Age comparison by luminescence using quartz and feldspar on core HPQK01 from the Pearl River delta in China

Reliable chronology is critical for reconstructing estuarine delta process. In this study, detailed chronological framework has been performed on a core HPQK01 (52 m in depth) from the central Pearl River delta (PRD) of China. Both quartz OSL and feldspar post-IR IRSL (pIRIR) methods for late Pleistocene sediments, as well as radiocarbon dating for Holocene sediments, were applied to date the core. Results show that quartz OSL ages range from 125 ± 18 ka to 58 ± 6 ka, and that all of them were minimum ages due to the OSL signal saturation. Feldspar pIR200IR290 protocol shows some overestimation in dose recovery test, with the recovered to the given ratio of 1.2, while a ratio of around 1 was obtained for feldspar pIR50IR250 signals. Robust ages have been obtained from feldspar fading corrected pIR50IR250 dating with ages ranging from 150 ± 17 ka to 98 ± 12 ka. AMS 14C results suggest that subtidal-intertidal zone was deposited during the middle Holocene from 8.21 ± 0.19 cal ka BP to 4.99 ± 0.25 cal ka BP. The sedimentology of core HPQK01 record two marine transgressive-regressive cycles. Based on the dating results, the lower fluvial sediment unit (T2) could be correlated to marine isotope stage (MIS) 6, and the lower marine unit (M2) was deposited during MIS 5. A sedimentary hiatus occurred with age range of from MIS 4 to MIS 2. Since middle Holocene, another marine stratum (M1) has been accumulated. Overall, our findings suggest that feldspar pIRIR dating method has the potential to establish the Quaternary chronostratigraphic framework of the PRD for samples with ages within 150 ka. •Quartz OSL and feldspar post-IRIR, as well as 14C, were performed to date a core in the Pearl River delta.•Quartz OSL produced minimum ages due to signal saturation.•Feldspar corrected pIR50IR250 is appropriate for dating.•The age of the lower fluvial layer (T2) was in MIS 6.•The age of lower marine layer (M2) was in MIS 5 instead of MIS 3 that previously reported.