OSL Chronology in Sediment of the Qarhan Salt Lake Since Holocene
The Qarhan Salt Lake sediments record the environmental evolution of the Qaidam Basin since the Late Pleistocene,but sedimentary profiles since the Holocene are relatively scarce and chronological data are lacking.Two fine-clastic intercalations were found in each of the sedimentary sections of Beletan,Beletan West and Dabuson sections of the Qarhan Salt Lake,and corresponding photoluminescence samples were collected to study the age of sedimentation in the Qarhan Salt Lake during the Holocene.The results show that the two clastic layers in the Dabuson(DBX)section of Qarhan Salt Lake were formed at 6.2 ka(8.90 m)and 2.8 ka(1.96 m),respectively,while those in the Beletan section were formed at 2.9 ka(3.20 m)and 0.9 ka(1.40 m),and those in the Beletan West section were formed at 2.4 ka(3.10 m)and 0.7 ka(1.50 m).The Late Quaternary Salt Lake sediments are loose and soluble causing the samples to be complex in composition and origin,resulting in the profile OSL data being much smaller than the 14C and U-Th dating data(8~9 ka).The sedimentation rates(from the bottom clastic layer to the surface layer)calculated for the three profiles indicate that the sedimentation rate in the Dabuson section of the Qarhan Salt Lake is greater than that in the Beletan section,while the sedimentation rate in the eastern part of Bele-tan is higher than that in the western part.The sedimentation rates in the Qarhan Salt Lake and the Dongtai Genel Salt Lake are generally consistent.
Qarhan Salt LakeOptically stimulated luminescenceHoloceneDeposition rate