Age estimates from bomb ¹⁴C dating conflict with a well-recognized age reading protocol (grinding, polishing and staining in the sagittal plane) for otoliths of European eel (Anguilla anguilla). Proper alignment of calculated hatch years for ¹⁴C measurements taken from the earliest otolith growth-among the smallest otolith extractions to date for successful ¹⁴C analysis due to the advent of gas-AMS-was not achieved using age estimates from an accepted method. The realignment of otolith ¹⁴C values to a tropical bomb ¹⁴C reference chronology, which is most applicable to the Sargasso Sea as the natal origin of European eel, led to an increase of the original age estimates by 8 to 32 years. A maximum age of approximately 46 years was determined for the European eel specimen with the most massive otolith, of which mass is a reasonable proxy for age and was instrumental in identifying age estimate discrepancies. By extending the otolith mass-to-age relationships from this study to the most massive otoliths available from archived otoliths of Norway, an increase of up to several decades from the original otolith age estimates was discovered, leading to support for a potential lifespan of 70-100 years in the natural environment.
Purification of Organic Compounds Using Microsublimation for 14C Analysis
Heusser, Christian; Welte, Caroline; Hattendorf, Bodo; et al. (2020)
EGUsphere
Paleoseismological Findings at a New Trench Indicate the 1714 M8.1 Earthquake Ruptured the Main Frontal Thrust Over all the Bhutan Himalaya
Zhao, Yuqiu; Grujic, Djordje; Baruah, Santanu; et al. (2021)
Frontiers in Earth Science
The 1714 Bhutan earthquake was one of the largest in the Himalaya in the last millennium. We show that the surface rupture caused by this earthquake extended further to the east than previously known, it was at least 175 km long, with slip exceeding 11 m at our study site. The age of the surface rupture was constrained by a combination of radiocarbon and traditional optically stimulated luminescence dating of affected river sediments. Computations using empirical scaling relationships, fitting historical observations and paleoseismic data, yielded a plausible magnitude of Mw 8.1 +/- 0.4 and placed the hypocentre of the 1714 Bhutan earthquake on the flat segment of the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT), the basal decollement of the Himalayan orogen. Calculations of Coulomb stress transfer indicate that great earthquakes along the leading part of the MHT would cause surface rupture. In contrast, distal earthquakes may not immediately trigger surface rupture, although they would increase the stresses in the leading part of the MHT, facilitating future surface-rupturing earthquakes. Frontal earthquakes would also transfer stress into the modern foreland basin facilitating southward propagation of the MHT as a blind basal decollement. In conclusion, studies of surface-rupturing events alone likely underestimate the seismic slip along the Himalayan megathrust.

Publications 1 - 10 of 31

Caroline Welte

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