Age dependence of luminescence signals from granitic and mylonitic quartz

Granite and mylonitic samples with an age range of 11-3300 Ma were collected from regions of China. Several luminescence signals were measured from the extracted quartz. Age-dependence has been observed in their luminescence signals, including the sensitivity of the 110 degrees C TL-peak, the temperature of the high-temperature TL peak and the regenerated TL with beta dose. Other luminescence signals show little age-dependence. The TL reaches maximum at about 160 degrees C in the quartz samples, which is significantly different from signals from sediments. It is concluded that the luminescence signals may lead to the establishment of a new geochronological method for the whole earth history. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.