Introduction
The phenomenon of thermoluminescence corresponds to the light given out when a transparent crystal is heated after it has been exposed to ionizing radiation. It has been known since 1663, when Boyle noticed that a light was emitted when he warmed up a diamond against his body in the darkness. It was observed then that other minerals like quartz, flint, fluorite, feldspars and clays display the same behavior when they are heated. This method is mainly applied as a dating technique for geologic and archeological materials. Theoretically, the TL method covers all the Quaternary period, but it is essentially used for the end of Middle Pleistocene, Upper Pleistocene and Holocene periods.
Basics
Thermoluminesccnce is based on the measurement of trapped charge that accumulates in minerals over time. The radioactive elements that are present in most clays and soils emit a weak, constant flux of nuclear radiation due to uranium and thorium decay and potassium (40K), whose relevant...
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Falguéres, C. (1998). Thermoluminescence. In: Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4496-8_322
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4496-8_322
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