Mesopleistocene loess deposits in the Mamalyha 2 profile of Ukraine — interlaboratory comparison of the thermoluminescence dating results

Abstract

Abstract:The history of the interlaboratory comparison of TL dating results in Poland started in the 1980s. At that time the Lublin, Warsaw and Silesian laboratories made the first attempts at TL dating of the same loess samples from the Odonów profile. However, the cooperation ceased for many years due to great differences in the obtained TL age estimates. The next interlaboratory comparisons were made in the years 2000-2009 for the loess samples from several Polish (Dybawka, Tarnawce, Dankowice, Biały Kościół) and Ukrainian (Boyanychi, Halych, Velykyj Hlybochok, Yezupil) profiles. Most of the compared dates, obtained for the loess deposits from the Upper Pleistocene and younger part of the Middle Pleistocene, were consistent. This encouraged us to undertake the Gdańsk-Lublin interlaboratory cooperation in dating of 200-700 ka old loess deposits. Nine samples were taken from the Ukrainian profile Mamalyha 2 in 2009 for this purpose. The TL dating results indicate that comparable dates are obtained in two laboratories for loess deposits younger than 300 ka BP. The TL signal obtained in the Gdańsk laboratory for the samples older than 300 ka BP was saturated so such samples should not be dated by the multi-aliquot regeneration method. The results obtained in the Lublin laboratory for these deposits (489-682 ka) confirm that it is possible to date loess deposits older than 500 ka. It probably results from the use of total-bleach method with preheating at 160°C for the equivalent dose determination.

Problems of TL dating of the Mesopleistocene loess deposits in the Podillya and Pokuttya regions (Ukraine)

“…The dating method was described in detail by J. Kusiak in Łanczont et al (2011). In this study was used the BG-28 optical filter during thermoluminescence measurements.…”

Magnetostratigraphy of the loess-palaeosol key Palaeolithic section at Korolevo (Transcarpathia, W Ukraine)

“…These questions and dating methods were discussed by Kusiak (2002), Kusiak et al (2002Kusiak et al ( , 2013 who dated the old loess deposits in other sites occurring on high terraces in the basins of the Upper and Middle Dniester River and Prut River (Nawrocki et al, 2002;Boguckyj et al, 2009Boguckyj et al, , 2011Łanczont et al, 2011). The BrunheseMatuyama boundary was found in some of them.…”

“…Secondly, many hiatuses occur in the profile. Our stratigraphic interpretation of the Korolevo profile is based on the analysis of layer sequence, the situation of the MatuyamaeBrunhes boundary in the profile, and the comparison with well-examined old loess sections occurring in Western Ukraine (Gozhik et al, 1995;Boguckyj et al, 2009;Łanczont et al, 2011;Kusiak et al, 2013). The low-coercivity component of magnetization, common for the loess and soil deposits from Korolevo, does not provide any clustered palaeodirection.…”

How to resolve Pleistocene stratigraphic problems by different methods? A case study from eastern Poland

“…5 and 6) was es timated by thermoluminescence (TL). Al though this method is not thought to pro vide good re sults for de pos its older than 300-400 ka (Frechen et al, 1999;Bluszcz, 2000), we use it because some stud ies (Berger et al, 1992;£anczont et al, 2011;Kusiak et al, 2013) show that it is pos si ble to ac cu rately date de pos its up to 500-800 ka. For con trol, two sam ples from log 1 were dated by in fra red light stim u lated lu mi nes cence (IRSL), which al lows dat ing of de pos its up to 300 ka (e.g., Yi et al, 2012).…”

“…(1) the 10°C wide re gion of the glow peak (TL MAX ) (Kusiak, 2008;£anczont et al, 2011;Kusiak et al, 2013), (2) the 100°C wide re gion (270-370°C; TL INT ) con tain ing the glow peak (Frechen, 1992). The pla teau test was car ried out; for all samples the glow peak oc curred within the pla teau.…”