Article
Chemistry, Physical
L. Pan, S. Sholom, S. W. S. McKeever, L. G. Jacobsohn
Summary: This study investigated magnesium aluminum spinels with different Mg:Al ratios for optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters, finding that stoichiometric spinel showed superior OSL dose response, stability, and sensitivity compared to other ratios.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Camilla L. Nielsen, Rosana M. Turtos, Martin Bondesgaard, Jacob S. Nyemann, Mads L. Jensen, Bo B. Iversen, Ludvig P. Muren, Brian Julsgaard, Peter Balling
Summary: This study demonstrates that Cu-doped LiF nanocubes are excellent candidates for 3D optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetry due to their high sensitivity, dose linearity, and stability under ambient conditions. The embedded nanocubes in silicone sheets show promising transparency and light yield, offering potential for future 3D OSL-based dosimetry.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
F. O. Ogundare, M. L. Chithambo, B. O. Akintunde
Summary: Continuous wave optically stimulated luminescence (CW-OSL) and linear modulation OSL (LM-OSL) characteristics were investigated in three different types of cowrie shells. Results showed that both CW-OSL and LM-OSL curves of the shells consist of fast, medium, and slow components, with independent peak values for all samples and linear increase with dose. The shells exhibit low coefficient of variation, making them potential materials for retrospective dosimetry.
APPLIED RADIATION AND ISOTOPES
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Johanna Lomax, Daniel Wolf, Urs Tilmann Wolpert, Lilit Sahakyan, Hayk Hovakimyan, Dominik Faust, Markus Fuchs
Summary: The Achajur loess-palaeosol section in northeastern Armenia consists of three prominent pedocomplexes with intercalated loess units, spanning at least three glacial-interglacial cycles. The Sevkar loess area, serving as a bridge between loess sections in southeastern Europe and Central Asia, plays a crucial role in establishing a numerical chronology and reconstructing the paleoenvironment of the region. Luminescence dating on fine grain material was used to study the last glacial-interglacial cycle, showing deposition during dry phases in MIS3 and 4, and formation of pedocomplexes during wetter phases in MIS5 and MIS6.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Shuangwen Yi, Xiaoyong Wang, Zhiwei Xu, Jiang Wu, Huayu Lu
Summary: The changes in paleoclimate and their driving mechanisms in northwestern China since the Late Quaternary were studied using a sedimentary record from Yitang Lake in the Dunhuang Basin. The study revealed a significant sedimentary hiatus between approximately 100 ka and 23 ka, likely due to the dry and harsh environmental conditions during the Last Glacial period. The hydrological variations in the area since the Late Quaternary were mainly controlled by changes in precipitation and glacier meltwater from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, regulated by shifts in atmospheric circulation patterns and the interplay between the westerlies and the East Asian summer monsoon at different scales.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Optics
J. M. Kalita, S. Kaya-Keles, G. O. Cakal, N. Meric, G. S. Polymeris
Summary: The study found that ulexite is a boron mineral with potential for radiation dosimetry and dating, characterized by four glow peaks and different activation energies. These findings suggest that ulexite could serve as a promising luminescent material.
JOURNAL OF LUMINESCENCE
(2021)
Article
Optics
Mads L. Jensen, Rosana M. Turtos, Brian Julsgaard, Volkmar Schulz, Peter Balling, Stefan Gundacker
Summary: This study presents a novel method for determining the branching ratio of thermalized carriers to optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) in scintillators. The method was demonstrated using a cerium-doped lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO:Ce) crystal, and the observed signal was confirmed to originate from OSL photons. The branching ratio of thermalized carriers to OSL traps in LYSO:Ce was found to be (1.0 +/- 0.2)% upon excitation with 511 keV gamma photons.
JOURNAL OF LUMINESCENCE
(2022)
Article
Optics
Jacob S. Nyemann, Peter Balling, Eduardo G. Yukihara
Summary: The study investigates the OSL recombination processes in the thermoluminescent material LiF:Mg,Cu,P (MCP) and identifies two categories of recombination luminescence. The research shows that all recombination channels share similarities in response to sample preheating, indicating an association with the same trapping centers.
JOURNAL OF LUMINESCENCE
(2021)
Article
Optics
J. M. Kalita, S. Kaya-Keles, G. O. Cakal, N. Meric, G. S. Polymeris
Summary: The colemanite-rich borate mineral from Turkey exhibits monoclinic crystal structure with high contents of B and CaO. It shows explosive release of water below 200 degrees C and produces thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence following beta irradiation. The sample has multiple glow peaks at specific temperatures and the OSL decay curve indicates three components with different dose responses.
JOURNAL OF LUMINESCENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
L. F. Souza, C. R. E. Silva, D. N. Souza, M. S. Nogueira
Summary: This study investigates the potential use of luminescent materials in diagnostic radiology tandem systems. Results show that both detector pairs can be effectively used for energies below 50 keV, with MBO/Al2O3:C demonstrating higher efficacy compared to 80-20MBO/Al2O3:C. The highest uncertainty is observed for MBO/Al2O3:C.
RADIATION PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
I. K. Bailiff, D. Bridgland, Pedro P. Cunha
Summary: This study investigated the feasibility of using OSL techniques to estimate the burial age of quartzose lithic clasts. The results showed that OSL age estimates for vein-quartz and quartzite pebbles were consistent with independent dating evidence, demonstrating the potential for reliable dating of these lithic clasts.
QUATERNARY GEOCHRONOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Optics
Camilla Lonborg Nielsen, Rosana Martinez Turtos, Mads Lykke Jensen, Brian Julsgaard, Peter Balling
Summary: In this study, phase-pure LiBaF3 nanoparticles were successfully synthesized, exhibiting radioluminescence with three peaks corresponding to different luminescent processes. Optically- and thermally stimulated luminescence showed a common luminescent pathway. The OSL signal was linearly related to dose up to-1 kGy. The TL glow peak at around 120 degrees C was depleted by optical stimulation, and the OSL signal disappeared following a TL readout. The thermal trap depth was found to be-1 eV. The high OSL light yield and reasonable fading make the nanoparticles an excellent candidate for OSL dosimetry.
JOURNAL OF LUMINESCENCE
(2023)
Article
Optics
Pooja Seth, Shruti Aggarwal, Shaila Bahl, Pratik Kumar
Summary: This study investigates the OSL properties of MCNS material and finds that it exhibits good OSL performance under blue light excitation, with higher intensity and linear dose response compared to commercial phosphor. Structural and morphological characterization is done using XRD, SEM, EDS, and TEM. ESR study reveals the existence of copper and the role of defect centers. MCNS phosphor shows potential as an OSL dosimeter and provides new knowledge to improve the OSL sensitivity of LiF material.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Michal Sadel, Leszek Grzanka, Jan Swakon, Jakub Baran, Jan Gajewski, Pawel Bilski
Summary: Modern radiotherapy techniques require sophisticated dosimetry methods and materials, with proton therapy being one of the newly developed technologies. A study was conducted to evaluate the potential application of a polymer-based detector with optically stimulated luminescence material for proton treatment plan verification. The results showed a lower luminescent efficiency of the material in response to proton energy, highlighting the importance of understanding material efficiency for calibration methods. Testing was done using monoenergetic and spread-out proton beams, and the obtained results were used to correct the relative luminescence efficiency response.
Review
Geography, Physical
Yougui Song, Yue Li, Liangqing Cheng, Xiulan Zong, Shugang Kang, Amin Ghafarpour, Xinzhou Li, Huanyu Sun, Xiaofen Fu, Jibao Dong, Yunus Mamadjanov, Rustam Orozbaev, Nosir Shukurov, Hamid Gholami, Shukhrat Shukurov, Mengping Xie
Summary: Central Asia is a major loess region in the world, with loess sediments mainly distributed on the windward piedmonts of high mountains and river terraces, closely related to atmospheric circulations, regional climate, and landforms. Studies show that most loess sediments have developed since the last interglacial-glacial period, but may extend into the Pliocene. New dating techniques are needed for high-resolution paleoclimate reconstruction.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Aayush Srivastava, David S. G. Thomas, Julie A. Durcan
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2019)
Article
Geography, Physical
David S. G. Thomas, Richard M. Bailey
Article
Geography, Physical
S. D. Gomes, W. J. Fletcher, T. Rodrigues, A. Stone, F. Abrantes, F. Naughton
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Geography, Physical
Jenny Richards, Sallie Burrough, Giles Wiggs, Tiger Hills, David Thomas, Molatlhegi Moseki
Summary: In the Makgadikgadi Basin, a new formative mechanism for crescentic sand mounds has been proposed based on numerical modeling and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. The uneven moisture distribution on the pan surface can lead to the development and stabilization of these dunes, growing upwind from the point of initial deposition. These findings suggest that the formative mechanism of these mounds may be dependent on the interaction between differential drying of the pan surface and the competence of the aeolian sediment transport system across the pan floor.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Ella Walsh, Luca Caracciolo, Domenico Ravida, Sallie Burrough, David Thomas
Summary: Dryland fluvial systems are affected by hydroclimate changes and this study focuses on the Huab River in Namibia to reconstruct its history and response to climate using integrated approaches. The results reveal changes in river style and provenance, indicating periods of humid and arid conditions during the Holocene.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2022)
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Eduardo Garzanti, Guido Pastore, Abi Stone, Shlomy Vainer, Pieter Vermeesch, Alberto Resentini
Summary: The Kalahari Basin's aeolian dune sand is mainly composed of quartz, with durable heavy minerals, distinguishing it from coastal dunefields in Namibia and Angola. The western Kalahari sand sea has a unique quartz-rich feldspatho-quartzose composition, indicating first-cycle provenance from the Damara Belt and Mesoproterozoic terranes. Composition varies at the edges of the sand sea, with Proterozoic supply locally and basaltic detritus dominant near Victoria Falls. Multiple episodes of fluvial and aeolian recycling have led to the current landscape, reflecting past weathering processes.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geology
A. Stone
Summary: This study examines dryland archives and proxies in southern Africa over the past 190 ka to establish a terrestrial regional chronostratigraphic framework. The research finds the complexity of climate patterns in southern Africa, with wetter intervals not aligning with global climatostratigraphy and exhibiting corresponding as well as opposing trends across space.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geology
Abi Stone, Robyn Inglis, Dan Barfod, Ryan Ickert, Lewis Hughes, John Waters, Anne-Lise Jourdan, Abdullah M. Alsharekh
Summary: This study investigates a series of uncharacterised tufa deposits in the lowland volcanic provinces of western Saudi Arabia. The research aims to determine their presence and examine their utility as a palaeoenvironmental archive. The results reveal that these tufa deposits are cool-water tufas, not influenced by geothermal activity, and may indicate a changing hydroclimatic regime during deposition.
SEDIMENTARY GEOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Catherine E. Buckland, Andrew J. A. C. Smith, David S. G. Thomas
Summary: This study examines the drivers and distribution of two widespread succulent plants using climate-only species distribution models (SDMs). The results show that temperature and rainfall are important factors in determining the spatial distribution of these plants. An updated map of rainfall predictability successfully identifies regions that are depauperate in succulent plants.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Giles F. S. Wiggs, Matthew C. Baddock, David S. G. Thomas, Richard Washington, Joanna M. Nield, Sebastian Engelstaedter, Robert G. Bryant, Frank D. Eckardt, Johannah R. C. von Holdt, Shayne Kotting
Summary: This study provides new insights into dust dynamics by measuring aerosol concentrations and meteorological conditions for a full year at Etosha Pan in Namibia. It reveals that dust emissions occur throughout the year, with peak horizontal flux in the spring due to strengthening erosive winds and highly desiccating conditions. The research highlights a strong seasonal differentiation in the meteorological mechanisms controlling dust uplift and shows that a significant portion of annual horizontal dust flux is generated by a few high magnitude events.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Abi Stone, Yijian Zeng, Lianyu Yu, Martine van der Ploeg, Heike Wanke
Summary: This study explores the hydrostratigraphy characteristics of vegetated linear dunes in the southern Kalahari using chloride depth profiles as a novel proxy for palaeomoisture. The results show complex and variable trends in dryland rainfall, influenced by factors such as evaporative enrichment, infiltration, and geomorphology.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
David J. Nash, T. Jake R. Ciborowski, Sheila D. Coulson, Sigrid Staurset, Sallie L. Burrough, Sarah Mothulatshipi, David S. G. Thomas
Summary: Analyses of lithic raw material procurement patterns at Middle Stone Age archaeological sites in Ntwetwe Pan, Botswana, reveal a preference for silcrete from specific locations within the region. This resource preference may have been a long-term behavioral feature of MSA populations in the area. The distances over which silcrete was transported in Ntwetwe Pan are smaller than in similar-aged MSA sites in northwest Botswana.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
David S. G. Thomas, Sallie L. Burrough, Sheila D. Coulson, Sarah Mothulatshipi, David J. Nash, Sigrid Staurset
Summary: The Middle Stone Age was a significant period of human adaptation and innovation. Recent excavations of sites in the dry lake basin in central Botswana have provided valuable insights into how early humans adapted and behaved under dry conditions. The findings reveal purposeful use of the basin's resources and movement strategies for procuring raw materials for tool-making. These findings have important implications for our understanding of early human mobility, innovation, and the use of drylands.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
George M. Leader, Rachel Bynoe, Ted Marks, Abi Stone, Kaarina Efraim, Dominic Stratford, Eugene Marais
Summary: Namib IV is an important Earlier Stone Age site in the Namib Desert. However, previous research on this site lacked consistent reporting of artifact descriptions, numbers, and areas. The rediscovery of the site provides an opportunity for a new archaeological investigation, which raises questions about the original research and the site itself. This article presents the first archaeological research conducted at Namib IV in over 40 years and compares the data to previous findings.
JOURNAL OF FIELD ARCHAEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Abi Stone, Robyn H. Inglis, Ian Candy, Diana Sahy, Anne-Lise Jourdan, Dan N. Barfod, Abdullah M. Alsharekh
Summary: The study shows that past environmental and climatic conditions in the Arabian Peninsula are important for understanding the dispersal of hominins across the Saharo-Arabian dryland belt. The tufa deposits in volcanic ash on the southwest coast of Saudi Arabia provide records of paleoenvironmental conditions adjacent to the Red Sea. The deposits indicate multiple humid phases that occurred during the last two warm interglacial Marine Isotope Stages. This research contributes to our understanding of the environmental background and timing of human dispersals.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Narendra Nelli, Diana Francis, Ricardo Fonseca, Olivier Masson, Mamadou Sow, Emmanuel Bosc
Summary: This study investigates the changes in the atmospheric electric field (Ez) during foggy conditions in the hyperarid region of the United Arab Emirates. The results show that as fog persists, Ez becomes more variable due to the absorption and redistribution of charges by the fog, which alters the ion balance and affects electrical conductivity in the atmosphere.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Ezra Hadad, Amir Balaban, Jakub Z. Kosicki, Reuven Yosef
Summary: This study investigated whether the prey of striped hyenas has adapted to the change in the natural environment caused by human activities, particularly artificial light at night (ALAN). The results showed that ALAN had no impact on the diet or den distribution of the hyenas in central Israel. The study also found that domestic animals were the most common prey, and there were also some vegetative species in their diet. Overall, the feeding behavior of striped hyenas is influenced by geographical region, habitat, and human activities.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Rahim Najafi Tireh Shabankareh, Pardis Ziaee, Mohammad Javad Abedini
Summary: This study evaluated the IMERG satellite-based precipitation product in the Fars province of Iran using daily rain gauges as reference data. The results showed that the product tends to overestimate light rainfall and underestimate heavy rainfall, with the best performance in the 40-80 mm/day range. The accuracy of the product varies by month and is less biased in months with milder temperatures. Additionally, there was a higher correlation in mid-elevated areas, positive bias in low-elevated areas, and negative bias in high-elevated areas. Longer time scales showed considerable improvement in the IMERG estimates.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2024)
