Infrared Stimulated Luminescence Signal Research Articles

Yellow stimulated luminescence from potassium feldspar: Observations on its suitability for dating

Abstract Yellow stimulated luminescence (Y-OSL) is the light detected from potassium-rich feldspars at 410 nm under stimulation by a yellow light source emitting 590 nm. The investigation of this study aimed at understanding basic luminescence physics of Y-OSL in order to assess the suitability of the technique for dating. The Y-OSL signal properties tested were signal intensity, thermal assistance, thermal stability, sensitivity to daylight and the suitability of a single aliquot regenerative (SAR) protocol to be employed for equivalent dose (D e ) estimation. D e measurements were conducted on samples of Holocene, last glacial and Tertiary age. The tests were undertaken on sedimentary feldspar separates extracted from aeolian, fluvial and coastal deposits. Results from experiments show that the signal intensity increases by measuring Y-OSL at elevated temperature suggesting thermal assistance characteristics similar to infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL). The yellow stimulated signal remains unaffected by preheat temperatures up to ∼200 °C suggesting higher thermal stability than the IRSL signal. The Y-OSL signal is less light sensitive than the IRSL signal and D e residuals obtained from modern samples are up to 7 Gy indicating suitability of the technique for ‘older’ and well-bleached sediments. The dose recovery tests successfully recovered the given dose if the specific light sensitivity of Y-OSL is taken into account. For every sample Y-OSL D e values obtained by a single aliquot regenerative dose protocol (SAR) are higher than those obtained by an IRSL SAR approach. From these results we infer high thermal stability and a minimal anomalous fading of the Y-OSL signal. We conclude that Y-OSL has a high potential to date Quaternary sediments that were sufficiently bleached in nature.

Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits in Vojvodina, N Serbia: First results

This paper reports on the first investigations into the potential of luminescence dating to establish a chronological framework for fluvial processes in the Tisa River Valley in Vojvodina, N Serbia. A total of 18 samples were collected from a terrace exposure near Mužlja, which comprised non-fluvial deposits at the top and fluvial deposits at the base. The luminescence characteristics of sand-sized quartz and potassium feldspar grains were investigated using a single-aliquot regenerative dose (SAR) protocol. The quartz separates exhibit a complex behaviour, making this dosimeter less suited for optical dating. Investigations into the behaviour of infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) measured at 50 °C (IR50) from K-rich feldspar extracts showed that preheating in excess of 60 s at 225 °C leads to significant sensitivity changes. The effect of IR stimulation on the thermoluminescence (TL) signal and that of preheating on IRSL intensity were examined; the results are inconclusive with respect to thermal stability, but are not inconsistent with the idea that the data do not reflect depletion of an electron trap. The IR50-signal measured after a preheat of 60 s at 115 °C behaves well in the SAR protocol, although it suffers from anomalous fading. Assuming that the signal is thermally stable, the fading-corrected ages suggest that deposition occurred during the end of the Late Pleniglacial and the early Late Glacial, which is consistent with geological expectations. Our observations demonstrate that IRSL dating of feldspar holds potential for establishing a chronology of fluvial dynamics of the Tisa River in N Serbia. Further methodological investigations are desirable; however, as issues relating to the stability and resetting of the IRSL signal remain to be resolved.

Infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) properties of natural aluminum corrosion

Abstract In this paper, the infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) property of naturally corroded aluminum and its possible applications in retrospective dosimetry have been briefly studied. Results are interesting, in particular with regard to the efforts of finding new and widely available materials for accident dosimetry. For aluminum corrosion, the dose response was found to be approximately linear between 2–80 Gy and to reach saturation before 300 Gy. The signal also showed good repro-ducibility without significant fading over storage durations of up to four mounts at room temperature. In addition to the luminescence, the corrosion samples were also analysed by X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), but conclusive identification of the luminescent phase could not be made. It is concluded that the IRSL signals of this material can be favourable for dosimetry research.

Time-resolved infrared stimulated luminescence signals in feldspars: Analysis based on exponential and stretched exponential functions

Time-resolved infrared-stimulated luminescence (TR-IRSL) signals from feldspar samples have been the subject of several recent experimental studies. These signals are of importance in the field of luminescence dating, since they exhibit smaller fading effects than the commonly employed continuous-wave infrared signals (CW-IRSL). This paper presents a semi-empirical analysis of TR-IRSL data from feldspar samples, by using a linear combination of exponential and stretched exponential (SE) functions. The best possible estimates of the five parameters in this semi-empirical approach are obtained using five popular commercially available software packages, and by employing a variety of global optimization techniques. The results from all types of software and from the different fitting algorithms were found to be in close agreement with each other, indicating that a global optimum solution has likely been reached during the fitting process. Four complete sets of TR-IRSL data on well-characterized natural feldspars were fitted by using such a linear combination of exponential and SE functions. The dependence of the extracted fitting parameters on the stimulation temperature is discussed within the context of a recently proposed model of luminescence processes in feldspar. Three of the four feldspar samples studied in this paper are K-rich, and these exhibited different behavior at higher stimulation temperatures, than the fourth sample which was a Na-rich feldspar. The new method of analysis proposed in this paper can help isolate mathematically the more thermally stable components, and hence could lead to better dating applications in these materials.

Testing Post-IR IRSL protocols for minimising fading in feldspars, using Alaskan loess with independent chronological control

Abstract Concern over anomalous fading has been the biggest single factor responsible for deterring the widespread use of the infra-red stimulated luminescence (IRSL) or thermoluminescence (TL) signal from feldspars for luminescence dating. There has therefore been great interest in the use of the recently proposed Post-IR IRSL signal, because it has been shown to significantly reduce the degree of anomalous fading observed in feldspars and therefore potentially provides a means of circumventing the issue. This study undertakes a systematic investigation into various preheat and Post-IR IRSL measurement conditions proposed in the literature, by using two samples from the Halfway House loess section in Alaska which bracket the Old Crow tephra which has been dated using fission track methods. Preheat plateau tests show a dramatic change in equivalent dose with Post-IR IRSL measurement conditions, and further tests reveal that these changes are driven by preheat temperature rather than Post-IR IR stimulation temperature. Dose recovery tests on laboratory-bleached material mimic the findings of the natural preheat plateau test data, and sensitivity change between the first and second Single Aliquot Regenerative dose (SAR) measurement cycle is found to be responsible. Comparison of the Post-IR IRSL ages with the independent age control shows that, for the samples in this study, the Post-IR IR signal stimulated at 290 °C is inappropriate for dating. However, use of lower preheat (250–300 °C) and Post-IR IR stimulation temperatures from 225 to 270 °C gave rise to ages which were in agreement with the independent age control.

Natural variations in the properties of TL and IRSL emissions from metamorphic and volcanic K-feldspars from East Africa: Assessing their reliability for dating

Abstract The elevated temperature infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and post-IR IRSL signals of potassium (K)-feldspars have recently garnered attention for their minimal rates of anomalous fading. The post-IR IRSL signal has been used to obtain age estimates for geological deposits, mostly in Europe. Studies on the behaviour of the IRSL and post-IR IRSL signals of K-feldspars from a wider range of geographic regions and depositional contexts are needed, particularly for regions where the OSL signal from quartz is poorly behaved. Discrepancies in the literature regarding the behaviours of the IRSL and TL signals of K-feldspars also highlight the need to characterise the behaviours of samples from a wide variety of contexts. This paper begins to address this problem by characterising and comparing the IRSL signals of a metamorphic and a volcanic K-feldspar sample from two sites in East Africa, a region in which the OSL signal from quartz has generally proven problematic for dating. We demonstrate that the metamorphic and volcanic K-feldspars have substantially different TL glow curves that respond differently to IR stimulation. The sample of metamorphic K-feldspar from Tanzania (MR9) has a peak at 430 °C that is associated with the IRSL signal and an optically less-sensitive peak at 350 °C, while the sample of volcanic K-feldspar from Ethiopia (MB3) exhibits a single broad TL region centred at ∼230 °C that responds differently to IR stimulation. Differences in the change of IRSL decay curve shape with stimulation temperature suggest that the processes of IRSL production many vary between the two samples. Using dose recovery tests, we demonstrate that the IRSL (50 °C), IRSL (225 °C) and post-IR IRSL (50 °C, 225 °C) signals of sample MR9 are suitable for dose and age estimation using the single-aliquot regenerative-dose procedure, while those of sample MB3 are less suitable. The post-IR IRSL signal of the latter sample performs poorly in tests of SAR suitability and the three signals exhibit extremely high fading rates over laboratory timescales (g 2days > 19%/decade).

Modeling of the shape of infrared stimulated luminescence signals in feldspars

This paper presents a new empirical model describing infrared (IR) stimulation phenomena in feldspars. In the model electrons from the ground state of an electron trap are raised by infrared optical stimulation to the excited state, and subsequently recombine with a nearest-neighbor hole via a tunneling process, leading to the emission of light. The model explains the experimentally observed existence of two distinct time intervals in the luminescence intensity; a rapid initial decay of the signal followed by a much slower gradual decay of the signal with time. The initial fast decay region corresponds to a fast rate of recombination processes taking place along the infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) curves. The subsequent decay of the simulated IRSL signal is characterized by a much slower recombination rate, which can be described by a power-law type of equation. Several simulations of IRSL experiments are carried out by varying the parameters in the model. It is found that the shape of the IRSL signal is remarkably stable when the kinetic parameters are changed within the model; this is in agreement with several previous studies of these signals on feldspars, which showed that the shape of the IRSL curves does not change significantly under different experimental conditions. The relationship between the simulated IRSL signal and the well-known power-law dependence of relaxation processes in solids is also explored, by fitting the IRSL signal at long times with a power-law type of equation. The exponent in this power-law is found to depend very weakly on the various parameters in the model, in agreement with the results of experimental studies. The results from the model are compared with experimental IRSL curves obtained using different IR stimulating power, and good quantitative agreement is found between the simulation results and experimental data. ► A new empirical model describing infrared stimulation phenomena in feldspars. ► The shape of the IRSL signal is remarkably stable when the parameters are changed. ► The simulated IRSL signal follows the power-law of relaxation processes in solids. ► The simulated exponent of the power-law depends very weakly on the intrinsic properties of the crystal. ► The simulated results are compared with experimental data for different stimulating IR power.

Testing the potential of elevated temperature post-IR IRSL signals for dating Romanian loess

In this study we test the potential of the elevated temperature infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals for dating Romanian loess. The recently developed post-IR IRSL protocol is applied to Romanian loess using polymineral fine grains extracted from the loess-palaeosol sequence at Mircea Vodă (SE Romania). This approach is aimed at obtaining an additional age control to examine the age discrepancy obtained from previous optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) studies using different grain-sizes of quartz (4–11 μm and 63–90 μm).Two preheat post-IR IR stimulation temperature combinations were used, 250–225 °C and 325–300 °C, respectively. The signals obtained are documented in terms of dose response curve, laboratory tests and fading. Although both post-IR IRSL signals exhibit small fading rates, dose response characteristics indicate that these rates may be laboratory artefacts. The post-IR IRSL signal stimulated at 300 °C is observed to suffer from dose dependent initial sensitivity changes as both natural and regenerated signals are observed to lie above the saturation level of the dose response curve. Uncorrected age results obtained using both post-IR IRSL signals are in general agreement with previously reported silt-sized quartz OSL ages for samples collected from the uppermost loess unit L1. For older material, the post-IR IRSL signal stimulated at 225 °C is considered to provide reliable age results, in agreement with independent age control available for this sequence.

Study of the relationship between infrared stimulated luminescence and blue light stimulated luminescence for potassium-feldspar from sediments

Abstract In luminescence measurements of potassium-feldspar (K-feldspar), both infrared (IR) and blue light (BL) can be used as stimulation sources. Component analysis suggests that the blue light stimulated luminescence (BLSL) measured at 60 °C from K-feldspar can be fitted using three components, namely fast, medium and slow. In order to explore the relationship between the origin of the infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signal and the different components of the BLSL, five sets of experiments were conducted, namely post-IR BLSL (pIR-BLSL), post-BL IRSL (pBL-IRSL), pulse annealing tests, dose response and laboratory fading rate tests. It is observed that most of the IRSL signal can be bleached by BL, while the BLSL signal can only be partially bleached by the IR. The sources for IRSL are mainly associated with the fast and medium components of the BLSL signal.

Determining the K-content of single-grains of feldspar for luminescence dating

Abstract Feldspars form a solid-solution series whereby the K-content may range from 0 to 14%. LA-ICP-MS measurements for density-separated single-grains of feldspar yielded realistic concentrations of K within the range of those naturally occurring, and also highlighted the difficulty in isolating the pure end members during density-separation. No direct relationship was found between the thermal stability of the infrared-stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signal and measured K-content of individual grains. However, the brightest IRSL and post-IR IRSL signals originated from grains with ∼12% K-content. All grains giving a measurable signal had K-content between 6 and 13%, therefore it is suggested that an internal K-content of 10 ± 2% can be assumed for routine single-grain dating of density-separated K-feldspars.

Luminescence signals from modern sediments in a glaciated bay, NW Svalbard

Landforming processes are highly active in the Arctic, and luminescence dating can be used to establish a chronological framework for these processes. For example, luminescence ages of raised littoral and marine deposits provide the age control for many reconstructions of Pleistocene events in the Arctic. Due to the nature of the depositional environment (e.g. short transport distance, turbid water, long polar night) these types of sediment may not be completely zeroed at the time of deposition. To test the significance of incomplete bleaching in this type of environment, surface sediments were sampled along a transect from the margin of a glacier out into a nearby bay on NW Svalbard. The water in the bay is very turbid (secchi depth 0.1 m), but there is significant reworking by waves along the shores.Quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and feldspar infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) were measured using sand-sized grains. For quartz OSL and feldspar IRSL (50 °C) the ice-proximal sample showed relatively high doses (∼12 Gy) while nearby beach sand and shallow-marine deposits, as well as ice-distal sandur sediments, had much lower doses: most OSL doses were consistent with zero, while IRSL (50 °C) ranged from 0.5 to 6.5 Gy. Post-IR IRSL (290 °C) doses were overall much higher (∼20–55 Gy), which partly is due to a significant (∼12 Gy) unbleachable residual, and partly due to slower bleaching rates than for the IRSL (50 °C) signal.In this Arctic environment it appears that bleaching is limited in the first ∼100 m of meltwater transport from the glacier margin, but for material transported at least 3 km bleaching of OSL and IRSL (50 °C) signals is more or less complete. Given the very limited light penetration through the seawater in the bay, any bleaching must have occurred during fluvial/subaerial transport to the bay or by wave-reworking on the beach. Apart from the ice-proximal glacifluvial sediments, residual apparent doses recorded by quartz OSL and feldspar IRSL (50 °C) are negligible for the luminescence dating of Pleistocene-aged deposits of ice-distal, littoral and shallow-marine origin.

Luminescence characteristics and dose distributions for quartz and feldspar grains from Mumba rockshelter, Tanzania

Mumba rockshelter is a key archaeological site for the Middle and Later Stone Age occupation of East Africa, but its chronology has remained unresolved. We report the results of a dating study, focussing on the characterisation of the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) properties of quartz- and potassium-rich feldspar grains. Quartz has previously proven troublesome for dating in East Africa. We identified five general types of quartz grain behaviour, based on the shapes of their OSL decay and dose–response curves. Dose recovery experiments and measurement of the natural samples revealed particular problems with quartz grains that had hyperbolic dose–response curves, low characteristic saturation doses and anomalously large changes in sensitivity between regenerative-dose cycles. The use of pulsed irradiation during measurement and standard and additional quality-assurance criteria during data analysis reduced the number of grains that suffered from these problems. We applied these procedures to individual grains of quartz from eight samples and, using appropriate statistical models, identified post-depositional mixing in three samples. The remaining samples had scattered equivalent-dose distributions typical of quartz grains that had received variable beta dose rates during burial. Stratigraphically consistent OSL ages were obtained for all but the deepest sample. Feldspar ages were estimated for the latter sample and three other samples, using the elevated temperature IRSL signal that exhibited low rates of anomalous fading. Fading-corrected feldspar ages for the latter three samples are consistent with their single-grain quartz ages, but single-grain dating is needed to address problems of post-depositional mixing.

Luminescence dating of Pleistocene alluvial sediments affected by the Alhama de Murcia fault (eastern Betics, Spain) – a comparison between OSL, IRSL and post‐IRIRSL ages

The ages of nine alluvial units, identified by the integration of data obtained from five trenches at the southern termination of the Alhama de Murcia Fault (AMF) (eastern Betics, Spain), are constrained using luminescence dating based on the Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) from quartz, Infrared Stimulated Luminescence (IRSL) at 50°C, and post‐IR elevated temperature (225°C) IRSL signals from K‐feldspar. All signals pass the routine tests associated with the Single Aliquot Regenerative (SAR) protocol, including the recycling ratio, recuperation, and dose recovery tests. The equivalent doses (De), residual doses and anomalous fading rates (‘g’‐values) of the IRSL at 50°C (IR50) and post‐IR IRSL at 225°C (pIRIR225) from K‐feldspar are compared for 16 samples. The residual doses in laboratory‐bleached samples suggest that there is no significant unbleachable residual dose using these signals; the residual doses are 0.17±0.15 Gy and 0.93±0.80 Gy, respectively. For both signals, the residual doses appear to depend on the corresponding natural doses; that is, the larger the natural doses, the larger the residuals, an observation made for the first time for IRSL signals. The average fading rate for the pIRIR225 (0.94±0.07%/decade, n = 48) is markedly lower than that for IR50 (2.08±0.16%/decade, n = 48), indicating that the age correction for the pIRIR225 is much smaller than that for IR50. The agreement between the quartz OSL, corrected IR50, and corrected pIRIR225 for the two youngest samples suggests that the pIRIR225 is an accurate dating signal in this age range (<25 ka). The oldest age obtained using the corrected pIRIR225 signal is 320±20 ka for sample 098807; the corrected IR50 age is only 154±15 ka. Although this suggests that the pIRIR225 signal circumvents the effect of anomalous fading to a great extent, the resulting age cannot be regarded as necessarily accurate because of the limitations of the fading correction model used, and the absence of independent age control for the old samples. Nevertheless, our luminescence ages provide the first age constraints on the seismic activity of the southern termination of the AMF.

On the applicability of post-IR IRSL dating to Japanese loess

Recent work on infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating has focussed on finding and testing signals which show less or negligible fading. IRSL signals measured at elevated temperature following IR stimulation at 50°C (post-IR IRSL) have been shown to be much more stable than the low temperature IRSL signal and seem to have considerable potential for dating. For Early Pleistocene samples of both European and Chinese loess natural post-IR IRSL signals lying in the saturation region of the laboratory dose response curve have been observed; this suggests that there is no significant fading in nature. As a contribution to the further testing of post-IR IRSL dating, we have used 18 samples from two Japanese loess profiles for which quartz OSL and tephra ages up to 600 ka provide age control. After a preheat of 320°C (60 s), the polymineral fine grains (4–11 μm) were bleached with IR at 50°C (200 s) and the IRSL was subsequently measured at 290°C for 200 s. In general, the fading uncorrected post-IR IRSL ages agree with both the quartz OSL and the tephra ages. We conclude that the post-IR IRSL signal from these samples does not fade significantly and allows precise and accurate age determinations on these sediments.

Luminescence dating of K-feldspar from sediments: A protocol without anomalous fading correction

A protocol for optical dating of potassium-rich feldspar (K-feldspar) is proposed. It utilizes the infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signal measured by progressively increasing the stimulation temperature from 50 to 250 °C in step of 50 °C, so-called multi-elevated-temperature post-IR IRSL (MET-pIRIR) measurements. Negligible anomalous fading was observed for the MET-pIRIR signals obtained at 200 and 250 °C. This was supported by equivalent dose (D e) measurements using the IRSL and MET-pIRIR signals. The D e values increase progressively from 50 °C to 200 °C, but similar D e values were obtained for the MET-pIRIR signal at 200 and 250 °C. Measurement of modern samples and bleached samples indicates that the MET-pIRIR signals have small residual doses less than 5 Gy equivalent to about 1–2 ka. We have tested the protocol using various sedimentary samples with different ages from different regions of China. The MET-pIR IRSL ages obtained at 200 and 250 °C are consistent with independent and/or quartz OSL ages.

The geochronology of the “Gorjanović loess section” in Vukovar, Croatia

Along the right bank of the Danube River in Croatia up to 30 m thick loess–palaeosol sequences are exposed. A detailed geochronological study was performed on the “Gorjanović loess section” at Vukovar by the means of infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating. The section consists of loess intercalated by three palaeosols and a tephra layer. Fourteen samples were collected and dated using the elevated temperature post-IR IRSL protocol, a modified single aliquot regenerative dose (SAR) protocol, for the equivalent dose (D e) determination on fine-grained polymineral material. Both the IRSL signal at 50 °C and the post-IR IRSL signal at 225 °C were recorded. Fading tests were performed for both signals and the ages were fading-corrected. The loess/palaeosol sequence can be correlated to the penultimate glacial - last interglacial - last glacial period (MIS6–MIS2). An even older loess record at the site under study was previously described but is not exposed anymore owing to the embankment. The fading-corrected IRSL and the fading-corrected post-IR IRSL results are in excellent agreement. The post-IR IRSL signal at 225 °C shows less fading than the IRSL signal at 50 °C and can successfully be used for the dating of older loess.

OSL dating of a Holocene loess-paleosol sequence in the southern Loess Plateau, China

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of polymineral fine-grained loess samples collected from the southern Loess Plateau of China was conducted using the single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol. A ‘Double-SAR’ procedure in which aliquots are subjected to both infrared (IR) and blue stimulations was used, and two sets of equivalent dose (D e ) determinations were produced. These doses are assumed to be predominantly related to the feldspathic and quartz fine grain populations, respectively. The results revealed that the OSL ages estimated by infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals and those estimated by [post-IR] stimulated luminescence ([post-IR] OSL) signals disagreed. Specifically, the ages estimated using the IRSL signals were smaller than those estimated using [post-IR] OSL signals. The results of an anomalous fading test of the two types of OSL signals revealed that the [post-IR] OSL signals from the etched sub-sample (by H2SiF6 and HF) and the un-etched sub-sample did not fade significantly. However, the IRSL signals from the un-etched sub-sample showed obvious signs of fading. These findings indicate that the lower age estimated by IRSL is due to the anomalous fading of feldspar IR signals in the polymineral fine grains. For samples collected from greater than 100 cm, the estimates of their OSL ages using two types of luminescence signals generally agreed with their pre-estimated ages, especially those of the [post-IR] OSL signals. However, for the three samples that were collected from a depth of less than 100 cm, their OSL ages were remarkably underestimated, possibly due to the enhanced human activity (such as soil cultivation) that has occurred in the region since 3000 a B.P.

Thermal stability of infrared stimulated luminescence of sedimentary K-feldspar

Abstract The thermal stability of the infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signal measured at 50 °C as a function of IR stimulation time was investigated using KF grains extracted from sediments from central China. A dependence of thermal stability of IRSL signal on IR stimulation time and stimulation temperature were observed in pulse annealing studies. Relatively lower thermal stability is given by the initial part of the IRSL measured at 50 °C, than the later part of IRSL curve. Based on these observations, the thermal stability of the post-IR IRSL signal stimulated at elevated temperatures (100–200 °C) was also investigated. It was found that at least two groups of traps (shallow and deep) are associated with the IRSL and post-IR IRSL signals. The IRSL signal obtained at 50 °C is mainly from the shallow traps while the post-IR IRSL obtained at elevated temperatures is mainly from the deep traps. The kinetics parameters obtained using pulse annealing test indicate that the shallow IRSL traps are probably associated with the ∼300–350 °C TL peak and the deep traps are probably associated with the ∼400 °C TL peak. The shallow traps (∼350 °C TL peak) are associated with those easy-to-fade traps and the deep traps (∼400 °C TL peak) are associated with hard-to-fade traps.

Luminescence properties of feldspars from the Northeast region of Brazil

The aim of this study is to investigate the thermoluminescence (TL) and infrared-stimulated luminescence (IRSL) properties of three types of feldspars from the districts of Solonópole and Parelhas located in the Northeast region of Brazil in order to propose a preheat procedure to minimize the anomalous fading effect in these materials. The feldspar samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). The XRD analysis showed that the feldspar from Solonópole and one of the samples from the Parelhas district were classified as microcline (K-feldspar). The other sample from Parelhas was classified as albite (Na-feldspar) mixed with low concentration of muscovite and quartz. Studies of the fading effects in TL and IRSL signals for 30 days and preheating effects from 50 to 250°C for 10 minutes were carried out with these samples. The results show that preheating at 125°C is sufficient to avoid the 30 days fading. The TL and IRSL dose responses for 60Co gamma radiation were studied in the range of 1 to 400 Gy. The results showed a linear response in the range of 1 to 100 Gy for the two types of Parelhas feldspars and from 50 to 400 Gy for the Solonópole feldspar. The low sensitivity showed by the feldspar from Solonópole is discussed in relation to its mineralogical composition. It is concluded that the TL and IRSL sensitivities are not associated with K- and Na- types of feldspar. The results of this paper will contribute to a standardized moderate annealing treatment for retrospective dosimetry and dating.

Luminescence dating of the Stratzing loess profile (Austria) – Testing the potential of an elevated temperature post-IR IRSL protocol

Feldspar infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals saturate at ∼2000 Gy, i.e. ∼500–700 ka (assuming a dose rate of 3–4 Gy/ka, typical for loess) and it is therefore theoretically possible to date Middle Pleistocene loess. However, the accuracy of age estimates is hampered by anomalous fading, which leads to significant age underestimation. Fading corrections have been proposed but these corrections are reliant on inherent assumptions and in any case are inapplicable at large doses (as the growth curve approaches saturation). Recent studies have identified a post-IR IRSL signal that shows less fading and is thus less dependent on accurate fading corrections. This study builds upon these investigations and applies a post-IR IRSL SAR dating protocol to polymineral fine-grain samples of the loess/palaeosol sequence in Stratzing, Lower Austria. After a preheat at 320 °C (60 s) and an IR bleach at 50 °C (200 s) IRSL was measured at 290 °C for 200 s; the same set of conditions were used to measure the response to a test dose. Recycling ratios, recuperation and dose recovery tests show that this protocol is suitable for the loess under investigation, although finite residual doses of up to 20 Gy are observed. For the oldest samples, the natural signal is in, or close to, saturation, indicating that fading is negligible in nature. This observation is inconsistent with the measured laboratory fading rates of 1–1.5%/decade and needs further investigation.