Evaluating the effectiveness of heavy liquid density separation in isolating K-feldspar grains using alluvial sediments from the Hajar Mountains,Oman

Heavy liquid density separation is commonly utilised in isolating specific minerals from bulk sediment for luminescence dating. K-feldspars are commonly separated from other minerals by isolating the <2.58 g cm⁻³ fraction which yields infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals conducive to dating. However, initial measurements of the IRSL and thermoluminescence (TL) signals from the <2.58 g cm⁻³ fraction of alluvial fan sediments from the Hajar Mountains, northern Oman, were atypical of K-feldspar luminescence signals reported in the literature. In this study, three different density separates (<2.58 g cm⁻³, 2.58–2.54 g cm⁻³ and <2.565 g cm⁻³) were trialled to attempt to isolate pure K-feldspar samples for dating, to measure K-feldspar IRSL signals which are not contaminated with inputs from other feldspar, quartz and/or heavy mineral signals. The mineralogy of these separates was explored using microscopy, X-ray diffraction and mass spectrometry. We found that despite more refined heavy liquid density separation, the proportions of K-feldspar in these separates had a maximum of 40% by weight, remaining significantly contaminated by other minerals. IRSL and TL signals were atypical of K-feldspar for all density separates and it is likely that there is a contribution of signal from IR-sensitive contaminants, such as muscovite. This highlights the importance of investigating the mineralogy of samples for luminescence dating, especially in regions where little prior work has been undertaken.     

Luminescence dating of marine sediments from the Sea of Japan using quartz OSL and polymineral pIRIR signals of fine grains

Luminescence dating has long been used for chronological constraints on marine sediments due to the ubiquitous dating materials (quartz and feldspar grains) and its applicability over a relatively long time range. However, one of the main difficulties in luminescence dating on marine sediments is partial bleaching, which causes age overestimations. Especially, partial bleaching is typically difficult to be detected in the fine grain fraction (FG) of marine sediments. The recently developed feldspar post-IR IRSL (pIRIR) protocol can detect non-fading signals and thus avoid feldspar signal instability. In the current study, fine grains were extracted from a gravity core in the northern Sea of Japan, and the aim is to test the feasibility of using different luminescence signals with various bleaching rates to explore the bleaching conditions of fine grain fraction in marine sediments. The results suggest that the quartz OSL signal and polymineral pIRIR signals at stimulation temperatures of 150 °C and 225 °C (pIRIR₁₅₀ and pIRIR₂₂₅) of FG were well bleached prior to deposition. The OSL ages were used to establish a chronology for this sedimentary core and the resulting age-depth relationship is self-consistent and comparable with radiocarbon dates. We conclude that different luminescence signals with various bleaching rates can be used to test the bleaching conditions of fine grain fraction in marine sediments; and the luminescence dating can be applied to marine sediments with great potential.     

OSL dating of fine-grained quartz from Holocene Yangtze delta sediments

Holocene flood events in the Yangtze River are associated with variations in East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) precipitation, and so Yangtze delta sediments may preserve information about the frequency and magnitude of EASM precipitation. These flood/drought cycles of the EASM directly affect the living standards of East Asian population. However, despite its importance, little chronological control is available for the Yangtze Delta sediments; because biogenic carbonate only occurs sporadically, it has proved the difficulty to discuss sedimentation mechanisms and rates in any detail.In 2013 two sediment cores (YD13-G3 and H1) were taken from the Yangtze subaqueous delta to investigate precipitation history. In this study, we investigate the potential of quartz OSL dating of the fine silt fraction (fine-grained quartz; 4–11 μm) from these cores to estimate the depositional age of the sediments. We test whether: (1) Yangtze subaqueous delta sediments contain quartz with suitable characteristics for dating, and (2) quartz grains are well-bleached during/before the transportation process, by examining a modern analogue of suspended particulate matter, and by cross-checking with the doses derived from infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals (both IR₅₀ and pIRIR₁₆₀) from feldspar in polymineral fine grains. We find that both the quartz and feldspar luminescence characteristics are satisfactory (quartz dose recovery ratio 1.067 ± 0.004; n = 250, pIRIR₁₆₀ dose recovery ratio 1.01 ± 0.02; n = 151). Modern suspended particulate matter has measured quartz equivalent doses between 0.1 and 0.2 Gy, suggesting that this material was sufficiently bleached during/before transportation to allow dating of Holocene sediments (mean dose rates of ∼3 Gy ka⁻¹). OSL ages of 44 samples from the 2 cores show apparently rapid accumulation at ∼6 ka between 9.65 and 5.50 m in core H1 and ∼2 ka throughout core G3 and between 5.0 and 0.0 m in core H1. The pIRIR₁₆₀ signals suggest less light exposure of the core top sediments and of those from the transition layer between ∼6 ka to ∼2 ka, although there is no evidence for incomplete bleaching of quartz. The question remains as to whether significant deposition took place only at these two times, or whether the record has been disturbed by erosion/reworking.     

Luminescence signals from modern sediments in a glaciated bay,NW Svalbard

Landforming processes are highly active in the Arctic, and luminescence dating can be used to establish a chronological framework for these processes. For example, luminescence ages of raised littoral and marine deposits provide the age control for many reconstructions of Pleistocene events in the Arctic. Due to the nature of the depositional environment (e.g. short transport distance, turbid water, long polar night) these types of sediment may not be completely zeroed at the time of deposition. To test the significance of incomplete bleaching in this type of environment, surface sediments were sampled along a transect from the margin of a glacier out into a nearby bay on NW Svalbard. The water in the bay is very turbid (secchi depth 0.1 m), but there is significant reworking by waves along the shores.Quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and feldspar infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) were measured using sand-sized grains. For quartz OSL and feldspar IRSL (50 °C) the ice-proximal sample showed relatively high doses (∼12 Gy) while nearby beach sand and shallow-marine deposits, as well as ice-distal sandur sediments, had much lower doses: most OSL doses were consistent with zero, while IRSL (50 °C) ranged from 0.5 to 6.5 Gy. Post-IR IRSL (290 °C) doses were overall much higher (∼20–55 Gy), which partly is due to a significant (∼12 Gy) unbleachable residual, and partly due to slower bleaching rates than for the IRSL (50 °C) signal.In this Arctic environment it appears that bleaching is limited in the first ∼100 m of meltwater transport from the glacier margin, but for material transported at least 3 km bleaching of OSL and IRSL (50 °C) signals is more or less complete. Given the very limited light penetration through the seawater in the bay, any bleaching must have occurred during fluvial/subaerial transport to the bay or by wave-reworking on the beach. Apart from the ice-proximal glacifluvial sediments, residual apparent doses recorded by quartz OSL and feldspar IRSL (50 °C) are negligible for the luminescence dating of Pleistocene-aged deposits of ice-distal, littoral and shallow-marine origin.     

Testing the application of quartz and feldspar luminescence dating to MIS 5 Japanese marine deposits

The applicability of both quartz and feldspar luminescence dating was tested on twenty-five samples from a marine succession now forming a coastal cliff at Oga Peninsula, Honshu Island, Japan. The quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) signal shows thermal instability and linear modulated (LM)-OSL analysis revealed the dominance of a slow component. When compared with independent age control provided by two marker tephras, the quartz OSL ages grossly underestimate the depositional age. In contrast, potassium (K)-rich feldspar is a suitable dosimeter when measured using post-IR infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) at 225 °C (pIRIR₂₂₅). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses on the feldspar extracts revealed that the grains are amorphous with small crystalline inclusions; using standard internal dose rate parameters, this would result in a too large dose rate. Dose rates were calculated using the observed grain size of 40 ± 20 μm with an assumed K concentration of 12.5 ± 0.5%. The fading corrected pIRIR₂₂₅ ages agree well with independent age control, and the sediments of the Katanishi Formation were deposited between 82 ± 6 and 170 ± 16 ka. This study demonstrates that pIRIR dating of feldspar is a powerful chronological tool for the dating of sediments of volcanic origin.     

Luminescence dating of scoria fall and lahar deposits from Somma–Vesuvius,Italy

Luminescence dating has been applied to scoria and lahar deposits from Somma–Vesuvius, Italy. Samples include scoria from the AD472 and 512 (or 536) eruptions and lahar deposits. In order to find a stable luminescence signal which is less affected by anomalous fading, infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals at elevated temperatures after bleaching with IR at 50 °C (termed post-IR IRSL; pIRIR) were tested at different preheat and elevated stimulation temperatures. The fading rates of both IRSL and pIRIR signals reduced dramatically with increasing preheat and pIRIR stimulation temperatures. A pIRIR signal measured at 290 °C after a preheat at 320 °C (60 s) and an IR stimulation at 50 °C (100 s) was selected to calculate the equivalent dose (D_e). The gamma spectrometry results indicate that the U-series nuclides are not in equilibrium and there is a large ²²⁶Ra excess. The dose rates and ages were calculated by assuming a ²²⁶Ra excess (over its parent ²³⁰Th) at deposition, and that this unsupported excess then decayed to the present level. The resulting luminescence ages of the two scoria samples agreed with the expected ages, and the ages of the lahar deposits indicate that they are associated with the AD1631 eruption.     

Luminescence chronology of fossiliferous fluvial sediments along the middle Atbara River,Sudan

Fluvial sediments of the middle Atbara River Valley, eastern Sudan, contain abundant vertebrate fossils and stone tools. Previous work described two sedimentary units, the Butana Bridge Synthem (BBS) and the Khashm El Girba Synthem (KGS), with three divisions each (BBS1-3 and KGS1-3, from bottom to top, respectively). ²³⁰Th/U dating on bivalve shells suggested an age of ∼126 and ∼92 ka for the basal KGS2 and basal KGS3, respectively, and mammalian biochronology in combination with magnetostratigraphy suggested an age of late Early to early Middle Pleistocene for the underlying BBS. To establish a detailed chronology of this fluvial sedimentary sequence, we collected 17 luminescence samples from both sides of the Atbara River close to the Butana Bridge. Quartz OSL dating was applied to samples from the upper part of the profile (upper KGS2 and KGS3), but the signal reached saturation within the upper ∼10 m of the sequence. To select a suitable feldspar signal to date older samples beyond the limit of the quartz OSL, a comparison of the quartz OSL, feldspar post-IR IRSL at 225 and 290 °C, and pulsed IRSL signal at 50 °C was conducted for a sample from KGS3. The result showed that only the fading corrected pulsed IRSL yielded an age consistent with the quartz OSL, and the post-IR IRSL signals (both at 225 and 290 °C) overestimated the quartz age significantly. We therefore selected the pulsed IRSL signal to date the older deposits. The luminescence ages indicate that the entire BBS - KGS sequence was deposited between 224 ± 23 ka and <17 ± 1 ka, corresponding to marine isotope stages (MIS) 7–2, significantly revising previous conclusions.     

OSL and IRSL dating of raised beach sand deposits along the southeastern coast of Norway

Raised beach sand deposits along the southeastern coast of Norway were dated by optical (OSL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and the quartz and K-feldspar luminescence characteristics were described. Due to the poor quartz luminescence characteristics, only a limited number of samples were suitable for OSL dating. More promising are the K-feldspar extracts, with typical K-feldspar luminescence characteristics and no sign of fading. For equivalent dose (D_e) determination, sand-size quartz and feldspar extracts were used, applying a single aliquot regenerative (SAR) protocol. Both, OSL and IRSL D_e estimates show a wide distribution, unexpected for beach deposits. The calculated OSL and IRSL age estimates were generally in good agreement and the correctness of the ages was confirmed by independent age control. Because only a limited number of the quartz samples were suitable for OSL dating, IRSL dating of the K-feldspar represents an alternative to OSL quartz dating.     

Are feldspar SAR protocols appropriate for post-IR IRSL dating?

Recently proposed post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (post-IR IRSL or pIR) dating protocols have largely overcome problems associated with anomalous fading and have become increasingly important for age determination of Quaternary sediments. Here, we investigate the suitability of the proposed post-IR IRSL protocols for accurate equivalent-dose estimation on K-feldspar extracts. Our research focuses on potential sensitivity changes between the natural signal and the first test dose signal in single-aliquot regenerative dose (SAR) procedures that are not detected and thus not corrected using test-dose responses.For these investigations, we employed the Single Aliquot Regeneration and Added dose (SARA) procedure, which combines equivalent-dose estimation with a dose recovery test. Results indicated that high-temperature preheats (>260 °C for 60 s) may induce a trapping sensitivity change in IRSL signals measured at low temperature (<100 °C). As this sensitivity change cannot be detected through test dose responses in the SAR protocol, it may result in an invalid equivalent-dose estimation. However, trapping sensitivity changes were not observed after low temperature preheats (<260 °C for 60 s), nor in pIR signals measured at elevated temperature (>100 °C) after a high temperature preheat. Our results indicate that the SAR protocol is appropriate for equivalent-dose determination using elevated-temperature pIR signals (e.g. pIR at 290 °C or multiple elevated temperature pIR at 250 °C). The SAR protocol may also be appropriate for equivalent-dose determination using low temperature pIR signals, provided that the combination of preheat and measurement temperature is carefully chosen to avoid the unwanted effects of sensitivity change during the first preheat.     

Violet stimulated luminescence as an alternative for dating complex colluvial sediments in the Atacama Desert

Luminescence dating has become a key tool in studies of the Quaternary. The typically stable luminescence response of quartz grains and the absence of a significant internal dose, make quartz minerals the preferred dosimeter for monitoring the burial dose in sediments. Unfortunately, the reliability of conventional OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) dating, based on blue stimulation, can be compromised when the luminescence decay is not dominated by a rapidly decaying and stable part of the luminescence signal (i.e. the fast component). On the other hand, standard methods in luminescence dating are limited to ages of a few hundred kiloyears. In this study, violet stimulated luminescence (VSL) has been used as a means to overcome both problems, applied to a series of colluvial deposits in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Quartz from this region, characterized by poor blue-OSL response, showed a reproducible and stable VSL signal capable of recovering given doses up to ∼500 Gy and a saturation dose twice as high as conventional OSL. The VSL response from these samples has been studied in detail and the estimated ages have been compared with an already established chronology for the same site, based on IRSL of potassium feldspar single grains. Results agree for the dose range of the profile studied, ∼100–250 Gy, equivalent to ages of 29–79 ka confirming the suitability of VSL for dating sedimentary quartz with unreliable blue-OSL response and to extend the age range of conventional OSL dating.     

Testing the potential of elevated temperature post-IR IRSL signals for dating Romanian loess

In this study we test the potential of the elevated temperature infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals for dating Romanian loess. The recently developed post-IR IRSL protocol is applied to Romanian loess using polymineral fine grains extracted from the loess-palaeosol sequence at Mircea Vodă (SE Romania). This approach is aimed at obtaining an additional age control to examine the age discrepancy obtained from previous optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) studies using different grain-sizes of quartz (4–11 μm and 63–90 μm).Two preheat post-IR IR stimulation temperature combinations were used, 250–225 °C and 325–300 °C, respectively. The signals obtained are documented in terms of dose response curve, laboratory tests and fading. Although both post-IR IRSL signals exhibit small fading rates, dose response characteristics indicate that these rates may be laboratory artefacts. The post-IR IRSL signal stimulated at 300 °C is observed to suffer from dose dependent initial sensitivity changes as both natural and regenerated signals are observed to lie above the saturation level of the dose response curve. Uncorrected age results obtained using both post-IR IRSL signals are in general agreement with previously reported silt-sized quartz OSL ages for samples collected from the uppermost loess unit L1. For older material, the post-IR IRSL signal stimulated at 225 °C is considered to provide reliable age results, in agreement with independent age control available for this sequence.     

Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits in Vojvodina,N Serbia: First results

This paper reports on the first investigations into the potential of luminescence dating to establish a chronological framework for fluvial processes in the Tisa River Valley in Vojvodina, N Serbia. A total of 18 samples were collected from a terrace exposure near Mužlja, which comprised non-fluvial deposits at the top and fluvial deposits at the base. The luminescence characteristics of sand-sized quartz and potassium feldspar grains were investigated using a single-aliquot regenerative dose (SAR) protocol. The quartz separates exhibit a complex behaviour, making this dosimeter less suited for optical dating. Investigations into the behaviour of infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) measured at 50 °C (IR₅₀) from K-rich feldspar extracts showed that preheating in excess of 60 s at 225 °C leads to significant sensitivity changes. The effect of IR stimulation on the thermoluminescence (TL) signal and that of preheating on IRSL intensity were examined; the results are inconclusive with respect to thermal stability, but are not inconsistent with the idea that the data do not reflect depletion of an electron trap. The IR₅₀-signal measured after a preheat of 60 s at 115 °C behaves well in the SAR protocol, although it suffers from anomalous fading. Assuming that the signal is thermally stable, the fading-corrected ages suggest that deposition occurred during the end of the Late Pleniglacial and the early Late Glacial, which is consistent with geological expectations. Our observations demonstrate that IRSL dating of feldspar holds potential for establishing a chronology of fluvial dynamics of the Tisa River in N Serbia. Further methodological investigations are desirable; however, as issues relating to the stability and resetting of the IRSL signal remain to be resolved.     

Comparison of paired quartz OSL and feldspar post-IR IRSL dose distributions in poorly bleached fluvial sediments from South Africa

A comparative study using quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and feldspar post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (post-IR IRSL) was undertaken on Quaternary fluvial sediments from an unnamed tributary of the Moopetsi River in South Africa. The aim is to assess whether the post-IR IRSL signal can be used to date incompletely bleached sediments. Several post-IR IRSL signals using varying stimulation and preheat temperatures were investigated; of these the post-IR IRSL₂₂₅ signal was deemed most appropriate for dating because it bleached most rapidly. The feldspar post-IR IRSL₂₂₅ equivalent dose (D_e) values from this site are consistently larger than those from quartz OSL, probably due to differences in the bleaching characteristics of the two signals. Additionally, the post-IR IRSL₂₂₅ D_e values within a sample showed less variation in precision than the quartz D_e data, possibly due to greater averaging between grains in the feldspar small aliquots. The agreement between ages based on the OSL and post-IR IRSL₂₂₅ signals was better for younger samples (<20 ka) than for older ones (>50 ka); the cause of this variation is unclear.     

Optimization of laboratory illumination in optical dating

As part of the development of new laboratory lighting, we present a methodological approach applicable to the characterization of any light source intended for illumination in optical dating laboratories. We derive optical absorption cross-sections for quartz and feldspar from published data and compare these with the human eye response. The optimum peak wavelength giving the best clarity for non-dark adapted vision for the least trapped charge loss lies within the wavelength range 590–630 nm; we argue that it is unnecessary to consider dark-adapted vision. The predicted relative decay rates of quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and feldspar infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals by an incandescent light bulb and a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) through an ILFORD 902 filter are first derived. These predicted decay rates are then compared with those of three relevant light-emitting diodes (LEDs); this comparison demonstrates the significant advantage of the LED sources over the filtered light sources, because essentially all of the reduction of both OSL and IRSL signals by the LEDs occurs at wavelengths to which the human eye is most sensitive. We conclude that exposure of quartz and feldspar extracts from various samples to the light from an LED with emission peak at 594 nm results in a ≤1% OSL or IRSL signal loss for a 48-h exposure at a power density of ∼0.2 μW.cm⁻².     

Luminescence characteristics of coastal sediments in Langhovde,East Antarctica

The Late Pleistocene sea-level history of Antarctica is key to understanding and predicting the responses of icesheets, which significantly contribute to the global sea level, to changing climates. Coastal sediments at Lützow-Holm Bay, East Antarctica, have yielded radiocarbon ages of Holocene and Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 from deposits above the present sea level, suggesting that there have been two episodes of sea-level highstand. However, radiocarbon dating is likely to be less accurate for dating sediments close to or older than 40–50 ka, the upper limit of its application. We thus explored the applicability of luminescence dating to coastal sediments newly sampled from Langhovde on the eastern coast of Lützow-Holm Bay. Samples were collected from a trench <1 m deep and at several meters above the present sea level. Quartz coarse and fine grains, K-feldspar coarse grains, and polymineral fine grains were extracted from the samples. Quartz coarse and fine grains both showed very low optically stimulated luminescence sensitivity and no fast component and thus were not considered further. Dose-recovery tests on post-infrared infrared-stimulated luminescence (post-IR IRSL) signals of K-feldspar and polymineral grains yielded variable results and suggested acceptable measurement conditions for each grain size fraction and expected equivalent dose. Preliminary measurements revealed that the trench section can be divided into the upper and lower layers, corresponding to the Holocene and MIS 7, respectively. Further application of post-IR IRSL dating to coastal sediments, including to previously radiocarbon-dated sections, could refine our understanding of the late Quaternary relative sea-level history in East Antarctica.     

Towards dating Quaternary sediments using the quartz Violet Stimulated Luminescence (VSL) signal

Quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating is widely used to determine the time of deposition and burial of Late Quaternary sediments. Application of the method is usually limited to the past 150,000 years due to early saturation of the OSL signal. Here we explore the potential to date Quaternary sediments using the violet (402 nm) stimulated luminescence (VSL) signal of quartz. We develop and test a new post-blue VSL single aliquot regenerative dose dating protocol, and demonstrate that the VSL signal originates from a deep trap at about 1.9 eV with a thermal lifetime of 10¹¹ years at 10 °C, and that this trap is bleachable by sunlight. The VSL signal grows with dose to ∼6400 Gy, a factor ∼20 higher than the conventional quartz OSL signal, and with the proposed protocol we recover a known dose of 1000 Gy in three out of four samples. The potential of the VSL protocol for dating Quaternary sediments is highlighted by its successful application to a suite of geological samples ranging in age between 13 and 330 ka. Based on our investigations, we propose that the VSL protocol has the potential to extend the quartz dating range to cover the full Quaternary.     

Rock and sediment luminescence dating of an ancient circular stone-walled enclosure at Sønnebøe,northern Scania,Sweden

Dating agricultural artefacts such as field walls and clearance cairns using radiocarbon can be challenging, especially since the association with datable material may be poor. Rock surface burial dating using luminescence offers an alternative. Here we report on the luminescence dating of a medieval circular stone-walled enclosure at Sønnebøe, northern Scania, Sweden, using both buried rocks and sediments. Luminescence burial profiles from IRSL signals measured at 50 °C (IR₅₀) indicated significant prior light exposure in 7 of the 8 samples tested (5 granite, 2 felsic gneiss), in some cases multiple exposure burial cycles were indicated. These rock surfaces had apparently been exposed for sufficient time to allow accurate IRSL ages for the most recent burial event. In contrasts, no useful post-IR IRSL profiles were obtained indicating that this signal was not sufficiently reset to allow accurate determination of the burial dose on any of these rocks. IR₅₀ fading corrections (typically ∼50%) were derived by comparing field saturation with that induced in the laboratory. Quartz extracted from sediments surrounding the rocks gave an average measured to given dose ratio of 1.03 ± 0.01 (n = 90), and these sediment samples were then dated using multigrain aliquots; the corresponding feldspar dose recovery ratio obtained using rock samples was 0.98 ± 0.05 (n = 28). A total of 15 ages were derived; 8 quartz OSL ages from the disturbed coarse grained sediments surrounding the structure, and 7 fading corrected IR₅₀ ages from the surfaces of rocks (2–3 mm chips, ∼1 mm thick) used in the construction of the structure itself. The exposure events preserved by the ring enclosure stones unequivocally show wall building taking place at the site between 800 and 300 years ago.     

Validating post IR-IRSL dating on K-feldspars through comparison with quartz OSL ages

Recent developments have opened up the possibilities of using potassium feldspar for dating Pleistocene sediments; a stable (less-fading) part of the infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signal can be selected by largely depleting the unstable part of the IR signal, using a combination of thermal and IR stimulation: post IR-IRSL dating (pIR-IRSL).This study aims to test the validity of pIR-IRSL dating on feldspars. We obtained pIR-IRSL ages on a large suite of samples from several locations in the Netherlands area, covering a wide range of depositional environments and ages. Age control was provided by quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages on the same samples; these ages were shown to accord with geological age constraints. Comparison with IRSL ages enabled us to evaluate the improvement that pIR-IRSL dating provides over conventional IRSL methods.The majority of feldspar ages obtained with pIR-IRSL showed good agreement with both the quartz OSL ages and the geological age constraints. Our study demonstrates that pIR-IRSL dating is more robust than conventional IRSL and should be the method of choice in feldspar luminescence dating of Pleistocene sediments.     

Feldspar multi-elevated-temperature post-IR IRSL dating of the Wulanmulun Paleolithic site and its implication

The Wulanmulun site found in 2010 is an important Paleolithic site in Ordos (China), from which lots of stone and bone artifacts and mammalian fossils have been recovered. It was previously dated by radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) techniques on quartz. To further confirm the reliability of the chronology constructed based on OSL ages and test the applicability of the recently developed pIRIR procedure on sediments from northern China, twenty-four sediment samples (including eolian, lacustrine and fluvio-eolian sands) from the site were determined using the multi-elevated-temperature post-IR IRSL (MET-pIRIR or pIRIR) procedure on potassium feldspar. The results show that the studied samples have two MET-pIRIR D_e preheat plateaus (280–320 and 340–360 °C), and the bleaching rates of the luminescence signals are associated with sample ages and stimulation temperatures. All the pIRIR ages (7–155 ka) corrected for anomalous fading and residual dose obtained after solar bleaching for 15 h are larger than the corresponding quartz OSL ages (4–66 ka) previously determined, even for the young eolian samples (<10 ka). But the corrected IRSL(50 °C) ages (6–85 ka) are broadly consistent with the quartz ages. It appears that the IRSL(50 °C) ages are more reliable, although this contradicts the previously results obtained by other people. On the other hand, we also obtained an extended age plateau between the stimulation temperatures of 50 and 290 °C in the plot of age versus stimulation temperature (A-T plot) by subtracting different residual doses obtained after different bleaching times. The reliability of the plateau ages requires further investigation. For the sediment samples from this site, quartz should be more suitable for dating than K-feldspar, and the quartz OSL ages of 50–65 ka for its cultural layer should be reliable.