Thermally-controlled luminescence signals from bedrock K-feldspars

Abstract:

The proportion of electron-trapping sites within the crystal lattice of K-feldspar which are naturally filled by ionizing radiation is strongly dependent on temperature. Given that optically or thermally stimulated luminescence derives from these trapped electrons, luminescence signals from bedrock K-feldspar can be measured to determine whether a sample is in thermal steady state or disequilibrium. We therefore examine the natural degree of saturation for samples taken from: a) drill cores in regions which have been thermally static for most of the Cenozoic Era; b) a transect across a glacial valley which was excavated during the Last Glacial Maximum; and c) a rapidly-uplifting tectonic block along the San Andreas Fault. Finally, the utility of these signals for the purpose of low-temperature thermochronology is considered in terms of closure dynamics.