RESEARCH PAPER
Methodological advances and remaining limitations in luminescence dating of fluvial clasts from gravelly alluvial terraces of the Bruche River, NE. France
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1
Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Freiburg, Germany
2
Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Laussane, Switzerland
3
Institute of Geography, University of Cologne, Germany
4
Faculty of Geography, University of Strasbourg, France
Submission date: 2025-11-28
Acceptance date: 2026-05-08
Online publication date: 2026-05-18
Publication date: 2026-05-18
Corresponding author
Madhurima Marik
Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Freiburg, Germany
Geochronometria 2026;53(1)
KEYWORDS
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ABSTRACT
Rock surface luminescence dating has developed into a promising approach to constrain depositional ages of clasts. The prerequisites for its successful application are the precise determination of the clast-specific dosimetry and the sufficient pre-burial resetting of the luminescence signal into a certain depth beneath the clast-surface. Dosimetry of clasts is significantly influenced by the internal beta dose rate, which largely depends on grain-size range and internal potassium content of feldspar within rock slices. In the current study, six clasts are investigated from three distinct fluvial terraces of the Bruche River in north-eastern France. Previously published independent age control from sandy deposits of the terraces indicate depositional ages of ~12–14 ka for the youngest, ~27–35 ka for the middle, and a minimum age of ~200 ka for the oldest terrace. Clast-based multi-elevated-temperature post-IR infrared stimulated luminescence (pIR) ages show systematic deviations from age control, overestimating by ~50-150% for the youngest terrace, ~10-30% for the middle terrace, but confirming the minimum age for the oldest terrace. The present study provides methodological advancements by estimating grain-size range and K-content in feldspar grains within rock slices using µ-X-ray fluorescence and microprobe analysis, respectively. Modern clasts from the present riverbed indicate that high-temperature pIR signals retain significant residual ages in rock slices, ranging from ~2-3 ka for pIR110 over ~5-6 ka for pIR170 to ~8 ka for pIR225 signals, while IR50 residual ages remain negligible (<1 ka). This study also demonstrates the potential for using fully saturated rock slices from clast interiors to perform reliable fading correction. As the clast-based luminescence ages overestimate the corresponding ages derived from sandy deposits, this highlights the remaining limitations that must be considered for this approach.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are grateful to Dr. Lukas Gegg and Dr. Patrice Wuscher for actively helping in the fieldwork and with the sample collection process. The quarry managers of our studied areas are acknowledged for kindly providing us the access for sample collection. The authors also gratefully acknowledge the constructive comments of the anonymous reviewers, which helped to improve the manuscript.
FUNDING
This study was financially supported by a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD; grant no. 2100390601) granted to Madhurima Marik.
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