Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dating of Sediments over the Past 200,000 Years

TLDR

Optically stimulated luminescence dating of sediment is a rapidly developing technique crucial for studying Earth surface processes and is suitable for deposits ranging from one year to several hundred thousand years. The study seeks to extend the age range of OSL dating and explore novel applications such as low‑temperature thermochronology. The authors employ linked luminescence methods that estimate the time since quartz and feldspar grains were last exposed to daylight by measuring their response to environmental ionizing radiation. Recent advances yield a protocol with improved precision, high reliability, and an in‑built check for incomplete signal removal, and the method now allows single‑grain age estimation, expanding its applicability and enabling new insights into post‑depositional grain movement.

Abstract

Optical dating of sediment using optically stimulated luminescence has become important for studying Earth surface processes, and this technique continues to develop rapidly. A group of closely linked luminescence methods can be used to estimate the time since grains of quartz and feldspar were last exposed to daylight by detecting their subsequent response to environmental ionizing radiation exposure. The technique is well suited to the dating of deposits as young as one year to several hundred thousand years. Recent technical developments have established a dating protocol with improved precision, a high degree of reliability, and an in-built means to detect incomplete signal removal during deposition. This approach has been extended to age estimation for single grains, opening up a wider range of potential environments and new possibilities for understanding postdepositional grain movement. Ongoing research offers the possibility of significant age range extension and novel applications including low-temperature thermochronology.