释光技术在水成沉积物测年中的应用进展

准确获得水成沉积物的年龄是第四纪年代学重要的前沿问题之一。随着释光技术的发展,水成沉积物释光测年在如下方面有新的进展：具体释光技术的选择、释光测量方法、测年矿物的种类、矿物的粒级和获得等效剂量的统计方法等。线性调整光释光技术能够提取光释光信号中衰退快的组分;单片再生法应用广泛;单颗粒技术在挑选沉积时晒退充分的颗粒方面具有一定的优势;水成沉积物中的石英比长石更易晒退;较多的实验表明水成沉积物中的粗颗粒比细颗粒更易晒退;获得等效剂量的统计模型很多,但尚无一种统计模型适用于所有样品。在此基础上探讨了水成沉积物释光测年在气候、构造运动、冰川进退历史和人类活动主导的土壤侵蚀量变化研究中的意义及今后的研究方向,为全面了解该领域的最新研究进展提供参考。     

The resolution of stratigraphic inconsistency in the luminescence ages of marine terrace sediments from Korea

Several sets of marine terraces are exposed along the southeastern coast of the Korean peninsula. The formation ages of these terraces have attracted considerable attention because they provide essential information on local crustal stability. Over the last few years considerable effort has been put into the determination of these ages using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of the marine sediments from which the terraces were built. For several sites, the results of dose recovery tests and other OSL characteristics, including the dependence of equivalent dose on heat treatment prior to stimulation, have been described in detail elsewhere (Quat. Sci. Rev. 22 (2003) 407). However, it has been found that the samples from one site exhibit various undesirable OSL characteristics, which result in stratigraphically inconsistent OSL ages. In this paper, we investigate these characteristics, and use luminescence component separation to resolve this inconsistency. The resolved OSL ages obtained as such are then used for the discussion on the local crustal stability of the southeastern coast of Korea during the Late Pleistocene.     

Optical dating of young coastal dunes on a decadal time scale

We explore the use of quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating for reconstructing coastal evolution on a time scale of decades to a few hundred years. Samples are taken from the accretionary south-west coast of Texel, a barrier island just offshore of the northern Netherlands. The ages of dune ridges are known from historical sources; an excellent chronology with a decadal accuracy exists for the past 260 years. OSL ages of less than 10 years on the youngest samples indicate that the OSL signal of the quartz grains is very well zeroed prior to deposition and burial. OSL ages of five samples from a 250-year-old dune ridge are indistinguishable, and the OSL ages on 17 out of 20 samples are in excellent agreement with the well-known independent age controls. Our results highlight the potential of OSL dating for high-resolution reconstruction of coastal evolution over the past few centuries.     

Application of Optically Stimulated Luminescence Technique in Exploring a Concealed Sandstone-type Uranium Deposit

Identifying ore-induced geochemical anomalies at the surface that indicate concealed deposits in buried areas remains a significant challenge in geochemical exploration. In this study, in order to trace the source of the geochemical anomalies, systematic luminescence intensity analyses were conducted on quartz grains from the Quaternary regolith at the Hadatu sandstone-type uranium deposit in the Erenhot Basin. The optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages were much older than the depositional ages of the Quaternary regolith. Moreover, quartz OSL ages were closely related to both borehole grades and sampling depths. Thus, the abnormal mineral OSL ages from near-surface sediments were ultimately controlled by the sandstone-type uranium deposits. This is identical to the rapid changes of quartz OSL ages (0.063 ka/cm) and equivalent doses (0.19 Gy/cm) with depths in a given sampling site. The instantaneous soil radon concentration was positively correlated with the quartz OSL apparent age, indicating their ore-induced origin and, as a result, their effectiveness in the exploration of concealed uranium deposits. Other parameters, including mobile-state uranium and 210Po contents, were poorly correlated with quartz OSL ages and therefore should only be used with caution for geochemical exploration. This is the first time an attempt has been made to discriminate the ore-induced sources for different surface anomaly parameters, including instantaneous soil radon, mobile-state uranium and 210Po contents for concealed sandstone-type uranium deposits.     

OSL dating of a Holocene loess-paleosol sequence in the southern Loess Plateau,China

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of polymineral fine-grained loess samples collected from the southern Loess Plateau of China was conducted using the single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol. A ‘Double-SAR’ procedure in which aliquots are subjected to both infrared (IR) and blue stimulations was used, and two sets of equivalent dose (D _e ) determinations were produced. These doses are assumed to be predominantly related to the feldspathic and quartz fine grain populations, respectively. The results revealed that the OSL ages estimated by infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals and those estimated by [post-IR] stimulated luminescence ([post-IR] OSL) signals disagreed. Specifically, the ages estimated using the IRSL signals were smaller than those estimated using [post-IR] OSL signals. The results of an anomalous fading test of the two types of OSL signals revealed that the [post-IR] OSL signals from the etched sub-sample (by H₂SiF₆ and HF) and the un-etched sub-sample did not fade significantly. However, the IRSL signals from the un-etched sub-sample showed obvious signs of fading. These findings indicate that the lower age estimated by IRSL is due to the anomalous fading of feldspar IR signals in the polymineral fine grains. For samples collected from greater than 100 cm, the estimates of their OSL ages using two types of luminescence signals generally agreed with their pre-estimated ages, especially those of the [post-IR] OSL signals. However, for the three samples that were collected from a depth of less than 100 cm, their OSL ages were remarkably underestimated, possibly due to the enhanced human activity (such as soil cultivation) that has occurred in the region since 3000 a B.P.     

甘肃玉门地区第四纪晚期构造阶地的红外释光测年

光释光（ＯＳＬ）测年是近几年从热释光（ＴＬ）测年基础工起来的测定第四纪沉积物年龄的一种新技术，其原理与ＴＬ测年类似。不同的是：ＯＳＬ是单色光束激发品体中储存的电离辐射能使其以光的形式释放出来。当用近红外线束作为激光光源时称之为红外释光测年。与ＴＬ测年相比，ＩＳＬ测年可以不考虑残留的ＯＳＬ信号，而且测量具有简便，迅速且准确等优点。本文用细颗粒红外释放技术对玉门地区的构造阶地进行了年龄测定，初步结果表     

Testing optically stimulated luminescence dating on sand-sized quartz of deltaic deposits from the Sperchios delta plain,central Greece

This study reports on the first investigation into the potential of luminescence dating to establish a chronological framework for the depositional sequences of the Sperchios delta plain, central Greece. A series of three borehole cores(20 m deep) and two shallow cores(4 m deep), from across the delta plain, were extracted, and samples were collected for luminescence dating. The luminescence ages of sand-sized quartz grains were obtained from small aliquots of quartz, using the Single-Aliquot Regenerative-dose(SAR) protocol.The equivalent dose determination included a series of tests and the selection of the Minimum Age Model(MAM) as the most appropriate statistical model. This made it possible to confirm the applicability of quartz Optically Stimulated Luminescence(OSL) dating to establish absolute chronology for deltaic sediments from the Sperchios delta plain.Testing age results of the five cores showed that the deltaic sediments were deposited during the Holocene.A relatively rapid deposition is implied for the top ~14 m possibly as a result of the deceleration in the rate of the sea-level rise and the transition to terrestrial conditions, while on the deeper parts, the reduced sedimentation rate may indicate a lagoonal or coastal environment.     

Luminescence dating of buried cobble surfaces from sandy beach ridges: a case study from Denmark

Here we investigate the use of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) for dating cobbles from the body of successive beach ridges and compare cobble surface‐derived ages to standard quartz OSL ages from sand. Between four and eight cobbles and sand samples (age control) were dated with the luminescence method, taken from the modern beach and from beach ridges on the south and north extremes of a prograding spit on the westernmost coast of Lolland, Denmark. Luminescence‐depth profiles perpendicular to the surfaces of the cobbles show that the feldspar infrared signals stimulated at 50 °C were fully reset to various depths into the cobbles prior to final deposition; as a result, the equivalent doses determined from close to the surface of such cobbles can be used to calculate burial ages. Beach‐ridge burial ages given by the average of ages of individual cobbles taken from the same site are consistent, within errors, with the ages derived from the sand samples. Cobble‐ and sand‐derived ages show that the southernmost beach ridge at Albuen was formed around 2 ka ago, indicating that this sandy spit is younger than other coastal systems in Denmark. The agreement between ages derived from clasts and from standard quartz OSL in this study confirms that, even in the absence of sandy sediments, we can reliably date sites using OSL by targeting larger clasts. In addition, the record of prior light exposure contained in the shape of the cobbles’ luminescence‐depth profile removes one of the major uncertainties (i.e. the degree of signal reset prior to burial) in the luminescence dating of high latitude sites.     

天山乌鲁木齐河源末次冰期冰川沉积光释光测年

乌鲁木齐河源地区是中国冰川遗迹保存最丰富、地貌最典型的区域之一,是根据冰川遗迹重建第四纪冰川历史的理想地区。大量的研究工作以及技术测年结果也使其成为试验冰川沉积光释光（optically stimulated luminescence,OSL）测年可行性的理想地点。共采集了6个冰碛及上覆黄土样品用于光释光测年。提取38~63 μm的石英颗粒,运用SAR-SGC法测试等效剂量。各种检验表明测试程序是适用的。通过地貌地层关系、重复样品、已有年代的对比等方法,检验该地冰川沉积OSL测年的可行性。结果表明,OSL年代结果与地貌地层新老关系非常吻合,与已有的其他测年技术的年代结果也具可比性,表明这些样品的OSL信号在沉积之前晒退较好,OSL年代是可信的。冰川观测站侧碛垄的OSL年代为14.8±1.2 ka;9号冰川支谷口附近冰碛的OSL年代为13.5±1.1 ka和17.2±1.3 ka;上望峰冰碛的OSL年代为20.1±1.6 ka。综合OSL年代结果与此前其他测年结果,这几套冰碛垄形成于深海氧同位素MIS 2阶段应该是比较统一的认识。上望峰冰碛上覆黄土的OSL年代（10.5±0.8 ka）也印证了该结论。OSL年代指示上望峰冰碛对应于末次冰期最盛期,冰川观测站和9号冰川支谷谷口冰碛对应于晚冰期。下望峰冰碛的OSL年代为36.3±2.8 ka,对应于MIS 3阶段。下望峰冰碛的形成时代,仍有待更多沉积学以及测年工作进一步确定。     

南京市区埋藏古河道沉积物的年代

埋藏古河道沉积物年代学框架的建立对于探讨当地水系演变过程、重建气候演化历史具有重要意义。本文用光释光(OSL)测年中的简单多片再生法(SMAR)和单片再生法(SAR)对南京市区汉府街埋藏古河道堆积物钻孔样品进行了光释光测年,对岩芯中含有的植物碎片进行了AMS 14C测年。光释光等效剂量(De)的预热坪实验表明,在 200～260℃的预热温度范围内均能获得基本一致的De值,并得到了剂量恢复实验支持。样品的光释光年龄和树轮校正的AMS 14C年龄吻合,结果显示N06S6孔秦淮河古河道沉积是不连续的,主要堆积于6.6ka至7.9ka期间和14ka至15ka期间。末次冰盛期期间,秦淮河下切形成深达至少42m的古河谷。     

Paper I – Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of perennially frozen deposits in north‐central Siberia: OSL characteristics of quartz grains and methodological considerations regarding their suitability for dating

Arnold, L. J. & Roberts, R. G. 2011: Paper I – Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of perennially frozen deposits in north?central Siberia: OSL characteristics of quartz grains and methodological considerations regarding their suitability for dating. Boreas, Vol. 40, pp. 389–416. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2011.00209.x. ISSN 0300?9483. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of coarse‐grained quartz is increasingly being used as the main chronological tool in late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of Siberia. However, relatively little information has been published on the suitability of OSL dating for the various types of perennially frozen sediments found in this region. Here we provide a systematic examination of the quartz luminescence characteristics of 21 perennially frozen samples from the Taimyr Peninsula and adjacent coastal lowlands of north‐central Siberia, and discuss their implications for the reliability of single‐grain and multi‐grain OSL chronologies in such contexts. The results of this study suggest that the quartz luminescence characteristics of these samples are, in principle, favourable for OSL dating but, in practice, require that a series of validation checks are made of the chosen experimental conditions. If these tests are satisfied, then reliable OSL chronologies should be obtained for sedimentary deposits in this region. Importantly, however, the single‐grain and multi‐grain aliquot equivalent dose (D_e) distribution characteristics for our samples reveal that there are advantages in targeting certain types of depositional settings for OSL dating studies of Siberian sediments. We also show that samples from the same depositional settings, and even from the same sites, do not necessarily display similar D_e distribution characteristics. The latter complication favours the use of single‐grain analysis to unravel the bleaching and burial histories of young (mid‐ to late Holocene) sediments in these Arctic environments.     

Chronologies of sedimentary changes in the south Bohai Sea,China: constraints from luminescence and radiocarbon dating

The alternation of terrestrial and marine deposits is an indicator of past environmental and sea‐level changes. The age of deposition is usually dated by means of radiocarbon. However, radiocarbon dates of molluscan shells from coastal areas may be complicated by various sources of carbon, and problematic for deposits of 40–50 ka or older. Herein, we apply the Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating method to date samples from terrestrial and marine/coastal sediments extracted from three cores in the south Bohai Sea, China. Multiple‐ and single‐aliquot regenerative‐dose procedures using OSL signals from fine‐silt (4–11 μm), coarse‐silt (38–63 μm) and fine‐sand (63–90 or 90–125 μm) quartz were employed to determine the equivalent dose (D _e). The results showed that: (i) OSL ages from quartz of different grain sizes and different protocols are consistent with each other; (ii) for Holocene samples, most of the radiocarbon dates agree well with OSL ages; (iii) for pre‐Holocene samples, radiocarbon dates cluster at 40–50 ¹⁴ C ka BP, whereas OSL ages are in stratigraphic order from 11 ka to 176 ka. Because of the self‐consistency of the quartz OSL ages, the stratigraphic agreement in the three cores, and the clustering of the radiocarbon dates, we suggest that the quartz OSL ages are more reliable with respect to dating the samples from the south Bohai Sea. Finally, the four marine strata identified in the south Bohai Sea are likely to have formed during the Holocene, Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 3–5, MIS 6 and probably MIS 7, respectively.     

Radiocarbon and Luminescence Age Determinations on Mounds at Crystal River and Roberts Island,Florida, USA

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) has been employed successfully to determine the ages of palaeosols from earthen mounds in the southeastern USA, providing archaeologists with a means of dating monument construction in the absence of carbonaceous materials and geologists with a setting for understanding factors that can affect the luminescence intensity (i.e., burial dose) of soils. However, OSL dating has not been adequately tested on mounds whose principal component is sand, shell, or a combination of these two, despite the fact that monuments composed of such materials are common to the coasts and interior coastal plains of the region. Radiocarbon dating of bone collagen and soil‐carbon and OSL dating of quartz grains extracted from the fill of mounds at the Crystal River and Roberts Island sites on the west‐central coast of Florida, USA are used to determine the timing and history of mound construction at the sites. Comparison of OSL and radiocarbon ages on materials from the same or closely related contexts provides insight into factors influencing age determinations in mound fill deposits, particularly the type of construction material (sand or shell) and the manner in which these were deposited. The results contribute to the understanding of the temporal context of platform mound construction in southeastern USA.     

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of quartzite cobbles from the Tapada do Montinho archaeological site (east‐central Portugal)

The burial age of an alluvially deposited cobble pavement at the Tapada do Montinho archaeological site (east‐central Portugal) is investigated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Measurements on the cobbles (quartzite clasts) were carried out on intact slices and large aliquots (～8 mm) of quartz grains (63–300 μm), both recovered from the outer 1.5‐mm surface of the cobbles. The recycling ratio, recuperation and dose‐recovery tests show that the single‐aliquot regenerative‐dose (SAR) protocol is applicable to both rock slices and quartz grains; both have similar luminescence characteristics. The variation in the natural OSL signal with depth below the cobble surface using intact slices from two different cobbles shows that both were bleached to a depth of at least ～2 mm before deposition. A model of the variation of dose with depth fitted to data from one of the cobbles gives a burial age of ～19 ka and also predicts the dose‐depth variation at the time of deposition. Ages based on rock slices suggest that one cobble surface, and the inner parts of two other cobbles experienced a resetting event at ～45 ka, consistent with the age control. However, the surfaces of the other cobbles all record light‐exposure events in the range 26 to 14 ka, suggesting that some of the cobbles were exposed to daylight perhaps more than once in this period. Given the shallow burial depth and unexpectedly young ages of the surrounding and overlying finer‐grained sediment, it is suggested that phases of light exposure following surficial erosion are probably responsible for this underestimate. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that we can identify and quantify four events (two light exposures of different durations and two sequential burial periods) in the dose record contained within a single clast, and this suggests that the luminescence dating of rock surfaces may prove, in the future, to be at least as important as sand/silt sediment dating.     

OSL dating of the Middle Palaeolithic Hotel California site,Sierra de Atapuerca,north‐central Spain

In this study we present optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating results obtained at one of the most important open‐air Middle Palaeolithic sites in the Sierra de Atapuerca foothills – Hotel California. We also assess the possibility of obtaining extended‐range OSL chronologies for a nearby Middle Pleistocene fluvial deposit using several novel methods, namely OSL dating of individual quartz ‘supergrains’, multi‐grain aliquot thermally transferred OSL (TT‐OSL) dating and the first application of a single‐grain TT‐OSL dating procedure. Four single‐grain OSL ages constrain the Middle Palaeolithic occupation of Hotel California to between 71±6 and 48±3 ka. The Hotel California single‐grain equivalent dose (D_e) distributions are highly overdispersed and contain several dose populations, which are probably attributable to post‐depositional sediment mixing, partial bleaching and intrinsic scatter. The reliability of multi‐grain aliquot OSL dating is compromised by the complex underlying D_e dispersion affecting these samples, as well as by biasing multi‐grain averaging effects. Extended‐range OSL and TT‐OSL chronologies for the nearby Pico River terrace are consistent with each other and with broad independent age control. These experimental approaches yield a weighted average age of 348±16 ka for terrace T_A9 of the Arlanzón River sequence. Our results highlight the benefits of comparing ages obtained using several OSL methodologies to improve the robustness of luminescence chronologies. They also demonstrate the potential that single‐grain OSL techniques offer for establishing improved age constraints on the many other Middle Palaeolithic sites found at Atapuerca and elsewhere across north‐central Spain.     

应用石英释光灵敏度溯源的研究现状和展望

应用石英释光灵敏度进行物源研究是释光技术发展的新方向。回顾了石英释光灵敏度在测年研究中的发展现状,对其产生的机制、实验中的影响因素及其在测年中对灵敏度的监测、矫正等进行了介绍,详细介绍了空间尺度上不同沉积物(冰碛物、风成沉积物、水成沉积物)石英释光灵敏度的差异和时间序列上风成沉积物释光灵敏度的变化特征。据现有的研究成果分析,沉积历史和母岩来源对沉积物中石英的释光灵敏度的高低有重要的影响,因此可用它来追溯石英的物源。探讨该技术在物源研究领域存在的问题,对其发展前景进行了展望。     

Infrared stimulated luminescence dating of an Eemian (MIS 5e) site in Denmark using K‐feldspar

Buylaert, J.‐P., Huot, S., Murray, A.S. & Van den haute, P.: Infrared stimulated luminescence dating of an Eemian (MIS 5e) site in Denmark using K‐feldspar. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00156.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. Infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating of K‐feldspars may be an alternative to quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating when the quartz OSL signal is too close to saturation or when the quartz luminescence characteristics are unsuitable. In this paper, Eemian (MIS 5e) coastal marine sands exposed in a cliff section on the coast of southern Jutland (Denmark) are used to test the accuracy and precision of IRSL dating using K‐feldspars. This material has been used previously to test quartz OSL dating ( Murray & Funder 2003 ): a small systematic underestimation of <10% compared to the expected age of ～130 ka was reported. In our study, a single‐aliquot regenerative‐dose (SAR) IRSL protocol is used to determine values of equivalent dose (D_e) and the corresponding fading rates (g values). A significant age underestimation (of up to ～35%) is observed; this is attributed to anomalous fading. Using a single site‐average fading rate of 3.66 ± 0.09%/decade to correct the IRSL ages for all samples provides good agreement between the average fading‐corrected K‐feldspar age (119 ± 6 ka) and the independent age control (132–125 ka). This is despite the reservations of Huntley & Lamothe (2001) that their fading correction method is not expected to work on samples older than ～20–50 ka. This fading‐corrected feldspar result is not significantly different from the overall revised quartz age (114 ± 7 ka) also presented here. We conclude that fading‐corrected IRSL ages measured using K‐feldspar may be both precise and accurate over a greater age range than might be otherwise expected.     

旧石器遗址强烈化学风化沉积物细粒混合矿物的光释光信号特征及其测年应用

从湖南省北部赤山岛枫树嘴旧石器遗址剖面第2、第3和第4考古层位采集的3个沉积物样品中提取的细粒混合矿物,尝试对其红外释光(IRSL)信号进行研究。实验表明,虽然长石IRSL信号很弱,但仍可以测得信噪比足够高的红外激发后高温红外激发释光(post-IR IRSL)信号。与此同时,样品存在明显的红外激发后蓝光释光(post-IR OSL)信号,并且样品的IRSL与post-IR OSL信号均以快组分为主,这为该地区沉积物利用长石光释光信号定年提供了新的可能。鉴于长石IRSL信号较弱,根据剂量恢复实验结果,本研究采用post-IR IRSL SAR法(50℃红外激发后270℃高温红外激发,pIRIR270℃)进行等效剂量测量,同时也应用post-IR OSL SAR法定年进行比较。实验结果表明,细粒混合矿物的pIRIR270℃等效剂量分别为418.8±13.2 Gy、562.3±18.2 Gy和694.8±17.9 Gy,相对应的post-IR OSL SAR等效剂量结果为345.0±29.4 Gy、409.6±33.7 Gy和424.7±32.2 Gy。假设强烈化学风化未对沉积物的剂量率造成很大影响,基于长石pIRIR270℃信号的释光年龄为89±6 ka、118±8 ka和152±9 ka,比前人所得的石英OSL SAR法年龄老30%~55%(约20~55 ka)。通过对比不同测量条件下获得的等效剂量值来评估长石IRSL信号是否存在晒退问题,没有发现长石post-IR IRSL信号存在晒退不完全的证据。根据本研究post-IR IRSL SAR法测年结果,赤山岛枫树嘴旧石器遗址似阿舍利技术类型的石器出现在倒数第二次冰期(MIS 6)后期至末次间冰期(MIS 5)前期,比湖南道县福岩洞现代人类牙齿化石年龄(80~120 ka)稍老。作为似阿舍利技术石器制造者的赤山岛古人与福岩洞现代人的关系将是我国旧石器时代考古学和古人类学研究的一个重要课题。     

Testing polymineral post-IR IRSL and quartz SAR-OSL protocols on Middle to Late Pleistocene loess at Batajnica,Serbia

The loess–palaeosol sequence of Batajnica (Vojvodina region, Serbia) is considered as one of the most complete and thickest terrestrial palaeoclimate archives for the Middle and Late Pleistocene. In order to achieve a numerical chronology for this profile, four sets of ages were obtained on 18 individual samples. Equivalent doses were determined using the SAR protocol on fine (4–11 μm) and coarse (63–90 μm) quartz fractions, as well as on polymineral fine grains by using two elevated temperature infrared stimulation methods, pIRIR₂₉₀ and pIRIR₂₂₅. We show that the upper age limit of coarse quartz OSL and polymineral pIRIR₂₉₀ and pIRIR₂₂₅ techniques is restricted to the Last Glacial/Interglacial cycle due to the field saturation of the natural signals. Luminescence ages on coarse quartz, pIRIR₂₂₅ and pIRIR₂₉₀ polymineral fine grains are in general agreement. Fine quartz ages are systematically lower than the coarse quartz and pIRIR ages, the degree of underestimation increasing with age. Comparison between natural and laboratory dose response curves indicate the age range over which each protocol provides reliable ages. For fine and coarse quartz, the natural and laboratory dose response curves overlap up to ~150 and ~250 Gy, respectively, suggesting that the SAR protocol provides reliable ages up to c. 50 ka on fine quartz and c. 100 ka on coarse quartz. Using the pIRIR₂₂₅ and pIRIR₂₉₀ protocols, equivalent doses up to ~400 Gy can be determined, beyond which in the case of the former the natural dose response curve slightly overestimates the laboratory dose response curve. Our results suggest that the choice of the mineral and luminescence technique to be used for dating loess sediments should take into consideration the reported limited reliability.     

Optically stimulated luminescence dating of fluvial deposits: a review

Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating allows age determination of sediments deposited during the last glacial-interglacial cycle. This relatively new technique therefore enables chronological frameworks to be established for fluvial deposits that often cannot be dated by other means. The OSL signal of quartz and feldspar minerals is reset by light exposure during fluvial transport, and builds up as a result of ionizing radiation after burial of the minerals. Incomplete resetting of the OSL signal because of inadequate light exposure in the fluvial environment can result in age overestimations, especially for relatively young samples. Methods used for the detection of incomplete resetting, or poor bleaching, are reviewed. It is argued that technique s measuring the OSL signal from small subsamples (aliquots) are most promising for detecting poor bleaching and for obtaining the true age for a sample in which not all grains had their OSL signal completely removed at deposition. Quartz should be the mineral of choice, because it has been shown to yield the most reliable results and because its OSL signal is more rapidly reset than that of feldspar. Aliquot size should be small, with aliquots ideally consisting of a single grain of quartz for samples in which the majority of grains are poorly bleached. Using single-aliquot dating of coarse-grain quartz, age offsets between zero and a few thousand years have been found for modern fluvial deposits. The validity of single-aliquot quartz OSL dating has been demonstrated by application to known-age samples, but for the older age range (>˜13 ka) further proof of the accuracy of the method is essential. The application of quartz OSL dating to investigations of fluvial deposits opens a new realm of possibilities to be explored, as is highlighted by some examples of geological applications.