Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits: applications to geomorphic,
palaeoseismic and archaeological research
TAMMY M. RITTENOUR
BOREAS
Rittenour, T. M. 2008 (November): Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits: applications to geomorphic, palaeoseismic and archaeological research. Boreas, Vol. 37, pp. 613–635. 10.1111/j.1502-3885.2008.00056.x. ISSN 0300-9483.
Fluvial deposits and landforms are important archives of river response to climate, tectonics and base level change
and are commonly associated with archaeological sites. Unlike radiocarbon dating, the target material for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating (sands and silts) is nearly ubiquitous in fluvial deposits and the age
range for OSL spans the last glacial–interglacial cycle, a time period of interest to many Quaternary scientists.
Recent advances in OSL techniques and the development of single-grain dating capabilities have now allowed
fluvial deposits, and other deposits commonly afflicted with incomplete zeroing of the luminescence signal, to be
dated. The application of OSL dating to fluvial deposits is discussed with respect to its potential to provide important contributions to research in the fields of geomorphology, palaeoseismology and archaeology. Examples
are given from each research field.
Tammy M. Rittenour (e-mail: [email protected]), Department of Geology, Utah State University, 4505 Old
Main Hill, Logan UT, 84322, USA; received 25th February 2008, accepted 18th July 2008.
River systems are important geomorphic agents in
sculpting the Earth’s surface and are excellent monitors
of environmental change because they integrate signals
related to the geology, geomorphology, climate, hydrology, vegetation and tectonics from within their
catchments (e.g. Schumm 1977). As such, fluvial deposits
and landforms provide important archives of river response to changes in climate, tectonics and base level.
Additionally, fluvial deposits are commonly associated
with archaeological sites. Obtaining age control from
fluvial deposits, however, has been difficult due to
limited organic material for radiocarbon dating and
problems with reworking of old carbon in many fluvial
sediments (e.g. Blong & Gillespie 1978; Gillespie et al.
1992; Stanley & Hait 2000). Other techniques, such as
cosmogenic nuclide dating of terrace surfaces and
U-series dating of pedogenic carbonate, provide minimum ages on sediment deposition and landform abandonment (e.g. Gosse & Phillips 2001; Sharp et al. 2003).
Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating has the
benefit of directly dating the time of sediment deposition
and is a rapidly growing technique in the fields of sedimentology, geomorphology and archaeology (see reviews
by Stokes 1999; Feathers 2003; Lian & Roberts 2006).
This paper provides a review of new applications of
OSL dating to fluvial deposits. Technical descriptions
of OSL techniques are given elsewhere (e.g. Aitken
1998; Btter-Jensen et al. 2003). Wintle (2008a) provides a general introduction to the minerals used for
dating (quartz and feldspars) and dating methodologies. Wallinga (2002) and Jain et al. (2004a) have provided excellent reviews of the applications and
problems of OSL dating in fluvial settings. The goal of
this article is to provide an updated review of innovative applications of OSL dating to fluvial deposits
to solve questions related to fluvial response to climate
and base level change, palaeoseismic studies and archaeological applications.
Luminescence dating of fluvial sediments
OSL dating provides an age estimate for the last time
sediments were exposed to sunlight, which resets the
luminescence signal (Huntley et al. 1985). After burial,
this signal grows with time due to exposure to ambient
radiation in the surrounding sediments and from incoming cosmic rays. The longer the sample is buried,
the longer it is exposed to this low-level radiation and
the greater the intensity of the luminescence signal
subsequently measured. In the laboratory, the age of a
sample is calculated by dividing the amount of ionizing
radiation the sample absorbed during burial (called the
equivalent dose, De) by the dose rate derived from the
environment surrounding the sample. A number of
techniques for De determination have been developed
(e.g. Wintle 1997; Aitken 1998; Lian & Roberts 2006).
This article focuses on applications using the most recent single-aliquot regenerative dose (SAR) technique
for quartz sand (blue and green light stimulated OSL)
(Murray & Wintle 2000), feldspar (infrared stimulated
luminescence, IRSL) (Wallinga et al. 2000a) and finegrained (silt) IRSL dating (Banerjee et al. 2001). In this
paper, quartz SAR OSL ages are referred to as quartz
OSL ages, while luminescence ages obtained from other
methods and minerals are identified differently.
All methods of OSL dating rely on the luminescence
signal acquired during the preceding burial history to
have been removed by light exposure prior to deposition. Incomplete solar resetting of the luminescence
DOI 10.1111/j.1502-3885.2008.00056.x r 2008 The Author, Journal compilation r 2008 The Boreas Collegium
614
Tammy M. Rittenour
signal at deposition (partial bleaching) results in age
overestimation and can be a problem in some fluvial
settings (e.g. Murray et al. 1995; Gemmell 1997; Olley
et al. 1999, 2004b; Stokes et al. 2001).
Partial bleaching (zeroing) of the luminescence signal
prior to deposition is likely in fluvial environments for a
number of reasons. Solar resetting of water-transported
sediment is limited by the attenuation of light through
the water column (e.g. Berger 1990). This effect is enhanced by increased suspended sediment concentrations (e.g. Berger & Luternauer 1987). Water depth, the
mode of sediment transport (suspension, saltation or
bedload) and transport distance are also important
controls on the bleaching of fluvial sediments. The direct input of non-bleached sediment from the erosion of
older deposits and river banks is common in fluvial
systems and also contributes to scatter in results. Additionally, floods, storms and other high-discharge
events cause rapid erosion and transport of sediments,
limiting solar exposure.
A number of methods have been proposed to combat
the influence of partial bleaching on De values and resulting age calculations. One group of methods utilizes
the multiple components of the quartz OSL signal to
isolate and date the most light-sensitive OSL traps
(e.g. Tsukamoto et al. 2003; Jain et al. 2005a; Li & Li
2006). A second group of methods takes advantage of
recent advances in the OSL technique that have led to
the measurement of smaller and smaller aliquot sizes
(Olley et al. 1998), culminating in the development of
single-grain dating techniques (Duller et al. 1999;
Duller 2000, 2008) and instrumentation (Btter-Jensen
et al. 2000).
In partially bleached samples, analysis of large aliquots of sand may produce age overestimates from the
contribution of non-bleached grains to the total signal
measured (e.g. Jacobs et al. 2003; Thomas et al. 2005;
Porat et al. 2008). Small-aliquot (o100 grains) and
single-grain dating may allow the true burial age of a
sample to be isolated by allowing the population of
grains not bleached at deposition to be identified. Singlegrain results commonly show positively skewed De distributions, with the youngest population representing
the grains fully bleached at deposition (Fig. 1).
Owing to the large distribution of De results in singlegrain analysis, a number of statistical methods have
been produced to isolate grains representative of the
true burial dose. These include methods that calculate
the mean of the lowest 5% of the De values (Olley et al.
1998), methods that fit a Gaussian distribution to the
leading edge (youngest values) of a De distribution histogram (Lepper et al. 2000) and the central age model
(CAM), minimum age model (MAM) and finite mixture model (FMM) (Galbraith et al. 1999; Galbraith
2005). The optimum choice of statistical methods may
be different for each sample and is dependent on the
dominant mechanisms affecting De scatter (e.g. partial
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bleaching, post-depositional mixing or dose-rate heterogeneity) (Bailey & Arnold 2006).
Considerable success has been achieved using singlegrain dating from some of the most challenging
depositional environments, including fluvial deposits
(Olley et al. 2004b; Thomsen et al. 2007; see also review
by Duller 2008). Single-grain dating is most important
for, and applicable to, younger samples (less than a few
thousand years old) (Jain et al. 2004a). Collection of
modern samples from a number of depositional environments has indicated residual luminescence signal
in some settings. This level of non-bleached signal
will contribute a large proportion of the measured De
in young samples and can produce large age overestimates (e.g. Murray et al. 1995). This effect is expected to be reduced in older samples that have higher
burial doses. As an example, DeLong & Arnold (2007)
report large overestimates (up to 50% and greater) of
single-aliquot measurements as compared to singlegrain measurements from samples under 1000 years
old. Negligible differences were found in late Pleistocene samples. Similar overestimates in age have been
seen in other analyses of large aliquots from partially
bleached samples (e.g. Thomas et al. 2005; Porat et al.
2008).
Figure 1 gives examples of single-grain and large aliquot results from young fluvial samples collected from
an ephemeral stream in western Nebraska (Hanson
2006). It is clear from the dose distributions of the single-grain results that these samples have high De scatter
that is skewed toward higher doses, indicative of partial
bleaching. However, results from the large aliquot
(5 mm) analyses do not show this same skewness and
have much higher mean and minimum De values.
Averaging of thousands of grains has masked signs of
partial bleaching and the true burial age of the sample.
For these reasons, single-grain and small-aliquot analysis is preferred for identification and potential mitigation of problems associated with partial bleaching in
young fluvial samples.
Despite potential pitfalls, many studies have had
considerable success in dating fluvial deposits using
single-aliquot (multi-grain) techniques (e.g. Törnqvist
et al. 2000; Cheong et al. 2003; Rittenour et al. 2005;
Rodnight et al. 2005, 2006; Tooth et al. 2007). As with
single-grain dating, samples with evidence of partial
bleaching may require statistical methods to isolate the
true burial dose (e.g. Olley et al. 1998; Galbraith et al.
1999, 2005; Lepper et al. 2000; Roberts et al. 2000;
Fuchs & Lang 2001), but, overall, most sediments have
proved datable by OSL with only a few exceptions
(Wallinga 2002; Jain et al. 2004a).
Research by a number of groups over the last couple
of decades has identified interesting results regarding
the bleaching of sediments in fluvial environments. The
first is related to the observation that modern and recently deposited sediment in fluvial systems is
Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits
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Large aliquot
(multi-grain, MG)
Single grain (SG)
Rocky Hollow 7–1
n = 21
Rocky Hollow 7–1
n = 207
40
6
35
5
Frequency
Frequency
3
2
Age Results
SG = 150±20 yr
MG = 1400±180 yr
Lowest MG De = 430±530 yr
30
4
615
25
20
15
10
1
5
0
0
1.5
6
3
4.5
6
7.5
9
0
–2 0 2 4 6 8 1012 14 1618 20 22 24 26 28 3032
10.5
De (Gy)
De (Gy)
Rocky Hollow 8–3
n = 22
Rocky Hollow 8–3
n = 247
30
Frequency
Frequency
5
4
3
2
1
0
15
10
0
1.5
3
4.5
6
7.5
9
0
–3 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 2730 33 3639 42454851
10.5
De (Gy)
De (Gy)
Rocky Hollow 14 –1
n = 20
Rocky Hollow 14–1
n = 204
40
35
5
30
Frequency
6
4
3
2
SG = 500±50 yr
MG = 1270±140 yr
Lowest MG De = 340±30 yr
25
20
15
10
1
0
SG = 550±40 yr
MG = 1400±140 yr
Lowest MG De = 630±50 yr
20
5
7
Frequency
25
5
0
1.5
3
4.5
6
7.5
9
10.5
0
–3 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39
De (Gy)
De (Gy)
Fig. 1. Comparison of large-aliquot and single-grain results from three young fluvial samples from an ephemeral stream in western Nebraska
(Hanson 2006). Results from the large-aliquot analysis (5 mm, thousands of grains) show some signs of equivalent dose (De) scatter, such as
bimodal distributions (sample 7-1) and skew toward younger values (sample 14-1). Multi-grain results from sample 8-3 are normally distributed, which may be interpreted to indicate a well-bleached sample. However, single-grain results show skewed distributions toward higher
De values and provide a clearer image of the partial bleaching within these samples. Averaging of thousands of grains within the large aliquots
has masked these signs of partial bleaching and the true burial age of the sample. Under the age results column: SG = single-grain results using
a minimum age model; MG = multi-grain (large-aliquot) results. Data kindly provided by P. R. Hanson, University of Nebraska.
commonly less well bleached than samples collected
from older deposits from the same river system (see Jain
et al. 2004a). The large influence of small residual luminescence signals on ‘modern age’ deposits compounds this difference but does not completely explain
it. Collection of modern analogue samples has been
proposed to identify the bleaching efficiency of different depositional environments (Murray et al. 1995).
However, not all modern samples are good analogues
for bleaching of older deposits. It is likely that sediments in terrace deposits and older floodplain and
channel deposits have undergone considerably longer
and more numerous transport and deposition cycles
prior to final deposition (allowing for greater bleaching) than the transient sediment found in modern
channel and bar deposits (Jain et al. 2004a).
A second unexpected result in the bleaching of fluvial
sediment is related to the difference between coarser
and finer grain sizes. It might be expected that finegrained sediment (silt to very fine sand) would be better
bleached due to the greater potential for these sediments to be transported in suspension in the water
616
Tammy M. Rittenour
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column. Coarser sediment (medium-coarse sand) is
more likely to have been transported as bedload by
saltation or tractive forces at the base of the water column. However, many studies have found that the
coarser grain sizes have lower De values and are better
bleached at deposition (Olley et al. 1998; Colls et al.
2001; Truelsen & Wallinga 2003; Alexanderson 2007;
Vandenberghe et al. 2007).
The reasons for the difference in bleaching between
finer and coarser grain sizes are not fully understood
but are probably related to the mode of transport.
Coarser grained sediments are transported at a slower
rate through a fluvial system than silts and very fine
sand in suspension, allowing more time for sunlight
exposure between initial erosion from an older deposit
and final deposition. Coarser sediment is also more
likely to be deposited on channel bars and exposed to
light numerous times during transport. In addition to
mud coatings on fine grains, the cohesive properties of
silts and very fine sand may cause these grains to be
transported as aggregates and hinder solar bleaching.
Regardless of the cause of the difference in bleaching
between grain sizes, it is recommended that coarser
grain sizes are dated in fluvial deposits where partial
bleaching is a problem.
Comparison between dating techniques
OSL/Independent
Age Ratio
A number of studies have compared OSL ages with
other dating techniques. Murray & Olley (2002) compared quartz OSL ages from known age deposits from a
1.75
1.9
3.1 6.4
number of depositional settings and found a good correlation, with accurate OSL ages obtained to at least
350 kyr. Figure 2 is an updated version of the figure
produced by Murray & Olley (2002) with additional
samples included. Note that despite potential problems
with partial bleaching in fluvial settings, there is no
systematic offset for fluvial samples as compared to
other depositional environments.
Most studies have compared OSL with radiocarbon
due to its wide application and acceptance in the Quaternary research community and have found good correspondence in many cases (e.g. Wallinga et al. 2001;
Jain et al. 2004a; Olley et al. 2004a; Rittenour et al.
2005), but not all (e.g. Folz et al. 2001; Kolstrup et al.
2007; Owen et al. 2007). However, while inconsistencies
between these chronometers may indicate errors in the
OSL chronology (e.g. due to partial bleaching or dose
rate uncertainty), it is also likely that they reflect problems with radiocarbon ages due to contamination or
reworking of organic material (e.g. Goble et al. 2004;
Cupper 2006; DeLong & Arnold 2007). Additionally,
there is added uncertainty when comparing OSL and
radiocarbon due to problems with calibrating radiocarbon ages to calendar years beyond 15 kyr (Reimer
et al. 2004).
Despite potential problems with both techniques,
there is good agreement in samples collected from fluvial
deposits from throughout the radiocarbon age range
(0–40 kyr) (Fig. 2). Fewer comparisons are available for
older samples, but there is no evidence of systematic departure between OSL and independent ages over the last
7.1
1
0.25
Fluvial (n = 61)
100
Aeolian (n = 43)
Marine (n = 33)
e
at
tim g)
s
1:1 line
e in
er ch
ov lea
e
b
ag tial
SL r
O (pa
Glacial (n = 6)
1
Independent Age (kyr)
0
0.1
0.01
0.001
0.001
100
200
300 400
400
OSL Age (kyr)
OSL Age (kyr)
10
300
200
100
0
0.01
0.1
1
10
Independent Age (kyr)
100
1000
Fig. 2. Comparison of quartz SAR OSL ages
from fluvial (filled squares) and other deposition
settings to independent age control. Modified
and updated from Murray & Olley (2002) with
more recently published results. Age data and
references provided in Appendix Table 1.
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several hundred thousand years (e.g. Murray &
Olley 2002; Murray & Funder 2003; Watanuki et al.
2005; Murray et al. 2007, 2008).
Applications and examples
Fluvial deposits and environments are important archives of past changes in climate, base level and tectonics, and commonly contain archaeological horizons.
Therefore, accurate age control from fluvial deposits is
important for a number of research fields. OSL dating
of fluvial deposits has become increasingly widely used
and accepted over the past decade. Examples of the
application of OSL dating to a number of fluvial settings and research questions are discussed below.
Fluvial response to glaciation and sea-level change
River channel morphology, longitudinal valley profile,
sedimentary architecture and dynamic state (aggrading/incising/stable) are controlled by complex interactions between external controls such as climate,
tectonics and base level (e.g. Blum & Törnqvist 2000).
Although fluvial deposits and landforms do not provide
a direct record of past base level and climate change,
they can provide information about the response of the
river system to these external variables.
Large river systems such as the lower Mississippi
River in the United States, the Rhine–Meuse River
Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits
617
system in The Netherlands, and the River Thames and
former Solent River in southern England have been
extensively studied with respect to fluvial response to
glaciation and sea-level change (e.g. Bridgland 1994,
2000; Maddy et al. 1998; Törnqvist 1998; Blum et al.
2000; Törnqvist et al. 2000, 2004; Rittenour et al. 2007).
These rivers have also been extensively dated with
radiocarbon, although most of these ages are limited to
Holocene deposits due to the lack of organic material in
the Pleistocene strata and the upper age limit for
radiocarbon dating. OSL dating has been applied to
these river systems to extend the fluvial chronologies
over the past several glacial–interglacial cycles.
Mississippi River, USA. – An OSL chronology based
on over 80 quartz OSL ages has been developed for
Pleistocene and Holocene fluvial deposits in the lower
Mississippi valley (Rittenour et al. 2003, 2005, 2007;
Holbrook et al. 2006). OSL ages were collected from
outcrops and shallow surface cores from late Pleistocene braid belts and last interglacial and Holocene
meander belts and range from 0 to 85 kyr (Fig. 3) (Rittenour et al. 2005, 2007). These ages agree with the
available radiocarbon chronology and relative age
constraints from loess stratigraphy and cross-cutting
relationships. Additionally, OSL results show only
minimal influence of partial bleaching despite sediment
transport under high suspended sediment load conditions and late Pleistocene glacial meltwater discharge.
Fig. 3. Generalized cross-section of fluvial landforms and deposits in the northern lower Mississippi valley with the OSL chronology plotted
graphically above each terrace surface. Modified from Rittenour et al. (2005) with the addition of Holocene meander belt ages.
618
Tammy M. Rittenour
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Adequate bleaching prior to deposition was likely due
to long transport distances. Insights gained from this
new OSL chronology and field relationships suggest
that braid belt formation and abandonment was controlled by fluctuations in glacial sediment and meltwater discharge, while sea level controlled the elevation
to which the river was graded (Rittenour et al. 2007).
models; however, there are some inconsistencies and
scatter in age results for deposits older than 300 kyr in
the Solent basin, possibly due to samples nearing the
maximum limit for OSL dating and saturation of the
luminescence signal (Briant et al. 2006).
Rhine–Meuse River, The Netherlands. – OSL dating
has also been conducted on the Rhine–Meuse River
system in The Netherlands (Törnqvist 1998; Törnqvist
et al. 2000, 2003; Wallinga 2001; Wallinga et al. 2001,
2004; Busschers et al. 2005, 2007). Over 90 luminescence samples have been collected from a number of
deep cores collected within the Rhine–Meuse valley
(Busschers et al. 2005, 2007). A majority of the samples
were processed to extract quartz for luminescence
measurements, while some were processed for both
quartz and feldspar dating. Where comparisons were
made, feldspar IRSL ages consistently underestimated
both quartz OSL ages and constraints from known-age
deposits (Wallinga et al. 2000b, 2001). This may be due
to anomalous fading of the luminescence signal in feldspars and problems with its correction (e.g. Wintle
1973; Wallinga et al. 2007). Quartz OSL ages range
from Holocene to over 200 kyr, and are stratigraphically consistent with the available radiocarbon
and pollen biostratigraphic age control (Busschers et al.
2005, 2007). OSL results and core descriptions have
been used to reconstruct river response to sea level and
have helped to refine the subsurface fluvial stratigraphy
of the Rhine–Meuse River system (Törnqvist et al.
2000, 2003; Busschers et al. 2005, 2007). Additionally,
hundreds of cores and stratigraphic descriptions from
the Rhine–Meuse Delta have been used to reconstruct
channel patterns and fluvial response to ice advance,
sea level and climate change during the last glacial cycle
(Busschers et al. 2005, 2007, 2008).
River systems and climate are intimately linked
through the hydrological cycle and climate-mediated
changes in sediment yield within catchments (e.g.
Schumm 1977; Bull 1991). Despite potential problems
with partial bleaching, considerable success has been
obtained applying OSL dating to a number of different
fluvial settings for the reconstruction of fluvial response
to climate change (e.g. Leigh et al. 2004; Schokker et al.
2005; Briant et al. 2006; Brook et al. 2006; Williams
et al. 2006; Sohn et al. 2007; Thomas et al. 2007b). Studies from a number of regions and climate settings are
discussed below.
Thames and Solent River systems, southern England. – The large river systems south of the Anglian
(marine oxygen isotope stage, MIS 12) and Late Devensian (MIS 2) ice limits in southern England contain
extensive fluvial records that extend back to the Middle
Pleistocene and roughly correlate to glacial–interglacial
climate, sea-level and isostacy changes in the region
(e.g. Sandford 1924; Bridgland 1994, 2000; Maddy
et al. 1998; Lewis et al. 2001; Briant et al. 2006). Fluvial
deposits and terraces of the River Thames, and to a
lesser extent those in the Solent basin, have been dated
by pollen and mammalian biostratigraphy, aminoacid
geochronology and Palaeolithic artifact assemblages
(e.g. Briggs et al. 1985; Bridgland 1994). New quartz
OSL chronologies have been developed to refine the
chronostratigraphies in these river systems (e.g. Maddy
et al. 1998; Lewis et al. 2001; Briant et al. 2006). These
OSL chronologies for the most part match previous age
Fluvial response to climate change
Hillslope and fluvial response to climate, Australia. –
Luminescence dating has played a key role in Quaternary
studies and climate reconstruction from fluvial sequences
in Australia (e.g. Page et al. 1991, 1996; Page & Nanson
1996; English et al. 2001; Ogden et al. 2001; Banerjee et al.
2002; Kemp & Spooner 2007). Thomas et al. (2007a)
provide an excellent example of the application of OSL
dating to hillslope and fluvial deposits along the northeastern coast of Queensland, Australia to decipher fluvial
response to climate change. Ages were obtained using
radiocarbon (n = 6), thermoluminescence (TL) (n = 16)
and quartz OSL methods (n = 36). Owing to scarcity of
organic material for radiocarbon dating, age control was
only possible through luminescence dating techniques at
most locations. Results indicate marked differences in alluvial/colluvial systems between coarse-grained fanglomerate deposition in MIS 3 (64–28 kyr), fine-grained
alluviation and vertical fan accretion in MIS 2 (28–24 kyr)
and incision at 14–15 kyr. Correlation to the regional
pollen stratigraphy (Kershaw et al. 2007) suggests that
these changes in hillslope and fluvial processes were associated with climate and vegetation shifts.
Tributary and trunk channel response to climate, Grand
Canyon and southwestern USA. – Studies of arid fluvial systems have suggested that they are sensitive indicators of climate-related changes in sediment supply
and discharge (e.g. Bull 1991). The Colorado River and
its tributaries in the Grand Canyon and Grand Wash
Trough, just downstream of the Grand Canyon, have
been the focus of research efforts to understand the response of different scale fluvial systems to local and regional climate (Anders et al. 2005; DeJong et al. 2006;
Pederson et al. 2006; Rittenour et al. 2006; DeJong
2007). Fluvial deposits and terrace landforms have been
dated by a number of methods. The time of fluvial
Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits
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aggradation and sediment deposition has been
determined by quartz OSL dating of sediment and
U-series dating of interbedded travertine that was
deposited contemporaneously with fluvial deposition.
Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) surface dating of
desert pavements and sediment profiles provides minimum age estimates for river incision and terrace surface
abandonment (Gosse & Phillips 2001).
Geochronologic and stratigraphic results from four
study areas within and adjoining the Grand Canyon are
presented in Fig. 4. Age results are consistent between
the different dating methods and are coherent with
stratigraphic relationships. OSL results are roughly
equivalent to U-series ages of fluvial aggradation in
Travertine Grotto in western Grand Canyon (Fig. 4C).
In eastern Grand Canyon, OSL and TCN samples were
collected from a number of terraces from the Colorado
River and its tributaries. As expected, TCN ages of
terrace surface abandonment and landform stabilization are younger than OSL ages of fluvial aggradation
of the underlying terrace fill (Fig. 4A, B). Equivalent
dose distributions from samples collected from quartzrich, long-transported deposits of the mainstem Colorado River showed very little evidence for partial
bleaching, while samples of short-transported and lo-
A
619
cally sourced sediments from tributary catchments
contained much greater scatter and evidence for partial
bleaching (DeJong et al. 2006; Rittenour et al. 2006;
DeJong 2007).
OSL ages from deposits of the Colorado River and
its tributaries in eastern and western Grand Canyon
and Grand Wash Trough have provided important information about incision rates (Pederson et al. 2006)
and the timing of the response of these arid fluvial systems to regional and extra-regional climate (Anders
et al. 2005; DeJong et al. 2006; Rittenour et al. 2006;
DeJong 2007). OSL and other chronostratigraphic
results from terrace deposits of the main stem Colorado
River indicate that aggradation and incision were
predominantly controlled by MIS 4 glaciation in its
headwaters. In contrast, tributary chronologies
indicate a local response to climate-related sediment
supply and have very few similarities with contemporaneous dynamics in the main stem river (Anders
et al. 2005; DeJong et al. 2006; DeJong 2007) (Fig. 4B,
C). Terrace stratigraphies from Grand Wash indicate
lower late Pleistocene incision rates and record a
different sequence of fluvial terraces in this much larger
and more arid drainage basin (Rittenour et al. 2006)
(Fig. 4D).
B
180
Colorado River - Eastern Grand Canyon
Eastern Grand Canyon Tributaries
200
120
m above creek
m above river
150
90
60
30
170
80
60
40
20
0
0
Travertine Grotto - Western Grand Canyon
C
Grand Wash - Grand Wash Trough
D
50
40
30
20
10
m above wash
m above creek
60
80
60
40
20
0
0
Fig. 4. Schematic cross-sections and age constraints from terrace sequences from (A) the Colorado River in eastern Grand Canyon (modified
from Pederson et al. 2006), (B) tributary valleys in eastern Grand Canyon (modified from Anders et al. 2005), (C) Travertine Grotto, a small
tributary in western Grand Canyon, and (D) Grand Wash in the Grand Wash Trough, just downstream of Grand Canyon. Age control has
been provided by OSL ages on fluvial sediment, U-series ages on travertine interbedded within fluvial and colluvial sediments and terrestrial
cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) dating of terrace surfaces. As expected, OSL and U-series age from the same terrace fills provide similar ages while
TCN ages of terrace surface abandonment and landform stabilization are younger than OSL ages of fluvial aggradation of the underlying
terrace fill.
620
Tammy M. Rittenour
BOREAS
Climate and tectonic record from fluvial systems on the
Gangetic Plains, India. – The broad Gangetic Plains in
the Himalayan Foreland Basin of northern India contain a rich archive of fluvial response to climate change
and regional tectonic activity. Radiocarbon, quartz
OSL and feldspar IRSL ages have been obtained from
fluvial deposits of the Ganga River and its tributaries
(Srivastava et al. 2003a; Gibling et al. 2005; Williams
et al. 2006; Sinha et al. 2007). Despite potential partial
bleaching problems in these fluvial settings, luminescence ages are in close agreement with radiocarbon age
control where present. Gibling et al. (2005) identified
disconformity-bounded floodplain sequences on now
dissected interfluves on the southern Gangetic Plain.
Interpretations of these and other stratigraphies from
the Gangetic Plains suggest that the Ganga River system has switched between modes of aggradation and
incision several times during the last glacial cycle, most
likely due to changes in the monsoonal precipitation
regime (Gibling et al. 2005; Williams et al. 2006; Sinha
et al. 2007). Superimposed on these climate-driven
changes in fluvial dynamics, geomorphic evidence suggests that some incision events were driven by tectonic
activity (Srivastava et al. 2003a, b).
Indian monsoon variability, Thar Desert, India. – A
detailed palaeoclimate record of Indian monsoon
variability is emerging from luminescence-dated fluvial
deposits from the Thar Desert in western India. Juyal
et al. (2006) combined quartz OSL ages and stratigraphic descriptions from the Mahi and Orsang Rivers
to reveal sub-Milankovitch-scale changes in fluvial regime related to variations in monsoonal precipitation
Arabian Sea
(Leuschner & Sirocko 2003)
Southern Thar Desert Fluvial Record
(Juyal et al. 2006)
OSL ages
(kyr) Stratigraphy
11±1
Inferred environmental Inferred monsoonal
Age (kyr)
processes
activity
10
incision,
river adjustment
aeolian deposition
28±3
30±3
weak monsoon
braided channel,
soil development
increased monsoon acitivity
20
30
flood plain aggradation,
enhanced monsoon
pedogenesis
49±4
60±6
over the last 130 kyr (see also Tandon et al. 1997) (Fig. 5).
This OSL-dated fluvial record shows similar changes in
palaeomonsoon intensity as a marine productivity record from the Arabian Sea (Leuschner & Sirocko 2003)
(Fig. 5). Luminescence-dated chronologies from the
Luni River and other fluvial systems in the Thar Desert
also suggest a regional fluvial response to climate
change (Jain & Tandon 2003; Jain et al. 2005b).
Equivalent dose distributions from fluvial samples
displayed asymmetrical distributions skewed toward
higher values. In order to mitigate partial bleaching
problems and remove the contribution of aliquots containing non-bleached grains from the final age calculation, Juyal et al. (2006) used a subset of the youngest De
values (defined as the minimum De value to the minimum De value1(2error)) to calculate their OSL ages.
This method is similar to other methods proposed to
isolate the youngest population of De values, assumed
to be representative of the true burial age.
Slackwater flood sequences from the Thar Desert
have also been analysed to reconstruct monsoonrelated large flood frequency over the last millennium.
Kale et al. (2000) described several slackwater flood
deposits along the Luni River and used OSL dating to
provide age control. OSL was chosen over radiocarbon
dating due to the ability to systematically sample desired flood units. Because of the possibility of partial
bleaching in sediment transported during floods with
high suspended sediment loads, multiple OSL dating
techniques and different mineral fractions were analysed. The primary age control for the sections was obtained by OSL dating quartz using a multiple aliquot
(MA) additive-dose technique. Duplicate analyses of
arid/episodic monsoon
activity
69±6
flood plain aggradation, enhanced monsoon
bedded calcrete
with seasonality
formation
98±8
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
cl si s g
grain size
braided channel
weak monsoon
flood plain fine
deposition
enhanced monsoon
110
120
130
100
200
Ba/Al
300
Fig. 5. Synthesis diagram from the research of
Juyal et al. (2006) on fluvial deposits in the
southern Thar Desert, India. OSL ages were
collected from fluvial channel and floodplain
deposits, depositional environments described
and monsoonal activity interpreted. This fluvial
record of palaeomonsoon activity correlates nicely with marine Ba/Al productivity records of
monsoon strength from the Arabian Sea (rightmost panel, Leuschner & Sirocko 2003).
BOREAS
each sample followed SAR (quartz) and MA differential partial bleach (feldspar) (Singhvi & Lang 1998)
techniques. SAR results indicate that the samples were
fairly well bleached at deposition. Results from the
study indicate variability in flood frequency over the
last 1000 years that match records of changes in regional monsoon precipitation (Bryson & Swain 1981)
and other palaeoflood reconstructions from central India (Ely et al. 1996; Kale 1999).
Summary. – Fluvial deposits contain valuable records
of river response to changes in sea level, climate and
glaciation. Systematic collection of OSL samples from
silty and sandy material within fluvial sequences can
provide valuable age control on deposits that are
otherwise difficult to date due to limited organic material for radiocarbon dating. Additionally, the age range
for OSL dating is sufficiently long, up to 300 kyr in
some cases (e.g. Murray & Olley 2002), to allow for the
reconstruction of fluvial response to climate and sealevel change over the last glacial cycle. Moreover, recent statistical and technical advances in OSL dating
have reduced or mitigated partial bleaching problems
found in some fluvial settings (e.g. Duller et al. 1999;
Galbraith et al. 1999; Murray & Wintle 2000; Galbraith
2005). These advances and developments allow fluvial
deposits to be accurately dated with OSL and records
of fluvial response to climate and sea-level change to be
constructed.
Palaeoseismic reconstruction
Fluvial deposits, terraces and alluvial fans can be important archives of tectonic activity (e.g. Schumm 1986;
Holbrook & Schumm 1999; Pearce et al. 2004). A
number of studies have used OSL and other dating
methods on offset fluvial deposits or landforms to determine the timing of fault displacement, slip rates and
seismic recurrence intervals (e.g. Chen et al. 2003;
Cheong et al. 2003; Caputo et al. 2004; Zuchiewicz et al.
2004; Mahan et al. 2006; Mason et al. 2006; Mukul
et al. 2007). OSL dating has also been directly applied
to fault-scarp colluvium to more directly date seismic
events (e.g. Lu et al. 2002; Fattahi & Walker 2007;
Porat et al. 2008). Some examples of the application of
OSL dating of fluvial deposits for palaeoseismic reconstructions are given below.
Offset fluvial deposits and landforms. – One of the most
common uses of OSL dating for palaeoseismic studies is
dating offset or deformed fluvial landforms or deposits
(e.g. Thompson et al. 2002; Cheong et al. 2003; Cox
et al. 2006; Amos et al. 2007). Fluvial landforms can
commonly be correlated over long distances and have
fairly consistent slopes, allowing crossing faults and
structures to be identified and the displacement of fea-
Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits
621
tures to be calculated. Age control on displaced landforms and deposits is necessary for the calculation of
slip rates and recurrence intervals on fault movement
and earthquake activity. Age control on past seismic
events is especially important for the development of
accurate hazard assessments of tectonically active regions near population centres.
Fattahi et al. (2006, 2007) have studied displaced and
deformed alluvial fans and terraces from the highly
seismically active Alborz-Kopeh Dagh ranges in
northeastern Iran. For example, Fattahi et al. (2006)
examined folded and faulted alluvial fan deposits associated with the Sabzevar thrust fault. Quartz OSL ages
from deformed alluvial sediments indicate fan deposition from 32 to 13 kyr, faulting and graben formation
by 9 kyr and additional faulting on the Sabzevar
thrust fault in the last 3 kyr (Fig. 6A). Slip rates as high
as 1 mm/yr and a 3000-year recurrence interval for
large earthquakes were calculated for this active fault
segment. Reassessment of a young colluvial sample by
Fattahi & Walker (2007) has produced a SAR IRSL
age of 1.70.3 kyr on pre-faulting colluvium (Fig. 6A),
suggesting that the most recent faulting and displacement on the Sabzevar thrust likely represents the
earthquake that destroyed the town of Sabzevar in AD
1052.
In southern California, DeLong et al. (2007) studied
a fluvial terrace that was cross-cut and offset by the
eastern Big Pine oblique-reverse fault, one of a number
of faults associated with the broad San Andreas
transform fault system. They used quartz OSL ages to
confirm geomorphic evidence that the deposits on either side of the fault scarp were originally part of the
same terrace surface (Fig 6B). Although there is some
scatter in the data, OSL ages from the hanging wall
(24.32.8 to 14.31.9 kyr) and the foot wall (22.02.4
to 15.93.0 kyr) are consistent. From these OSL ages
and the amount of vertical displacement on the fault
(10 m), a dip-slip rate estimate of 0.9 m/kyr was
calculated.
Geomorphic response to tectonic uplift, folding and
faulting. – In addition to dating offset fluvial landforms, OSL dating has been used by a number of
researchers to assess tectonic activity by studying the
fluvial geomorphic response of rivers to deformation
(e.g. Holbrook et al. 2006; Mason et al. 2006; Mathew
et al. 2006; Mukul et al. 2007; Srivastava & Misra
2008). Localized river incision and/or channel pattern
changes near known structures are commonly used criteria to identify fault activity or fold deformation (e.g.
Schumm, 1986; Holbrook & Schumm, 1999).
Mathew et al. (2006) used OSL to date incised
channel deposits from a number of rivers along an active fault-related fold associated with the Kachchh
Mainland Fault in northwestern India. Incision ages on
fluvial deposits progressively decreased in age eastward.
Tammy M. Rittenour
622
A
9±1 kyr
BOREAS
hinge graben
infilled with
aeolian sand
not to scale
13±0.7 kyr
fan
uvial
24±5 kyr
3±0.3 kyr (quartz)
1.71±0.29 kyr (feldspar)
ce
surfa
all
~9.5 m
32±3 kyr
colluvial wedge
horizontal strata
tilted beds
low angle thrusts
24.3±2.8 – 14.3±1.9 kyr (n=3) 22.0±2.4 – 15.9±3.0 kyr (n=4)
B
1250
10 m
fau
lt
1200
ine
scarp
estimated dip-slip rate: 0.9 m/kyr
Big
f
Elevation (m)
deformed tread
1150
0
100
200
300
400
500
Distance (m)
These data, along with geomorphic evidence, were used
to suggest eastward lateral fold migration during the
Holocene due to fault length extension and vertical uplift rates of 101 mm/yr.
Mukul et al. (2007) and Srivastava & Misra (2008)
have dated fluvial deposits related to incision from active uplift and faulting along the Himalayan front in
northeastern India. Mukul et al. (2007) used an innovative approach of applying both TL ages from
fault-gouge material (see discussion below) and quartz
OSL ages from unpaired strath terraces to provided
evidence for the timing and response of the Tista River
to uplift and seismic activity surrounding the South
Kalijhora Thrust and several out-of-sequence, surfacebreaking faults. Srivastava & Misra (2008) combined
geomorphic analysis of strath terraces and quartz OSL
dating to examine the uplift history of the Himalayan
front along the Kameng River. Their results indicate
that the greatest river incision occurred at about 7 kyr
(11.9 mm/yr), with average incision rates during the
14 kyr of record of 7.5 mm/yr. Geomorphic analysis of
the ratio between strath height and alluvial cover
thickness (Starkel 2003) suggest that the strath terraces
were formed predominantly in response to tectonic uplift with lesser climate influence.
Holbrook et al. (2006) used quartz OSL and radiocarbon dating to determine the timing of channel
straightening events in Mississippi River meander belts
in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, USA. They interpreted the switch from a highly sinuous channel to a
straightened channel course as a response to periodic
clustering of seismic events and decreased gradient due
to fault displacement. Two and possibly three straightening events were identified through mapping cross-
Fig. 6. Examples of the applications of OSL
dating to palaeoseismic research and reconstruction of fault slip rates. A. Schematic
drawing of faulting and folding of an alluvial
fan along the Sabzevar thrust fault in northeastern Iran (Fattahi et al. 2006; Fattahi &
Walker 2007). OSL ages indicate fan syndepositional folding and faulting from 32 to 13 kyr,
graben formation by 9 kyr and a SAR IRSL
age from faulted colluvium suggests that the
most recent faulting on the Sabzevar thrust occurred within the last 1.7 kyr. Modified from
Fattahi et al. (2006). B. OSL age ranges collected from a fluvial terrace that has been offset
by the eastern Big Pine fault in southern California, USA. OSL ages were used to confirm
that the now displaced fluvial landforms were
once the same terrace surface and to calculate
dipslip rates on the fault. Modified from DeLong et al. (2007).
cutting relationships and extensive coring (Holbrook
et al. 2006). Age control was provided by radiocarbon
ages on carefully selected macrofossils from channel fill
deposits (n = 12) and OSL samples from point bar deposits (n = 14) (Fig. 7). OSL and radiocarbon ages
were consistent, and where paired samples were collected, point bar samples were older than their associated abandoned channel-fill deposits, as expected
based on geomorphic relationships.
Fault-scarp colluvium. – Direct dating of discrete fault
rupture events can be achieved by OSL dating faultscarp colluvium. Trenching of faults is a routine technique for many palaeoseismic studies (e.g. McCalpin
1998). Traditionally, colluvial wedges and fault planes
are identified from these trenches, and organic material
from buried soils or other organics within the faulted
sediments are radiocarbon dated to obtain a fault-rupture chronology. However, organic material is commonly scarce in many arid settings and therefore
radiocarbon sample collection is mostly opportunistic
in nature. Luminescence dating, on the other hand,
allows more selective sampling and has been used
by a number of researchers (e.g. Forman et al. 1989,
1991; Porat et al. 1997; Zilberman et al. 2000;
Amit et al. 2002; Lu et al. 2002). Early analyses using
TL dating have been largely replaced by OSL and
single-grain techniques to allow measurement of
the most light-sensitive traps and most well-bleached
grains.
Porat et al. (2008) examined colluvial wedge deposits
from the base of a normal fault that has displaced a
middle Holocene alluvial fan in the Dead Sea Transform, southern Israel. They compared large aliquot
Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits
BOREAS
Late Holocene Cycle
623
2490±180 OSL
Meandering Phase Straight Phase
1250±70 OSL
961–744 RC
Middle Holocene Cycle
Meandering Phase Straight Phase
961–720 RC
4590±230 OSL
Early Holocene Cycle?
Meandering Phase Straight Phase
Reelfoot Fault
Scarp
4244±269 OSL
3304±306 OSL
Channel Fill
7250±360 OSL
3620±220 OSL
6357–6047 RC
Stratigraphic data
from core
7484±367 OSL
2475–2200 RC
OSL and calibrated
radiocarbon (RC) age
control points (yr)
0
1030±70 OSL
2300±220 OSL
2386 –2203 RC
2833–2564 RC
5 km
3680±270 OSL
4720±300 OSL
Mississippi River
Fig. 7. OSL and radiocarbon ages collected from point bar and channel fill deposits of the Mississippi River in the New Madrid Seismic Zone,
USA. Meanderbelt abandonment and straightening of channel courses, as dated by OSL and radiocarbon, have been interpreted to have
occurred in response to clustered seismic activity on the Reelfoot fault. Note that OSL ages from point bar deposits are older than their associated channel fill deposits, as expected from geomorphic relationships. Modified from Holbrook et al. (2006).
(1000’s grains), small-aliquot (100’s grains) and singlegrain results from samples collected from proximal (less
than 1 m from the fault) and distal (2 m from the
fault) parts of a stack of colluvial wedges (Fig. 8).
Results indicate partial bleaching in all samples, with
greater partial bleaching in proximal colluvial wedge
samples (Table 1). Age reversals in SAR multi-grain
analyses were attributed to progressive exposure and
erosion of older sediments with continual fault
displacement. Large aliquot ages substantially overestimated the time of faulting, providing additional
support for the use of small-aliquot or single-grain
dating for environments where partial bleaching may
be a problem. Single-grain results analysed using the
minimum age model of Galbraith et al. (1999)
produced the most reasonable ages (Table 1).
OSL dating of fault gouge and liquefaction features. –
Innovative research is being developed to directly date
faulting by luminescence dating fault gouge and liquefaction features. During seismic activity and fault slip it
may be possible that sediment within the fault gouge
receives enough energy from friction, vibration, crushing and heat to zero the luminescence signal. Initial
studies tested the application of thermoluminescence
(Fukuchi 1992) and electron-spin resonance (ESR)
(Singhvi et al. 1994) to date fault-gouge materials and
found results consistent with radiocarbon ages. More
recently, Mukul et al. (2007) applied TL dating of faultgouge deposits in northeastern India and found TL
ages much younger than the source rock (42–45 kyr
compared to Z2 Myr), suggesting the samples were
zeroed during fault movement. Owing to uncertainties
with partial resetting of the TL signal, the ages were
considered maximum ages for faulting. Research involving OSL analysis of fault-gouge deposits may provide more sensitive indicators of fault movement and
luminescence resetting (Rink et al. 1999).
Liquefaction features such as injection dikes and sand
blows (deposition from the surface rupture of an injection dike) are commonly produced during earthquakes
in sandy fluvial deposits. New research is investigating
the potential applications of OSL to these liquefaction
features in an attempt to directly date seismic events.
624
Tammy M. Rittenour
BOREAS
XI
distal colluvial wedge
XI
6
11
proximal
colluvial
wedge
5
X
10
IX
9
12
VIII
VII
10
6
medial
colluvial wedge
VI
7
4
IV
III
V
II
3
3
1m
2
2
1
1
1m
1
Fig. 8. Locations of OSL samples collected from fault-scarp colluvial wedges adjacent to a fault that cuts across an alluvial fan in the Dead Sea
Transform, Israel (Porat et al. 2008). OSL samples were collected from proximal, medial and distal colluvial wedges to determine relationships
between bleaching and distance from the fault scarp. Samples were analysed for quartz and feldspar using large aliquots, small aliquots and
single-grain analysis. Results are presented in Table 1. Arabic numerals refer to colluvial wedges and Roman numerals to deposits in the faulted
alluvial fan (numbered from oldest to youngest). Modified from Porat et al. (2008).
Table 1. OSL ages from colluvial wedges in Trench-18, Dead Sea Transform, from Porat et al. (2008).
Sample no. and location
Feldspar IRSL ages (kyr)
Large aliquot SAAD
Small aliquot SAR
Mean
Youngest
Mean
Distant colluvial wedge
5 Upper wedge (X)
6 Lower wedge (VII)
3.61.3
3.61.3
1.50.2
2.00.2
2.11.5
Medial colluvial wedge
7 Lowest colluvium
4.21.4
2.40.3
16.72.3
10.91.4
4.50.8
14.21.2
10.00.4
3.80.4
Proximal colluvial wedge
11 Upper wedge (IX)
10 Middle wedge (VIII)
9 Lowest wedge (VII)
Quartz OSL ages (kyr)
Youngest
0.70.1
MAM
0.820.10
Large aliquot SAR
Single-grain SAR
Mean
Mean
2.62.0
5.24.4
4.83.25
9.28.2
1.30.1
1.80.35
12.84.4
8.33.5
4.32.9
Youngest
0.570.04 3.22.6 (34)
1.60.10 3.02.7 (72)
MAM
0.830.20
0.640.11
1.40.1
2.82.3 (30)
1.30.2
7.90.3
4.60.6
1.80.1
2025 (35)
0.830.26
8.711.8 (26) 0.960.38
2.21.6 (23) 0.530.11
Mean is the age calculated from the average of all aliquots measured. Youngest is the age calculated from the lowest measured De.
MAM = minimum age model of Galbraith et al. (1999). Numbers of grains included in single-grain age estimates are given in parentheses. See
Fig. 8 for sample locations.
Porat et al. (2007) investigated the use of OSL to
determine the difference between clastic dikes (filled
from above) and injection dikes (formed by liquefaction during earthquakes) in the southern Dead Sea basin of Israel. It was proposed that injection dikes would
have the same OSL age as the late Pleistocene source
material, OSL dated to 43–34 kyr. However, quartz
OSL ages from both the depositional and injection
dikes were dated to 17–15 kyr. These results imply that
the OSL signals in the injection dikes may have been
reset during liquefaction and that OSL may be used to
date earthquake-induced liquefaction features directly.
However, a similar study by Thomas et al. (2007c) in
NE India has produced indistinguishable quartz OSL
BOREAS
ages between injection dikes and their source sediment,
suggesting that further research into the applicability of
OSL for dating liquefaction is needed.
Additional age constraint on the timing of liquefaction and seismic activity may be obtained by OSL dating sand blows formed by the surface rupture of
liquefaction features and injection dikes. Thomas et al.
(2007c) used thin sampling tubes to collect the upper
1.5 cm of sediment from a sand blow deposit, hoping to
collect the sediment exposed to sunlight during the deposition of the sand blow, but prior to subsequent
floodplain deposition. Results were scattered suggesting that non-bleached sediments were collected and the
possible influence of bioturbation. Future sampling
strategies have been proposed including careful mmscale excavation of the upper sediment from sand blows
(Thomas et al. 2007c). Cox et al. (2007) applied a different approach to dating sand blows from the lower
Mississippi valley, USA. Instead of sampling the sand
blow directly, they collected fine-grained samples from
buried soils and sediment layers underlying the target
sand blows. For the most part, their multiple aliquot
IRSL results fit with the radiocarbon ages obtained from
the underlying deposits and within the sand blows, with
some evidence of partial bleaching resulting from the
presence of reworked older sedimentary grains.
Summary. – OSL dating has great potential for
palaeoseismic reconstruction owing to its versatility to
directly sample targeted features and deposits. OSL
samples from offset or deformed fluvial terraces and
alluvial fans provide critical age control for slip-rate
calculations. Dating proximal settings such as faultscarp colluvium and sand blows is more challenging due
to partial bleaching, but may provide more detailed information of recurrence intervals. New advances in OSL
dating techniques (Murray & Wintle 2000), single-grain
dating (Duller et al. 1999; Btter-Jensen et al. 2000;
Duller 2000) and statistical analyses of De results (e.g.
Galbraith et al. 1999; Galbraith 2005) have improved
the accuracy of OSL dating and have allowed new
applications of OSL dating to palaeoseismic studies.
Archaeological applications
Rivers, lakes and other water sources have always been
important human resources and the focal points of past
cultures and occupation sites. As such, archaeological
sites are commonly associated with, and interleaved
within, fluvial deposits. Traditionally, archaeological
sites and occupation horizons have been dated with
radiocarbon, commonly from charcoal or wood. While
radiocarbon ages have been instrumental in placing archaeological features and artefacts in a chronological
framework, there are several caveats that limit their use.
For example, radiocarbon ages may not provide the
Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits
625
desired age of occupation due to reuse of materials or
reworking of detrital charcoal and wood, which is
common in fluvial settings. Radiocarbon dating is further limited by uncertainties in calibration to calendar
years and is constrained to the last 40 kyr. For these
reasons, luminescence dating may be preferable in some
cases and has been increasingly applied to archaeological settings.
There has been a long-standing connection between
luminescence dating and archaeological research.
Thermoluminescence dating has been the keystone
technique for dating fired pottery (e.g. Zimmerman
1971; Aitken, 1985), with more recent applications of
OSL dating of pottery (see reviews by Roberts 1997;
Feathers 2003; Wintle 2008b). Additionally, OSL dating has been applied to sediments associated with
archaeological sites for geoarchaeological and environmental studies (e.g. Folz et al. 2001; Sommerville et al.
2001; Feathers 2003; Gibling et al. 2008).
Luminescence techniques have been particularly
useful for dating sites older than 40 kyr (e.g. Bowler
et al. 2003; Grine et al. 2007; Mercier et al. 2007), and
sites associated with initial colonization of Australia
(e.g. Cupper & Duncan 2006; Olley et al. 2006; David
et al. 2007; Prescott et al. 2007) and the Americas (e.g.
Feathers et al. 2006; González et al. 2006). The focus of
this article is on the application of OSL dating to fluvial
deposits, but it should be noted that there are many
applications of OSL dating that are unique to archaeological studies. These include dating fired sediments
and rocks associated with hearths (Tribolo et al. 2003;
Lamothe 2004; Lian & Brooks 2004; Fanning et al.
2008), single-grain dating mud wasp nests associated
with rock art (Roberts et al. 1997; Yoshida et al. 2003),
single-grain dating grave infills to determine age of human burials (Olley et al. 2006), dating sediment cemented within late Pleistocene human remains (Grine
et al. 2007), and dating brick and mortar to determine
the timing of building construction (Bailiff & Holland
2000; Jain et al. 2004b; Vieillevigne et al. 2006).
Dating Palaeolithic sites. – Palaeolithic archaeological
sites provide important information about the evolution and dispersal routes of Neanderthal and modern
humans. While late Upper Palaeolithic sites
(40–10 kyr) may be dated with radiocarbon, Middle
Palaeolithic and older Upper Palaeolithic sites are near
or beyond the applicable limit for radiocarbon dating
and are associated with large calibration uncertainties
and multiple calibration curves available for this interval (e.g. Kitagawa & van der Plicht 1998; Hughen et al.
2004; Fairbanks et al. 2005). For these reasons, OSL
dating has been increasingly used to provide age control at a number of Palaeolithic sites. Many important
Palaeolithic sites in rock shelters and non-fluvial settings have been dated with OSL (e.g. Bowler et al. 2003;
Cupper & Duncan 2006; Olley et al. 2006; Rhodes et al.
626
Tammy M. Rittenour
2006; David et al. 2007; Mercier et al. 2007; Prescott
et al. 2007). Applications of OSL dating to Palaeolithic
sites found along river terraces in Russia and India are
discussed here.
The Kostenki Palaeolithic sites, found on the low
terraces of the Don River in westernmost Russia, have
been the focus of archaeological research since the initial discovery of stone artifacts and mammoth bones in
the late 1800s (see Hoffecker et al. 2002, 2004 and references therein). Initial age control was obtained from
stratigraphic relationships and radiocarbon ages from
bone. More recently, Holliday et al. (2007; see also Sinitsyn & Hoffecker 2006; Anikovich et al. 2007) have
developed a more detailed chronostratigraphy of the
locality from fine-grained MA IRSL ages and radiocarbon dating of charcoal (Fig. 9). Additional age control was obtained from identification of the Campanian
Ignimbrite Y5 tephra (40 kyr) and palaeomagnetic
correlation to the Laschamp Excursion (39–45 kyr).
Luminescence ages are consistent with the other age
control and provide the most reliable ages for the oldest
cultural horizons and lowest part of the section.
In a similar study, Gibling et al. (2008) used quartz
OSL and radiocarbon dating to provide age control for
archaeological sites from river terraces along the Belan
River in India. Terrace deposits containing Middle
Palaeolithic artifacts were dated to between 8511 kyr
and 728 kyr and stratigraphically younger aeolian and
fluvial channel fills were OSL dated to 13–8 kyr. These
younger ages are consistent with radiocarbon results and
correlate with strata containing Neolithic artifacts.
Irrigation canals. – In addition to providing age constraints beyond the limit of radiocarbon, OSL dating
may, in some cases, provide improved age control in
young sediments, where there are greater radiocarbon
calibration uncertainties and reworking of older organic
material is common. Examples of the application of OSL
dating to young canal sediments are given below.
BOREAS
Canal networks on the Mekong Delta in southern
Cambodia have been investigated to determine the utility of OSL dating to date channel use and infilling
(Sanderson et al. 2003, 2007; Bishop et al. 2004). Although underwater bleaching experiments and subaqueous spectral measurements suggest reduced bleaching
efficiency in canal settings with high suspended sediment
loads (Sanderson et al. 2007), many quartz OSL ages are
consistent with radiocarbon ages (Sanderson et al. 2003;
Bishop et al. 2004). Age overestimates from some samples are interpreted to be due to incorporation of nonbleached grains in multi-grain aliquots. Smaller aliquot
sizes or single-grain dating may reduce these problems.
In the American southwest, Berger et al. (2004)
examined irrigation canals near Phoenix, Arizona.
Samples were collected and analysed for fine-grained
MA IRSL, SAR IRSL and post-IR SAR (analysis of
quartz signal). Results indicate that some samples
were incompletely zeroed at deposition. However,
as with the samples from canals on the Mekong
Delta, these outliers were easily identified within the
stratigraphy and the age range of canal use could be
determined.
Summary. – OSL dating can provide important age
control for fluvial sediments associated with archaeological sites. While charcoal and other material for
radiocarbon dating may be common within cultural
features, OSL samples can be collected from horizons
that lack suitable material for radiocarbon dating and
can provide invaluable environmental information
about the timing and rate of deposition between cultural horizons. Additionally, OSL ages do not need to
be calibrated, reducing age uncertainties. The larger age
range of OSL dating makes this technique particularly
useful for Palaeolithic sites that are older than or near
the limit for radiocarbon dating. In addition, OSL dating is important for geoarchaeological investigations
that relate people to their environment by dating
Fig. 9. IRSL, radiocarbon and other age control obtained for the Kostenki Upper Palaeolithic site 12, east wall, along the Don River in
western Russia. Luminescence dating is especially useful in dating Palaeolithic sites such as
this due to their antiquity (near the upper limits
for radiocarbon) and the abundant and wellsuited target material for luminescence dating in
the fluvial sediments associated with the cultural
horizons. Modified from Anikovich et al. (2007)
and Holliday et al. (2007).
BOREAS
sediments and non-cultural features and landforms
associated with occupation sites.
Conclusions
The study of fluvial deposits and landforms is important for many subdisciplines of geomorphology,
palaeoseismology and geoarchaeology. While early TL
and OSL applications to fluvial deposits proved difficult due to the incorporation of non-bleached signals
within the age calculations, recent advances in OSL
dating techniques, such as the development of the single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) method (Murray
& Wintle 2000), single-grain dating capabilities (Duller
et al. 1999; Duller 2000; Btter-Jensen et al. 2000) and
statistical methods for De analysis (e.g. Galbraith et al.
1999; Galbraith 2005), have allowed reliable dating of
fluvial deposits. Target materials for OSL dating (sands
and silts) are nearly ubiquitous in most fluvial deposits
and the age range for OSL spans the last glacial–
interglacial cycle, with older ages possible in some settings. Moreover, fluvial deposits can provide important
archives of past changes in climate, base level and tectonics and commonly contain archaeological horizons.
For these reasons, the application of OSL dating to
fluvial deposits can provide important contributions to
the geomorphologic, sedimentologic, palaeoseismic
and archaeologic research communities.
Acknowledgements. – I thank M. Jain and J. Wallinga for their
helpful reviews of this manuscript and P. R. Hanson for providing the
multi-grain and single-grain data for Fig. 1.
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Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits
BOREAS
633
Appendix Table 1. Quartz SAR OSL and independent age data and references for Fig. 2 in text. Updated from Murray & Olley (2002).
Sediment type
Aliquot and grain size
Fluvial
n = 61
s,c
s,c
sg
s,c
sg
sg
sg
sg
l,c
sg
l,c
sg
sg
l,c
sg
l,c
s,c
l,c
sg
l,c
s,c
l,c
sg
s,c
sg
sg
sg
s,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
sg
s,c
l,c
sg
s,c
l,c
s,c
s,c
s,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
s,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
s,c
l,c
sg
s,c
l,c
s,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
Aeolian
n = 43
OSL age (kyr)
n
Independent age (kyr)
Reference
115 yr
2915 yr
4015 yr
675 yr
708 yr
7015 yr
11015 yr
14020 yr
16413 yr
17020 yr
19716 yr
29030 yr
35090 yr
38040 yr
430110 yr
43243 yr
0.660.03
0.690.06
0.70.05
0.740.07
0.920.10
0.990.07
0.990.08
1.070.06
1.170.09
1.210.12
1.230.09
1.230.1
1.290.17
1.30.19
1.310.06
1.380.24
1.550.3
1.750.1
2.870.32
2.90.37
4.60.27
4.80.6
5.10.4
6.10.5
6.90.4
9.00.6
9.10.4
9.30.5
100.4
12.60.7
13.10.6
13.30.8
13.50.9
13.61.1
13.61.0
13.71.1
13.80.9
19.71.0
22.63
25.42.02
412
41.71.6
559
55.61.3
20714
7.41.4 yr
142 yr
162 yr
172 yr
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
10
3
2
1
5
10 yr
42 yr
55 yr
70 yr
638 yr
55–125 yr
120–160 yr
120–160 yr
150 yr
12810 yr
150 yr
230147
46092
360–500 yr
55098
50740 yr
0.35–0.53
360–500 yr
0.740.11
0.510.04
0.3
0.7–0.8
0.610.07
1.01–1.11
1.09.11
1.64.09
1.650.15
0.7–2.4
0.3–0.5
0.84–1.0
0.84–1.0
1.0–1.3
1.42–1.59
0.7–2.4
1.0–1.3
3.34–3.47
3.90–4.04
1.0–1.3
5.2–6.0
5.2–6.0
7.70.1
120.3
11.20.1
12.30.3
12.60.1
13.80.3
12.60.2
13.0–13.3
10.70.4
14.30.1
13.90.5
11.10.3
140.5
19.750.65
21.32.4
21.740.54
381
43.40.4
49.84
582
1987
155 yr
203 yr
327 yr
147 yr
Jain et al. (2004a)
Murray & Olley (2002)
Olley et al. (2004a)
Olley et al. (1998)
Murray & Olley (2002)
Olley et al. (2004a)
Olley et al. (2004a)
Olley et al. (2004a)
Thomas et al. (2007b)
Murray & Olley (2002)
Thomas et al. (2007b)
DeLong & Arnold (2007)
DeLong & Arnold (2007)
Lang & Mauz (2006)
DeLong & Arnold (2007)
Thomas et al. (2007b)
Rodnight et al. (2006)
Lang & Mauz (2006)
DeLong & Arnold (2007)
Thomas et al. (2007b)
Wallinga et al. (2001)
Lang & Mauz (2006)
DeLong & Arnold (2007)
Rodnight et al. (2006)
DeLong & Arnold (2007)
DeLong & Arnold (2007)
DeLong & Arnold (2007)
Wallinga et al. (2001)
Lang & Mauz (2006)
Lang & Mauz (2006)
Lang & Mauz (2006)
Lang & Mauz (2006)
Olley et al. (2004a)
Wallinga et al. (2001)
Lang & Mauz (2006)
Olley et al. (2004a)
Rodnight et al. (2006)
Lang & Mauz (2006)
Wallinga et al. (2001)
Wallinga et al. (2001)
Busschers et al. (2007)
Strickertsson & Murray (1999)
Chen et al. (2003)
Chen et al. (2003)
Chen et al. (2003)
Chen et al. (2003)
Chen et al. (2003)
Wallinga et al. (2001)
Chen et al. (2003)
Strickertsson & Murray (1999)
Murray & Olley (2002)
Larsen et al. (1999)
Murray & Olley (2002)
Rittenour et al. (2005)
Rittenour & Sharp (2007)
DeLong & Arnold (2007)
Busschers et al. (2007)
Chen et al. (2003)
Roberts et al. (2001)
Tanaka et al. (2001)
Murray et al. (2008)
Nielsen et al. (2006)
Ballarini et al. (2003)
Forman et al. (2006)
Madsen et al. (2007b)
634
Tammy M. Rittenour
BOREAS
Appendix Table 1 (continued)
Sediment type
Marine
n = 33
Aliquot and grain size
OSL age (kyr)
n
Independent age (kyr)
Reference
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
s,c
s,c
s,c
l,f
l,f
l,c
l,f
l,f
l,f
l,f
l,f
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
l,c
sg
sg
l,f
sg
l,c
l,c
sg
sg
l,f
l,c
sg
l,f
191 yr
223 yr
252 yr
26.21.4 yr
359 yr
366 yr
392 yr
624 yr
706 yr
1539 yr
16021 yr
16310 yr
22012 yr
2256 yr
23510 yr
290020 yr
0.50.025
0.680.14
0.710.05
0.920.04
2.00.2
2.70.3
4.230.1
11.21.3
12.60.7
13.000.7
13.10.9
14.61.2
25.51.4
44.12.1
47.12.6
533
9310
11412
14512
21522
29639
30836
31133
72 yr
152 yr
333 yr
406 yr
493 yr
573 yr
686 yr
764 yr
779 yr
9614 yr
10811 yr
1236 yr
15719 yr
1678 yr
1.780.29
6.490.73
7.30.3
8.61.05
14.90.6
17.31.5
17.92.5
18.73.9
22.10.8
25.31.8
31.94.3
36.31.4
1
6
1
1
1
1
2
1
9
2
3
1
1
6
5
1
2
1
1
4
1
1
6
1
1
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
315 yr
479 yr
238 yr
704 yr
467 yr
515 yr
6816 yr
899 yr
9515 yr
1432 yr
19020 yr
18611 yr
2185 yr
2593 yr
28438 yr
35030 yr
0.5550.025
0.669
0.669
0.870.04
2.000.05
2.810.02
4.310.07
13.155
12.00.3
13.155
13.450.3
14.30.5
282
432
482
511
989
1255
13515
17020
29030
29070
29060
11.80.8 yr
20.41.4 yr
34.22.5 yr
2810 yr
48.94.2 yr
636.3 yr
70 yr
17.87.7 yr
7325 yr
5018 yr
11841 yr
88.311 yr
9533 yr
127.934.8 yr
0.79–1.55
4.5–5.56
7.500.09
7.97–8.87
17.20.4
16.20.7
16.06–17.09
21.36–23.24
20.00.12
242
28.2–34.0
432
Ballarini et al. (2003)
Madsen et al. (2007b)
Ballarini et al. (2003)
Ballarini et al. (2003)
Forman et al. (2006)
Ballarini et al. (2003)
Nielsen et al. (2006)
Ballarini et al. (2003)
Madsen et al. (2007b)
Ballarini et al. (2003)
Nielsen et al. (2006)
Ballarini et al. (2003)
Ballarini et al. (2003)
Ballarini et al. (2003)
Madsen et al. (2007b)
Strickertsson & Murray (1999)
Aagaard et al. (2007)
Bailey et al. (2001)
Bailey et al. (2001)
Murray & Clemmensen (2001)
Murray & Clemmensen (2001)
Murray & Clemmensen (2001)
Murray & Clemmensen (2001)
Hilgers et al. (2001)
Mangerud et al. (1999)
Radtke et al. (2001)
Hilgers et al. (2001)
Mangerud et al. (1999)
Turney et al. (2001)
Turney et al. (2001)
Turney et al. (2001)
Watanuki et al. (2005)
Watanuki et al. (2005)
Schokker et al. (2004)
Watanuki et al. (2005)
Watanuki et al. (2005)
Watanuki et al. (2005)
Watanuki et al. (2005)
Watanuki et al. (2005)
Madsen et al. (2005)
Madsen et al. (2005)
Madsen et al. (2005)
Madsen et al. (2007a)
Madsen et al. (2005)
Madsen et al. (2005)
Madsen et al. (2007a)
Madsen et al. (2005)
Madsen et al. (2007a)
Madsen et al. (2007a)
Madsen et al. (2007a)
Madsen et al. (2005)
Madsen et al. (2007a)
Madsen et al. (2005)
Olley et al. (2004b)
Olley et al. (2004b)
Stokes et al. (2003)
Olley et al. (2004b)
Strickertsson & Murray (1999)
Strickertsson & Murray (1999)
Olley et al. (2004b)
Olley et al. (2004b)
Stokes et al. (2003)
Strickertsson & Murray (1999)
Olley et al. (2004b)
Stokes et al. (2003)
Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits
BOREAS
635
Appendix Table 1 (continued)
Sediment type
Glacial
n=6
Aliquot and grain size
OSL age (kyr)
n
Independent age (kyr)
Reference
sg
l,f
l,c
l,c
l,f
l,c
l,c
l,f
l,f
l,f
l,f
l,f
l,f
51.16.5
66.92.8
1014
1122
117.24.3
1197
1358
262
282
292
292
302
303
1
1
4
16
1
22
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
38.4–48.0
714
1227
1302
1286
1294
1227
322
271
323
302
332
331
Olley et al. (2004b)
Stokes et al. (2003)
Mangerud et al. (1999)
Murray et al. (2007)
Stokes et al. (2003)
Murray & Funder (2003)
Sigaard et al. (unpubl.)
Murray & Olley (2002)
Murray & Olley (2002)
Murray & Olley (2002)
Murray & Olley (2002)
Murray & Olley (2002)
Murray & Olley (2002)
Ages o500 years reported in years (yr) not kyr. Originally unpublished data from Olley & Hancock. Originally unpublished data from
Houmark-Nielsen.
Aliquot size: l = large aliquot, s = small aliquot, sg = single grain.
Grain size: c = sand, f = silt.
n = number of ages making up reported OSL age.