Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits: applications to geomorphic, palaeoseismic and archaeological research

TLDR

Fluvial deposits archive river responses to climate, tectonics, and base‑level change and are often linked to archaeological sites; because optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates ubiquitous sands and silts across the last glacial–interglacial cycle, recent advances in single‑grain OSL now enable reliable dating of such deposits even when zeroing is incomplete. This paper discusses how applying OSL dating to fluvial deposits can advance research in geomorphology, palaeoseismology, and archaeology. Illustrative examples from each of these fields are provided to demonstrate the method’s applicability.

Abstract

Fluvial deposits and landforms are important archives of river response to climate, tectonics and base level change and are commonly associated with archaeological sites. Unlike radiocarbon dating, the target material for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating (sands and silts) is nearly ubiquitous in fluvial deposits and the age range for OSL spans the last glacial–interglacial cycle, a time period of interest to many Quaternary scientists. Recent advances in OSL techniques and the development of single‐grain dating capabilities have now allowed fluvial deposits, and other deposits commonly afflicted with incomplete zeroing of the luminescence signal, to be dated. The application of OSL dating to fluvial deposits is discussed with respect to its potential to provide important contributions to research in the fields of geomorphology, palaeoseismology and archaeology. Examples are given from each research field.