Luminescence dating challenges in Lower Danubian loess, Romania

Abstract

Paleoenvironmental research often investigates loess-paleosol sequences because they offer presumably quasi-continuousterrestrial records of environmental change. To place the proxy data in a chronological context reliable dating approaches are crucial. Age models can be based on different methods, e.g. correlative approaches or absolute dating approaches. For the Urluialoess-paleosol sequence, which provides a high-resolution record covering the Last Glacial Cycle in the Lower Danube-Black Sea area, correlative and luminescence age models do not agree with each other (Bösken et al., 2018). While the performance of the luminescence data suggests the chronology to be reliable, the radiometric ages for the samples presumably covering the MIS 4-5 interval do not fit the stratigraphic evidence. Ages in the lower half of the section do not increase with depth, which might suggest field saturation. To further explore the possible explanations behind this chronostratigraphic discrepancy, luminescence samples of the Vlasca loess-paleosol sequence, also in the Lower Danube Basin, were investigated. This contribution presents a detailed luminescence dating approach using OSL and pIRIR protocols for quartz, polymineral and feldspar samples. Moreover it will be discussed whether the observed discrepancy between the stratigraphy and the dating results represents a regional pattern or whether intrinsic luminescence properties are responsible.

Resources

Bibliography

Bösken, J., Pötter, S., Veres, D., Klasen, N., Zeeden, C., Obreht, I., Hambach, U., Lehmkuhl, F., Timar-Gabor, A. (2019): Luminescence dating challenges in Lower Danubian loess, Romania. INQUA 2019, 25-31 July 2019, Dublin, Ireland