Luminescence dating of loessic sediments from the Loess plateau, China

Loess/palaeosol sequences from the Loess plateau in China were investigated by combined infrared optically stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and thermoluminescence (TL) dating techniques in order to study the luminescence properties of the loessic sediments and to provide a direct chronological link for correlation and position of the last interglacial soil in Central Asia and the Loess plateau in China. Sensitivity changes were found for all samples through artificial bleaching of the samples. The greatest sensitivity changes, of up to 50%, were found for very old loess samples designated to be older than the Matu-yama/Brunhes magnetic boundary and hence older than 788,000±1,800 years. The upper dating limit, as investigated by the very old loess samples, ranges from 250,000 to 300,000 years, if the TL additive dose method is applied. The chronological position of the last interglacial soil S1 at the section near Lanzhou indicates luminescence age estimates ranging from 82,000 to 75,000 years for the marine-isotope stage 5 to 4 transition. However, the loess from below S1 yielded luminescence age estimates between 153,200±14,200 and 110,100±20,100 years for TL and IRSL additive dose methods, respectively. Thus, a direct correlation between the S1 and the first intercalated pedocomplex PC1 in Central Asia is most likely. Received: 31 March 1998 / Accepted: 25 October 1998