Rapid assessment of beta dose variation inside cobbles, and implications for rock luminescence dating

Variation in beta dose rate within rocks may impact the results of rock surface luminescence dating, for both burial age cobbles and exposure surfaces. Current methods dating assume that radionuclides are homogeneously distributed inside rocks. In this study, two rapid based on counting a portable XRF instrument were developed to measure radioactivity slices. These applied slices from four glaciofluvial granite had previously been used equivalent determination test whether variation could be observed. Results K content show similar patterns vary along depth profiles, but magnitude variability is very different amongst cobbles. where highly variable, bleaching not only source Ln/Tn or (De) luminescence-depth profile cobbles, it necessary every single slice determine multiple events recorded variations De due heterogeneity.