Comparison of quartz OSL protocols using lateglacial and Holocene dune sands from Brandenburg, Germany

We present the results obtained using various different protocols in the quartz optically stimulated luminescence dating of a Late Glacial and Holocene aeolian dune sequence near Eberswalde, north of Berlin, Germany. The Allerod 'Finow' palaeosol and the Laacher See tephra layer serve as chronostratigraphic markers, and further independent age control is provided by eight C-14 ages. The application of the single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol (using blue light stimulation) and the multiple-aliquot regenerative-dose and additive-dose protocols (using broad-band blue and green light stimulation) are discussed. A comparison of radionuclide analyses using high-resolution gamma-spectrometry and neutron activation analysis is also presented. It is concluded that the two dosimetry methods give indistinguishable results, although the gamma spectrometry data are more precise. In contrast, the single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol is between 2 and 10 times more precise than the multiple-aliquot protocols, and systematic differences in performance are also observed. The uncertainties in the dosimetry calculations are the largest contributor to the overall age uncertainties. The accuracy of the resulting ages is considered very satisfactory when tested against the independent age controls, over the entire age range from the present to 15 ka. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.