LUMINESCENCE DATING OF LOESS FROM THE LIUJIAPO SECTION, CENTRAL CHINA

Loess samples taken from a 5.5 m road-cut in the upper part of the loe ss terrace at Liujiapo, near Xian, central China were tested using bat h thermoluminescence (TL) and infra-red stimulated luminescence (IRSL) techniques and dated by TL. The fine-grained, 4-11 mu m, polyminerali c fraction was used as the dosimeter. An age of 55.1 +/- 3.4 ka obtain ed from a palaeosol at the base of a road-cut agrees with a previously described interstadial phase related to an enhanced effect from the E ast Asian monsoon. Ages from the overlying loess indicate that cold cl imate loess deposition occurred throughout the period 51.1 +/- 1.4 to 15.8 +/- 0.5 ka.