Feasibility of optical dating using halite

Optical dating techniques using quartz or feldspar have been widely applied to date Quaternary sediments. However, optical dating of salt deposits are rarely reported. Saline minerals are one of the most promising materials for establishing the chronology of sediment sequences in arid areas. In this report, the fundamental optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) properties of halite and the feasibility of optical dating of halite were explored. The OSL properties, such as dose response, signal stability and signal resetting, demonstrated that halite can be used as an optical dating material. The equivalent dose of halite can be estimated using the single-aliquot regenerative-dose technique which is widely applied to quartz.