Luminescence dating has become a key tool in studies of the Quaternary. The typically stable luminescence response of quartz grains and the absence of a significant internal dose, make quartz minerals the preferred dosimeter for monitoring the burial dose in sediments. Unfortunately, the reliability of conventional OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) dating, based on blue stimulation, can be compromised when the luminescence decay is not dominated by a rapidly decaying and stable part of the luminescence signal (i.e. the fast component). On the other hand, standard methods in luminescence dating are limited to ages of a few hundred kiloyears. In this study, violet stimulated luminescence (VSL) has been used as a means to overcome both problems, applied to a series of colluvial deposits in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Quartz from this region, characterized by poor blue-OSL response, showed a reproducible and stable VSL signal capable of recovering given doses up to ∼500 Gy and a saturation dose twice as high as conventional OSL. The VSL response from these samples has been studied in detail and the estimated ages have been compared with an already established chronology for the same site, based on IRSL of potassium feldspar single grains. Results agree for the dose range of the profile studied, ∼100–250 Gy, equivalent to ages of 29–79 ka confirming the suitability of VSL for dating sedimentary quartz with unreliable blue-OSL response and to extend the age range of conventional OSL dating.

发光测年已成为第四纪研究的重要工具。石英颗粒通常稳定的发光响应和不存在显着的内部剂量，使石英矿物成为监测沉积物中埋藏剂量的首选剂量计。不幸的是，当发光衰减不受发光信号的快速衰减和稳定部分（即快速分量）支配时，基于蓝色刺激的常规 OSL（光激发发光）测年的可靠性可能会受到影响。另一方面，发光测年的标准方法仅限于几百千米的年龄。在这项研究中，紫色受激发光 (VSL) 已被用作克服这两个问题的一种手段，应用于智利阿塔卡马沙漠的一系列崩积沉积物。来自这个地区的石英，以较差的蓝色 OSL 响应为特征，显示出可重现且稳定的 VSL 信号，能够恢复高达 500 Gy 的给定剂量和两倍于常规 OSL 的饱和剂量。基于钾长石单粒的 IRSL，对这些样品的 VSL 响应进行了详细研究，并将估计的年龄与同一地点已经建立的年表进行了比较。结果与所研究剖面的剂量范围一致，~100-250 Gy，相当于 29-79 ka 的年龄，证实了 VSL 适用于对蓝色-OSL 响应不可靠的沉积石英进行测年，并扩大了常规 OSL 测年的年龄范围. 基于钾长石单粒的 IRSL，对这些样品的 VSL 响应进行了详细研究，并将估计的年龄与同一地点已经建立的年表进行了比较。结果与所研究剖面的剂量范围一致，~100-250 Gy，相当于 29-79 ka 的年龄，证实了 VSL 适用于对蓝色-OSL 响应不可靠的沉积石英进行测年，并扩大了常规 OSL 测年的年龄范围. 基于钾长石单粒的 IRSL，对这些样品的 VSL 响应进行了详细研究，并将估计的年龄与同一地点已经建立的年表进行了比较。结果与所研究剖面的剂量范围一致，~100-250 Gy，相当于 29-79 ka 的年龄，证实了 VSL 适用于对蓝色-OSL 响应不可靠的沉积石英进行测年，并扩大了常规 OSL 测年的年龄范围.