OSL dating and lithological characteristics of loess deposits from Biały Kościół

Absolute dating using luminescence methods is widely applicable in geology, geomorphology, palaeogeography and in archaeology in establishing ages of sediments and archaeological artefacts. By creating absolute time scales for different events in the history of Earth scientists are able to reconstruct changes in climate and environment in the past, and the history of colonization and development of culture.

Grain size is the most important loess lithologic property. Grain size composition depends mainly on factors connected with depositional processes (i.e. variety of source areas, distance from source areas, frequency and intensity of dust transporting winds). The influence of post depositional processes on changes in grain size composition seems to be of less importance with the exceptions for warm and long periods of intensive pedogenesis, which are favorable for formation of clay minerals. Therefore the grain size differentiation within thick loess sections may be used as a proxy record of climate changes during loess cover development.

Here we present results for 12 samples dated at the profile at Biały Kościół. Obtained OSL results in some cases are quite different as compared with the OSL and TL dates obtained during last 10 years by other authors and presented in previous publications relating to this loess profile.