Abstract:
Abstract. A new luminescence erosion meter has huge potential for inferring erosion rates on sub-millennial scales for both steady and transient states of erosion, which is not currently possible with any existing techniques capable of measuring erosion. This study applies new rock luminescence techniques to a well-constrained scenario provided by the Beinn Alligin rock avalanche, NW Scotland. Boulders in this deposit are lithologically consistent and have known cosmogenic nuclide ages and independently derived Holocene erosion rates. We find that luminescence-derived exposure ages for the Beinn Alligin rock avalanche were an order of magnitude younger than existing cosmogenic nuclide exposure ages, suggestive of high erosion rates (as supported by field evidence of quartz grain protrusions on the rock surfaces). Erosion rates determined by luminescence were consistent with independently derived rates measured from boulder edge roundness. Inversion modelling indicates a transient state of erosion reflecting the stochastic nature of erosional processes over the last â¼4.5âkyr in the wet, temperate climate of NW Scotland. Erosion was likely modulated by known fluctuations in moisture availability and to a lesser extent temperature, which controlled the extent of chemical weathering of these highly lithified rocks prior to erosion. The use of a multi-elevated temperature, post-infra-red, infra-red stimulated luminescence (MET-pIRIR) protocol (50, 150 and 225ââC) was advantageous as it identified samples with complexities that would not have been observed using only the standard infra-red stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signal measured at 50ââC, such as that introduced by within-sample variability (e.g. surficial coatings). This study demonstrates that the luminescence erosion meter can infer accurate erosion rates on sub-millennial scales and identify transient states of erosion (i.e. stochastic processes) in agreement with independently derived erosion rates for the same deposit.Keywords:
Cosmogenic nuclide
Optically stimulated luminescence
Thermoluminescence dating
Luminescence techniques for dating both heated materials (e.g., pottery and burnt stone) and sediments have gone through three phases in the past 50 years. The first 22 years, from 1957 to 1979, were devoted to thermoluminescence (TL) techniques applied to heated material. In the next six years, from 1979 to 1985, it was found that TL dating could be applied to sediments. However, the TL signals of both quartz and feldspar grains observed for modern sediments were small, but were not zero, thus making them useful only for older sediments. A new luminescence signal that was totally zeroed by exposure to sunlight for a relatively short period of time, a few hours or less, was found; this led to the development of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating techniques in 1985. Further developments have continued to the present day. Within the past 22 years, 1999 was also a year with major developments. A reliable procedure for single aliquots of quartz that have a rapidly bleached (‘fast’) OSL component was formalized and an instrument that allowed rapid measurement of equivalent doses for single grains was constructed. These developments have led to OSL becoming a major dating tool in Quaternary geology, at least for the past 100 000 years, and in archaeology, particularly as related to the dispersal of modern humans.
Thermoluminescence dating
Optically stimulated luminescence
Optical dating
Persistent luminescence
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Optically stimulated luminescence
Equivalent dose
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Dating is critical for the development of theories relating to many aspects of geology over Quaternary timescales (0-2 millions). Among different dating methods luminescence has the potential for covering a significant range of Quaternary time. In the last 3 decays, from 1967 to 2003, the use of luminescence signals from naturally occurring minerals has gone through a major transformation, from thermoluminescence (TL) dating of pottery to optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of sediments. The present work reports aspects of recent advances of luminescence technique from naturally occurring minerals for dating applications. It has provided information about basic principles of luminescence dating and shows very briefly its progress from blue TL to OSL and red luminescence.
Thermoluminescence dating
Optically stimulated luminescence
Persistent luminescence
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Optically stimulated luminescence
Paleosol
Thermoluminescence dating
Optical dating
Equivalent dose
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Luminescence dating exploits the dosimetric properties of mineral grains found in archaeological and geological materials of interest. The use of luminescence dating in archaeometry stretches back more than half a century, starting with thermoluminescence (TL) dating of heated artifacts. The subsequent development of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and protocols such as the single aliquot regeneration protocol (SAR) have increased the accuracy and precision of luminescence dating significantly. Quartz-based SAR-OSL dating is now generally considered as a reliable chronological tool, and it is increasingly used in a wide variety of (geo)archaeological studies. Optical dating of quartz has recently been implemented at Babes-Bolyai University (Cluj-Napoca, Romania). This paper documents the instruments and methods as used in this newly-established state of the art luminescence dating laboratory.
Thermoluminescence dating
Optically stimulated luminescence
Archaeological Science
Optical dating
Radiometric dating
Persistent luminescence
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Saprolite
Cosmogenic nuclide
Soil production function
Denudation
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Optically stimulated luminescence
Equivalent dose
Component (thermodynamics)
SIGNAL (programming language)
Optical dating
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Optically stimulated luminescence
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