The most important application of OSL dating is a calculation of ages for Quaternary sediments. The method uses the phenomenon that during exposure to light, the signal that has built up in the minerals as a result of the ionizing radiation is effectively reset and then re-accumulated when buried again. From the intensity of the light emitted it is possible to estimate the radiation dose to which the material was exposed. The annual dose-rate in the sample itself and its surrounding can be determined by various spectrometry methods and then the ratio between the accumulated dose and the annual dose yields an age in years. The most common type of stimulation for luminescence dating is the irradiation with light of a selected wave range (optically stimulated luminescence, OSL; Violet stimulated luminescence, VSL) that is especially used for sediment dating. The main devices are i) two Risø TL-OSL readers- Model-DA-20 , with 90Sr beta irradiation source; ii) one Risø TL-OSL reader- Model-DA-20 C/D with Violet Stimulation accessory, with 90Sr beta irradiation source; iii) one Risø TL-OSL reader- Model-DA-20 C/D DASH with Violet Stimulation accessory, with 90Sr beta irradiation source; iv) one Risø TL-OSL reader- Model-DA-20 C/D with EMCCD camera, with 90Sr beta irradiation source; v) one low-level Risø GM-25-5 Beta multi counter system, and vi) One Hönle UVACube 400 solar simulator.
Potential Results
OSL dating yields the ages of the burial of the sediment. The age range is wide, from less than ten years ago to around 200 ka with conventional methods. Furthermore, it can be applied in numerous sedimentary environments, such as sand dunes (aeolian environments), coastal environments, fluvial and alluvial processes and karstic infills