Isothermal Thermoluminescence Dating of Coral Reef Calcite: Implications for Sea‐Level Change
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Reconstructing past sea‐level changes is critical in Quaternary science. On remote oceanic reefs, aragonite‐to‐calcite alteration occurs during subaerial exposure, directly recording the timing of sea‐level fall. U–Th dating of coral calcite is challenging due to open‐system issues. However, following calcite formation, the accumulated thermoluminescence (TL) signal can date the initial subaerial exposure event. This study pioneers the application of isothermal thermoluminescence (ITL) dating of reef calcite from the Xisha Islands, South China Sea. ITL single‐aliquot regenerative‐dose protocol improved the precision of equivalent dose measurement. By integrating dose rate simulation within a Bayesian framework constrained by U–Th ages, we obtained ITL ages of 127.0 ± 8.0 and 138.5 ± 1.5 ka for two reef core samples, dating sea‐level lowstands to late Marine Isotope Stage 6. Our results demonstrate that ITL dating of reef calcite enables the high‐resolution chronostratigraphic reconstruction of sea‐level sequences back to at least 1.5 million years ago.
Source: Geophysical Research Letters
DOI: 10.1029/2025gl120116
Authors: Junjie Wei, Hui Zhao, Junjie Zhang, Haiwei Zhang, Leibin Wang, Yupei Li, Dongxue Li, Shuai Zhang, Kefu Yu, Jianjun Qu
Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Guangzhou University, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Guangxi University
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
Award: G8071362461
OpenAlex ID: W7124276413