title: A comparison of quartz OSL and isothermal TL measurements on Chinese loess.
abstract: The reliability of equivalent doses (De) from Chinese loess, measured using isothermal thermoluminescence (ITL) is tested. Dose calculations use the single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) procedure. Despite good reproducibility of laboratory-induced signals and negligible response at zero dose, a significant overestimation of De is observed, compared with OSL measurements. Measurement of a known laboratory dose administered after optical bleaching, but before any heating, demonstrates that the first heating during measurement of the natural signal causes a significant sensitivity change, undetected by SAR. Using the single-aliquot regeneration and added (SARA) dose procedure, which allows for initial sensitivity change, good agreement with OSL is obtained after allowance is made for initial incomplete bleaching. It is concluded that SAR-ITL, in its present form, is not a suitable method for dating Chinese loess; it is very important to undertake a dose recovery test before any TL procedure is used to date sediments.
authors.affiliation: Nordic Laboratory for Luminescence Dating, Department of Earth Sciences, Aarhus University, Risø National Laboratory, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark. Janpieter.buylaert@ugent.be
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Buylaert
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huot
authors.forename: M G A
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Vriend
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vandenberghe
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Corte
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van den Haute
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D006207:Half-Life; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods*; D011791:Quartz / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011791:Quartz