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Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Isolation of Quartz Grains for Optically Stimulated Luminescence OSL Dating of Quaternary Sediments for Paleoenvironmental Research
Published on: August 2, 2021
INITIAL TL/OSL/EPR CONSIDERATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL DIATOMACEOUS EARTH IN RETROSPECTIVE DOSIMETRY AND DATING
Robert B Hayes1, Ryan P O'Mara1, David A Hooper2
1North Carolina State University, Nuclear Engineering Department, 2500 Stinson Dr., Raleigh, NC, USA.
Abstract:
Diatomaceous earth is found in various locations around the planet. It is caused by the deposited exoskeleton material formed by the death of large concentrated populations of diatoms. The exoskeleton is effectively pure silicate and as such becomes a prospective material for retrospective dosimetry and dating. This work investigated the thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence properties of commercially obtained diatomaceous earth. The material was not found to have useful dosimetric properties with conventional TL methodologies but did provide large dose estimates using the Single Aliquot Regeneration technique on some subset samples. These findings for organic silicate did suggest some mechanisms explaining the sensitization process in geological silicate materials utilized in dosimetry and dating. Electron paramagnetic resonance was identified as a potential future method for evaluating this material as it revealed unique signal components not found in igneous or commercially produced silicates.
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