TY - JOUR

T1 - Testing the accuracy of quartz OSL dating using a known-age Eemian site on the river Sula, northern Russia

AU - Murray, A. S.

AU - Svendsen, J. I.

AU - Mangerud, J.

AU - Astakhov, V. I.

PY - 2007/8/24

Y1 - 2007/8/24

N2 - Quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) forms the basis for the chronology of Weichselian ice advances in Arctic Eurasia developed over the last few years. There is almost no age control on this chronology before 40 ka, except for some marine sediments correlated with marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e on the basis of their palaeofauna. Results from more southern latitudes have shown that dose estimates based on quartz OSL and the single aliquot regenerative (SAR) dose procedure may underestimate the age of MIS 5e deposits. Here we use the same method to date well-described marine sediments, thought to have been deposited during the very beginning of the Eemian interglacial at ∼130 ka, and exposed in two sections on the river Sula in northern Russia. Various quality-control checks are used to show that the OSL behaviour is satisfactory; the mean of 16 ages is 112±2 ka (σ=9 ka). This represents an underestimate of ∼14% compared to the expected age, a discrepancy similar to that reported elsewhere. In contrast to SAR, the single aliquot regeneration and added (SARA) dose procedure corrects for any change in sensitivity during the first OSL measurement. The SARA results are shown to be ∼10% older than those from SAR, confirming the geological age estimate and suggesting that SAR ages may underestimate older ages (larger doses), despite their good performance in the younger age range.

AB - Quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) forms the basis for the chronology of Weichselian ice advances in Arctic Eurasia developed over the last few years. There is almost no age control on this chronology before 40 ka, except for some marine sediments correlated with marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e on the basis of their palaeofauna. Results from more southern latitudes have shown that dose estimates based on quartz OSL and the single aliquot regenerative (SAR) dose procedure may underestimate the age of MIS 5e deposits. Here we use the same method to date well-described marine sediments, thought to have been deposited during the very beginning of the Eemian interglacial at ∼130 ka, and exposed in two sections on the river Sula in northern Russia. Various quality-control checks are used to show that the OSL behaviour is satisfactory; the mean of 16 ages is 112±2 ka (σ=9 ka). This represents an underestimate of ∼14% compared to the expected age, a discrepancy similar to that reported elsewhere. In contrast to SAR, the single aliquot regeneration and added (SARA) dose procedure corrects for any change in sensitivity during the first OSL measurement. The SARA results are shown to be ∼10% older than those from SAR, confirming the geological age estimate and suggesting that SAR ages may underestimate older ages (larger doses), despite their good performance in the younger age range.

KW - Accuracy

KW - Eemian

KW - Luminescence dating

KW - MIS 5e

KW - OSL dating

KW - Quartz

KW - SAR

KW - SARA

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34548015846&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.quageo.2006.04.004

DO - 10.1016/j.quageo.2006.04.004

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:34548015846

VL - 2

SP - 102

EP - 109

JO - Quaternary Geochronology

JF - Quaternary Geochronology

SN - 1871-1014

IS - 1-4

ER -