Landscape dynamics revealed by luminescence signals of feldspars from fluvial terraces

Bonnet, Stéphane
Reimann, Tony
Wallinga, Jakob
Lague, Dimitri
Davy, Philippe
Lacoste, Aurélien

Open link

Publication date

January 2019

DOI

10.1038/s41598-019-44533-4

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Abstract

Luminescence signals of quartz and feldspar minerals are widely used to determine the burial age of Quaternary sediments. Although luminescence signals bleach rapidly with sunlight exposure, incomplete bleaching may affect luminescence ages, in particular in fluvial settings where an unbleached remnant signal is commonly encountered in modern alluvium. Here, we use feldspar single-grain post-infrared IR stimulation (pIRIR) dating to show that recent (<11 ka) fluvial terraces of the Rangitikei River (New Zealand) were formed in a context of non-linear incision rate. We relate this pattern to the rapid reinstatement of steady-state incision following the formation of a major, climate-driven, aggradation terrace, causing a phase of accelerated...