Testing the potential of a standardized growth curve approach for improving the applicability and performance of fading correction

Abstract

Following a general trend in paleo-environmental research, a considerable and still growing number of luminescence dating studies have been focusing on sediment archives providing information on environmental conditions beyond the last glacial-interglacial cycle. This trend caused a revival of IRSL-based dating approaches using feldspar minerals. As a consequence, the long-known but still poorly understood problem of anomalous fading and various correction methods are gaining increasing importance. In order to cope with the challenge of fading, several new measurement protocols aiming at reducing or completely avoiding fading were proposed. However, these approaches are either still experimental (e.g., infrared radiofluorescence), have only been applied to a limited number of natural samples (e.g., infrared photoluminescence) or are the subject of ongoing scientific discussions (e.g., postIRIR-protocols). Anomalous fading therefore remains a severe problem for feldspar-based luminescence measurements, and fading correction will thus be of crucial importance for reliable age calculations. Some of the proposed correction methods require fully-constructed dose response curves (DRCs) to accurately constrain D 0 -and saturation values, which is indispensable for mathematically accurate corrections. Recording such DRCs requires the consideration of high-dose points for a large number of aliquots, corresponding to long-lasting measurement times that pose challenges for resources in routine dating applications. The concept of standardized growth curves (SGC) might provide a promising solution for this problem. Here, we present results obtained from a comprehensive study assessing the potential of SGC-based approaches for improving the applicability and performance of fading correction procedures. In particular, our study is focusing on the fading correction model proposed by Kars et al. (2008), which is fundamentally based on the findings published by Huntley (2006). The applied performance test comprises various natural samples representing a variety of fading rates and covering different locations as well as sedimentary environments.