Fluid inclusions in quartz: interference with thermoluminescence and its application to dating

Natural quartz very often contains fluid inclusions. Such inclusions can in terfere with thermoluminescence and its application to dating. Three aspect s were investigated in the present work. (i) In the case of quartz heated i n the past, visual features of damaged fluid inclusions can allow evaluatio n of the maximal temperature that was experienced by the sample. (ii) When the elemental composition of quartz samples is analysed, the contents of th e inclusions can induce systematic bias in the interpretation of the result s, e.g., in attempts to correlate TL properties with trace elements. (iii) Possible diffusion of impurities from inclusions to crystal lattice at elev ated temperature, either during natural heating or in the course of measure ments in the laboratory, can result in irreversible modification of TL char acteristics of the quartz grains. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.