Luminescence Dating in the Natural Sciences

Luminescence Dating in the Natural Sciences covers the exponential number of applications and significant advances in methodology that have come to light since the early 2000s. In addition, it presents other aspects of the topic, including luminescence physics, its solid-state phenomenology, and theoretical and applied dosimetry. This book bridges the divide between users and practitioners of luminescence dating by reaching a large community of users in geology, geomorphology and archaeology. It will appeal to students, faculty members and private industry researchers, providing a brief discussion of the basic principles of luminescence dating.

These principles will be further illustrated through case studies that examine both the potential and the limitations of luminescence dating.

1. Basic Principles of Luminescence Dating
2. The Physics of Quartz and Feldspar Luminescence
3. Luminescence Dating in Action
4. OSL Dating in Geomorphology and Paleoclimatology
5. Using Luminescence in Landscape Evolution and Tectonics
6. OSL Dating of Human Evolution and Dispersal Conclusion

Geochemists, geologists, geomorphologists, physicists, and archeologists

Passionate in geologically exciting terrains and dark laboratories, Michel Lamothe has completed a PhD in geology at Western Ontario on the history of glaciation in Québec, Canada. He was among the first wave of luminescence dating “scholars” trained in Simon Fraser University under the guidance of Dave Huntley. The author has developed a unique expertise in the dating of a large range of geological and archaeological depositional environments exposed on several continents, particularly America, Africa and Europe. The establishment of his luminescence dating laboratory in 1990 at Université du Québec à Montréal has permitted the creation of an international pole of excellence in the dating of feldspar minerals. The author has dedicated most of his research on the development of an optical dating technique based on feldspar while pursuing active field-based investigations in glacial and marine settings.

Michel Lamothe teaches geomorphology and geochronology at UQAM. He enjoys family life in Montréal and walks his poodle in Parc Lafontaine.