Luminescence dating of sediments from Buctouche Spit, New Brunswick

Abstract

In this paper we describe our efforts to determine the formation chronology of a sequence of dunes on Buctouche Spit, a Holocene deposit on the northeast coast of New Brunswick. Optical dating, using infrared stimulation of K-feldspar grains, yielded ages ranging from 5 f 30 a for an embryo dune to 765 + 45 a for the oldest dune. Thermoluminescence ages, although less precise, support the recent formation of the dunes. The ages exhibit the expected seriation from youngest to oldest and are consistent with historical evidence coupled with an assumed constant sediment aggradation rate. The age resolution obtained was very good and we conclude that the optical dating method used here shows great promise.Dans le prCsent article, nous dCcrivons les travaux r6alisCs pour la dCtermination chronologique des 6tapes du dCveloppement d'une sCquence de dunes sur la flbche littorale de Buctouche, un dCp6t holocbne sur la c6te nord-est du NouveauBrunswick. La mCthode de datation optique, utilisant la stimulation par rayonnement infrarouge des grains de feldspaths, a fourni des Lges variant de 5 f 30 a pour une dune embryonnaire i 765 + 45 a pour la dune la plus ancienne. Les Lges dCtermin6s par thermoluminescence, quoique moins prtcis, plaident pour la formation rCcente des dunes. Ces dges reflkent un processus sCquencie1 de formation des dunes, des plus jeunes aux plus vieilles, et ces Lges sont en accord avec les enseignements historiques, fondCs cependant sur l'hypothbse d'un taux de skdimentation constant. La rCsolution obtenue pour ces Lges est trbs satisfaisante, et nous concluons que la mCthode de datation optique utilisCe ici s'avbre trbs prometteuse.[Traduit par la r&laction]Can.

Sediment dating by luminescence: a review

“…Other examples of young ages from diering geomorphological environments are: IRSL ages for Holocene Mojave Desert aeolian sands (Wintle et al, 1994), Buctouche Spit, already mentioned above (Ollerhead et al, 1994), Canadian inland Holocene sand dunes (Wolfe et al, 1995), NW England coastal dunes (Pye et al, 1995) and Tsunami deposits (Huntley and Clague, 1996). Explicit discussion of low-age dating is found in papers by Berger (1995), Murray (1996) and Duller (1996b).…”

“…An example of a near-zero age determination by thermoluminescence (as distinct from OSL) is to be found in the paper by Ollerhead et al (1994) where the age is compared with that obtained using IRSL dating of the same samples of potassium feldspar from Buctouche Spit, New Brunswick, in the age range 0±1 ka. have obtained TL ages of 0.00 2 0.06 ka using selective bleach and 0.13 20.04 ka using total bleach for a surface sample of quartz in central Australia.…”

“…Since then, it is mostly papers from the Huntley stable which have taken it into account: Godfrey-Smith et al (1988); Huntley et al (1993b); Ollerhead et al (1994); Lian et al (1995); Huntley and Clague (1996). The last of these references gives a contemporary account of the eect and corrections to be applied for it.…”

“…Various aspects of dating young dunes were considered by Ollerhead et al (1994). The material was derived from the Holocene Buctouche Spit in New Brunswick and contained both K-feldspars and quartz from which both puri®ed coarse grains and polymineral ®ne grains were extracted.…”

Optical dating of sediments associated with a fossil moa skeleton near Tauweru, Wairarapa, New Zealand

“…To assure that only thermally stable traps are sampled during the final measurements, all of the aliquots in a set, except for some control aliquots, were heated (preheated) in air at 140°C for 7 days (e.g., see Huntley et al 1993a;Ollerhead et al 1994;Lian et al 1995;Wolfe et al 1995;Lian & Shane 2000).…”