Preliminary Study on the Determination of Alteration Age by the Thermoluminescence of Altered Minerals

Abstract

Alteration age has been estimated by the thermoluminescence(TL) of alteration minerals from Izu, central Japan, and Kuju, Kyushu. The alteration minerals applied to TL method are quartz, kaolinite, α-cristobalite, tridymite, and some mixtures of quartz, potash feldspar, alunite, sericite, kaolinite and montmorillonite. The ages for 16 altered samples are 0.15 to 2.62 Ma and are consistent with other geologic evidences. The results suggest that TL can be developed into a technique for dating of alteration minerals.