Optically stimulated luminescence dating of young sediments: A review

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of young (< 1000 years) sediments is used increasingly in a wide variety of late-Holocene studies as a mean of establishing contemporary sedimentation rates or the timing of sediment deposition. This paper provides a summary of the basic principles of OSL dating, outlines the problems specific to the dating of young material, and then uses recent applications to young sediments to illustrate the greatly increased scope and potential of the method in geomorphology and the geology of recent deposits. The overall reliability of this new generation of OSL ages is examined by comparing, where possible, OSL ages with independent age control. It is concluded that, the OSL ages are accurate, in that there is no evidence for systematic over- or under-estimation. It is our conclusion that OSL dating should be regarded as a reliable chronological tool for determining the time of deposition of water-lain sediments from the coastal zone, and aeolian deposits from both coastal and inland environments. Our conclusion is supported by the growing popularity of OSL dating in geomorphology and geology.