阿尔金断裂带东段晚更新世阶地沉积物红外释光测年及其构造意义

对流经阿尔金断裂带东段的段家沙河、疏勒河和踏实河的阶地沉积物进行了细颗粒多测片红外释光(IRSL)测年,初步确定了晚第四纪各级阶地的形成年代和构造抬升速率。疏勒河在昌马盆地南缘发育7级阶地,光释光测年结果显示这些总高度超过100m的阶地可能主要形成于数万年以内,抬升速率约为2.5mm/a;照壁山峡谷疏勒河保留有5级阶地,大致形成于20万年前,阶地的抬升速率约为0.7mm/a;段家沙河在红柳峡上形成4级阶地,形成于距今7万年以来,其抬升速率约为06mm/a     

Survey of Palaeolithic sites by luminescence profiling, a case study from Eastern Europe

A luminescence-based approach to the rapid characterisation of sites in terms of their datability and sedimentary history is described (luminescence profiling), and contrasting results presented for three Palaeolithic archaeological sites in Russia. Three mineral/grain-size fractions (polymineral silt-sized, polymineral sand-sized, quartz-enriched sand-sized) were separated from each of many small samples taken through the sites’ stratigraphies. Luminescence signals from the different fractions were measured using infra-red light, blue light, and thermal stimulation. Patterns in luminescence sensitivity and equivalent dose values are used to indicate which sites, samples, fractions and/or signals may yield meaningful luminescence ages, and the experimental effort that may be required to obtain said ages. Case studies range from a site where a detailed chronostratigraphy might be produced using a limited number of full luminescence dates to tie in the profiling results, to a site where profiling indicates there is little chance of producing useful luminescence dates. These interpretations are based on dialogue between the luminescence profiling results and archaeological, palaeoenvironmental, and geomorphological evidence. Luminescence profiling is shown to be a useful tool for understanding sedimentological process at each site, independent of full luminescence dating.     

Testing the accuracy of quartz OSL dating using a known-age Eemian site on the river Sula, northern Russia

Quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) forms the basis for the chronology of Weichselian ice advances in Arctic Eurasia developed over the last few years. There is almost no age control on this chronology before 40 ka, except for some marine sediments correlated with marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e on the basis of their palaeofauna. Results from more southern latitudes have shown that dose estimates based on quartz OSL and the single aliquot regenerative (SAR) dose procedure may underestimate the age of MIS 5e deposits. Here we use the same method to date well-described marine sediments, thought to have been deposited during the very beginning of the Eemian interglacial at 130 ka, and exposed in two sections on the river Sula in northern Russia. Various quality-control checks are used to show that the OSL behaviour is satisfactory; the mean of 16 ages is 112±2 ka (σ=9 ka). This represents an underestimate of 14% compared to the expected age, a discrepancy similar to that reported elsewhere. In contrast to SAR, the single aliquot regeneration and added (SARA) dose procedure corrects for any change in sensitivity during the first OSL measurement. The SARA results are shown to be 10% older than those from SAR, confirming the geological age estimate and suggesting that SAR ages may underestimate older ages (larger doses), despite their good performance in the younger age range.     

ESR dating of optically bleached quartz grains from Plio-Pleistocene to Holocene coastal dune deposits (Wilderness-Knysna area,South Africa): a comparison with luminescence

Five Plio-Pleistocene to Holocene aeolian quartz samples from the coastal dune deposits of the Wilderness-Knysna area (South Africa) previously dated by OSL were selected for ESR dating. Samples were processed following the Multiple Centre approach and using the Multiple Aliquot Additive dose method. Aluminium (Al) and Titanium (Ti) signals were systematically measured in all samples.Our study shows that ESR results obtained for Middle Pleistocene to Holocene samples may be strongly impacted by (i) the presence of a significant high frequency noise in the ESR spectra acquired for the Ti signals and (ii) the choice of the fitting function employed. In particular, if not taken into account, very noisy spectra can lead to a significant overestimation of the true ESR intensity measured for the Ti–H signal. These sources of uncertainty are however not sufficient to remove the ESR age overestimations. Consequently, our results indicate that the Al and Ti ESR signals of these quartz samples have not been fully reset during their aeolian transport.While this work contributes to improve our understanding of the ESR method applied to quartz grains, and especially of the potential and limitations of the Ti signals, it also provides additional baseline data to illustrate the existing variability among quartz samples of different origins or sedimentary context. Our results are consistent with previous studies by confirming that the Ti–H signal shows the best potential for the evaluation of low dose values (<100 Gy for these samples), whereas it becomes inappropriate for the higher dose range, and the Ti–Li–H (option D sensu Duval and Guilarte, 2015) should be used instead.Beyond the methodological outcome, this ESR dating study also provides a useful addition to the existing chronology of the aeolian deposits in this region. In particular, new (and possibly) finite numerical age results were obtained for the two oldest samples, constraining the aeolianite landward barrier dune and the coversand formations to the MIS 10-8 and Pliocene, respectively.     

Timing of Holocene lake highstands around Dawa Co in inner Tibetan Plateau: Comparison of quartz and feldspar luminescence dating with radiocarbon age

Lakes over the inner Tibetan Plateau (TP) are very sensitive to the regional environmental transformations and climate changes. Well-preserved lake sediments around these lakes provide critical geomorphological and sedimentary evidence that can be used to infer the past hydroclimate changes. In this study, a lacustrine section from a sandy shoreline (∼74 m above the modern lake) situated to the northwest of modern Dawa Co in the inner TP was investigated using both luminescence and radiocarbon dating methods. Our results demonstrated: (1) the quartz optically simulated luminescence (OSL) dating yielded much younger ages (∼4 ka) than that of the post-infrared IRSL (pIRIR) dating of the K-feldspar fraction; (2) fading test showed g-values ranging between 1.34 and 4.46%/decade for quartz OSL signals, which is considered to be responsible for the underestimation of the corresponding ages; (3) the AMS ¹⁴C age of the charcoal sample from the section is in line with the K-feldspar pIRIR₂₂₅ ages, confirming the reliability of the pIRIR₂₂₅ dates and the underestimation of the quartz OSL ages. The anomalous fading of quartz OSL signals and the consequent age underestimation have been reported in several other lakes on the TP, we presented here for the first time firm evidence of the phenomenon with the help of a robust independent control of AMS ¹⁴C age of the charcoal. Based on the pIRIR₂₂₅ and AMS ¹⁴C ages, we conclude that Dawa Co underwent a prominent highstand during the early Holocene (∼9–7 ka), which was probably controlled by the large amounts of glacial meltwater input and the increased monsoonal precipitation.     

Treatment of broad palaeodose distributions in OSL dating of dune sands from the western Murray Basin, South Australia

Preliminary results of an optically stimulated luminescence dating study in the western Murray Basin in semi-arid south-eastern Australia are presented. The ultimate objective of the dating study is a reconstruction of dune formation indicative of palaeoclimatic changes in this region. So far, one site has been dated using the single-aliquot regenerative (SAR) dose protocol for quartz. A high scatter in individual palaeodoses was observed, which is unexpected in supposedly well bleached aeolian deposits. Therefore other sources of variability such as microdosimetry and bioturbation have to be taken into account. Nevertheless, the resulting ages are in chronostratigraphic order and document a long aeolian record from 180 to 9 ka.     

Electrons in feldspar I: on the wavefunction of electrons trapped at simple lattice defects

 The purpose of this article is to make an initial consideration of the physical properties of electrons trapped at classic hydrogenic lattice defects in feldspar. We are particularly interested to determine the radial extent of the electron wavefunctions in the ground and excited states. It is shown that for NaAlSi₃O₈, the ground-state wavefunction is expected to be confined well within a single lattice unit cell, but the first excited state is far more extensive, being spread over several unit cells. This aspect is of direct relevance to understanding the nature of various luminescence processes in the materials. Under low-energy optical stimulation (hν∼ 1.4 eV), luminescence can be a competitive process between direct electron-hole tunnelling recombination (with the charge still trapped at the defect sites), and free-to-bound recombination (after the excited state electron accesses the conduction band). We show that analysis of the thermal behaviour of the luminescence can be used to separate the two processes. Received: 6 March 2001 / Accepted: 6 September 2001     

Monsoon variability and chemical weathering during the late Pleistocene in the Goriganga basin, higher central Himalaya, India

Stable isotope analysis along with radiocarbon and luminescence dating of late Pleistocene lacustrine deposits at Burfu in the higher central Himalaya are used to interpret hydrologic changes in the lake basin. From 15.5 ka to ~ 14.5 ka the Burfu lake was largely fed by melting glaciers. A warming event at 14.5 ka suggests an enhanced monsoon and increased carbonate weathering. From ~ 13.5 ka to ~ 12.5 ka the isotopic data suggest large-amplitude climate variability. Following this, the isotope data suggest a short-lived, abrupt cooling event, comprising a ~ 300-yr intense cool period followed by a ~ 500-yr interval of moderate climate. A shift in isotope values at ~ 11.3 ka may signify a strengthening monsoon in this region. The inferred climatic excursions appear to be correlative, at least qualitatively, with global climatic events, and perhaps the Burfu lake sequence provides regional evidence of globally recorded excursions. This study also suggests a potential use of radiocarbon ages in specific environments as a paleoenvironmental proxy.     

光释光年代学对腾格里沙漠化机制及风沙物源的指示

腾格里沙漠地处东亚夏季风现代影响区的西北边缘,长期以来被认为是东亚沙尘暴多发中心之一。近年来的研究较明确地支持腾格里沙漠晚更新世以来的沉积环境发生了巨大变化,但该区沙漠化的机制仍需进一步研究。文章基于石英矿物的光释光测年技术,研究了腾格里沙漠南部腹地系列剖面的沉积年代,结合已有研究结果,重建了该区风沙堆积历史,获得如下认识：1）腾格里沙漠末次冰盛期以来的风沙堆积主要集中在16~10 ka及约1.5 ka以来两个时段;2）腾格里地区16~10 ka的风沙堆积发生在区域由干变湿的时段,而7.3 ka、5.1 ka和3.8~3.3 ka的风沙堆积发生于区域湿度较高背景下的干旱时段。由于这些时段的气候环境有利于风沙的堆积与固定而不利于风沙的产生,因而推断16.0~3.3 ka时段腾格里地区的风沙主要来自上风向地区的输入;3）腾格里大面积地区的沙丘/沙山堆积于最近0.37 ka以来降水较少的时段,略晚于区域高强度的人类工程活动,表明现今可见的沙丘/沙山地貌景观的形成是人类高强度工程活动触发、就地起沙的结果。

     

Single grain optical dating of glacigenic deposits

Determining the age of glacigenic sediments is difficult for many geochronological methods because of the lack of suitable materials for analysis. Luminescence dating can be applied to the mineral grains making up the glacigenic sediments. However a major source of uncertainty in previous studies has been whether the mineral grains were exposed to sufficient daylight prior to deposition for the luminescence signal to be reset. Measurements of the optically stimulated luminescence signal from single sand-sized quartz grains offers the potential for explicitly identifying if a sediment contains grains that were not exposed to sufficient daylight to reset their signal. Statistical analysis of the resulting data can then reject those grains to allow the age of the sample to be determined. This study is the first to apply single grain optical dating to glacigenic sediments, and demonstrates the issues involved by analysis of samples from Chile and Scotland. Ages from 2.4±0.5 to 17.3±1.5 ka are produced. Comparison of the results with independent age control suggests that the ages are reliable. The results also show that the extent of bleaching at deposition varies considerably from one sample to another. For the most incompletely bleached sample, luminescence measurements based on the average of many hundreds or thousands of grains would have overestimated the age of the sample by 60 ka, but the single grain method proposed here was able to reliably date it.