SYSTEMATIC THERMOLUMINESCENCE DATING OF 2 LOESS PROFILES FROM THE MIDDLE RHINE AREA (FRG)

Systematic investigation of 104 loess samples from the well-studied loess sequences at Ariendorf and Toenchesberg (Middle Rhine Area, F.R.G.) was carried out to study the reliability of TL ages of the last 150 ka. The samples were investigated by the additive dose, regeneration and partial bleach methods, using integral and plateau ranges for determination of accumulated dose. The results show that in Ariendorf all the loess deposits of the last glaciation are contaminated with reworked loesses from older glaciations. At Toenchesberg the TL ages are in good agreement with the stratigraphy up to about 90 ka; but no TL age over 110 ka was obtained underneath the interglacial soil at Toenchesberg.