Radiofluorescence dating (IR-RF): Towards a suitable dating method for quaternary sediments.

在第四纪和古环境科学中，沉积物是重建过去气候及其环境的重要自然档案。在这种背景下，数值年表的建立是至关重要的，因为它们(1)可以确定古环境时期和感兴趣的事件的日期，(2)可以深入了解过去气候和古环境变化的动态，(3)可以在不同的环境档案之间建立关联。为了成功建立所需的数值年表，发光测年技术是非常重要的。发光测年技术主要应用于晚第四纪沉积物的测年，而中第四纪沉积物的测年由于方法上的挑战，到目前为止还很困难。另一种创新的测年方法是长石的红外辐射荧光（IR-RF），它可以成功地应用于各种环境条件下沉积物的初步研究。申请人在初步研究期间，可以解决IR-RF定年法的各种技术和方法问题，但也出现了新的方法挑战。在本提案中，申请人将处理仍然开放的以及新出现的方法挑战，为第四纪沉积物建立合适的IR-RF定年方案。该方案被认为是为单矿物粗粒组分（bbb63µm）以及多矿物细粒组分（4-11µm）开发的。将针对具有独立年龄控制的沉积物样本测试和验证所开发方案的适用性。

In Quaternary and paleoenvironmental sciences, sediments represent an important natural archive for reconstructing past climates and their environments. In this context, the establishment of numerical chronologies is of crucial importance, because they (1) allow to date the paleoenvironmental period and event of interest, (2) give insight into past dynamics of climate and paleoenvironmental change, and they (3) allow to correlate between different environmental archives. To successfully establish the needed numerical chronologies, luminescence dating techniques are of major importance.Luminescence dating techniques are dominantly applied to sediments of the Late Quaternary, whereas sediments of the Middle Quaternary are due to methodological challenges, so far difficult to date. An alternative and innovative dating approach is represented by infrared-radiofluorescence (IR-RF) of feldspars, which could successfully be applied in preliminary studies to sediments of various environmental settings. During preliminary studies by the applicant, various technical and methodological problems of the IR-RF dating method could be solved, but also new methodological challenges arose.In this proposal, the applicant will deal with the still open, as well as the newly arose methodological challenges, to establish a suitable IR-RF dating protocol for Quaternary sediments. The protocols are thought to be developed for the monomineralic coarse grain fraction (> 63 µm), as well as for the polymineralic fine grain fraction (4-11 µm). The suitability of the developed protocols will be tested and validated against sediment samples with independent age control.