Instant luminescence chronologies? High resolution luminescence profiles using a portable luminescence reader

Abstract

Establishing a robust chronology is fundamental to most palaeoenvironmental studies. However, the number and positioning of dated points is critical. Using a portable luminescence reader, it is possible to rapidly generate high resolution down core relative age profiles. Profiles of portable luminescence data from two coastal dunes were evaluated and compared with the results of particle size analysis, stratigraphy, and an independent historical chronology. Results show that, even in young samples, portable luminescence data is dominated by an age related signal which in homogeneous sediment need not be corrected for moisture, feldspar content changes or grain size. Profiles therefore provide relative chronologies from which accumulation phases can be established, and from which better targeted sampling and comparison to other sites could be undertaken. Even though they do not provide instant absolute chronologies, field-based portable luminescence profiling of Late Quaternary sites hold much potential to improve the resultant chronologies.

Confirming geomorphological interpretations based on portable OSL reader data

“…Most current portable OSL readers have been developed at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC), and although they cannot determine equivalent doses for deriving sediment burial‐ages, they have been used to assay relative ages of sediment profiles (Bateman et al ., in press, Munyikwa and Brown, ; Stone et al ., in press). Other applications of portable OSL readers in geomorphological and archaeological investigations are growing and include tracking sediment through fluvial systems (Muñoz‐Salinas et al ., ), assessing sediment mixing at archaeological sites (Kinnaird et al ., ; Mills et al ., ), analysing landscape response to tectonic uplift (Castillo et al ., ), and characterising sediment deposition in glacial, volcanic, and coastal landscapes (Bishop et al ., ; Muñoz‐Salinas et al ., , ; Kinnaird et al ., ; King et al ., ; Palamakumbura et al ., ).…”

Can sand dunes be used to study historic storm events?

“…For each POSL sample, any potentially light contaminated was removed and the sample material gently dried. All POSL measurements were undertaken with a SUERC portable OSL reader (Sanderson and Murphy, 2010) with measurements as per Bateman et al (2015). Samples for full OSL dating were prepared as per Bateman and Catt, 1996), measured at the single aliquot level using a Risø luminescence reader and the single aliquot regeneration protocol (Murray and Wintle, 2003).…”

“…Unless the background dose creating the luminescence signal changes through time the POSL response with age should be linear. Down core dune profiles showed a pattern of very similar POSL signals suddenly stepping up in signal (Bateman et al ., ). These were interpreted as similar aged sediment deposition through dune accretion with the steps indicating hiatuses in dune construction caused by storms or tidal surges ( ibid ).…”

“…Proof of concept work has been carried out using innovative new portable optically stimulated luminescence (POSL) to establish high resolution relative coastal sand dune chronologies (Bateman et al, 2015). Actual age determinations are not possible with this method but total POSL counts can be viewed as a proxy for age, with older samples having a higher luminescence signal than younger samples.…”

Sedimentary records of coastal storm surges: Evidence of the 1953 North Sea event

“…The salt marsh is located east of the River Burn and behind an extensive coastal dune system. This coastline is low-lying and characterised by a moderate to low wave regime from the North Sea, westerly longshore drift and macro-meso tidal ranges (Andrews et al, 2000;Bateman et al, 2015). The coast at Holkham prograded during the Holocene and there is active accumulation of beach dunes at present (Andrews et al, 2000;Bateman et al, 2018).…”