Luminescence dating

Book section

Luminescence dating is part of a suite of trapped charge dating techniques used in Quaternary research. It is a geochronological technique which provides absolute dating for geological events and archeological artifacts from the late Quaternary and, with a dateable age range between a few years and a few hundred thousand years, has become a broadly applied technique since its development in the late 20th century. The technique provides a measure of the last exposure of a sample to heat or light, and is used, for example, to date burial periods of sediment in geomorphological contexts or the last heating of archeological materials. This article outlines the basic physical processes that give rise to a luminescence signal within a mineral grain that acts as a dosimeter, which is the basis of the technique as a chronometer, before providing details regarding the measurements and calculations required for age calculation and providing examples of common applications of the technique in geological sciences, and areas of active development.

Authors: Durcan, J

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Not peer reviewed
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Host title: Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences
• Publication date: 2019-11-26
• DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.12105-0
• ISBN: 9780124095489
• Keywords: SBTMR