OSL-SAR dating of sediments from brazilian aeolian system: Dama Branca, Rio De Janeiro, morphodynamic study

Abstract

It has been reported that the formation and stabilization of coastal dune fields in Brazil have a dependence on the climate changes and Relative Sea Level (RSL) variations. A few topics regarding the morphodynamics of coastal aeolian systems in Brazil can be the RSL variations in the Holocene and weather conditions. In this work, a dune field known as “Dama Branca”, located in the town of Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, has been studied to understand its formation and stabilization. Dating by trapped charge dating techniques as Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) using the Single Aliquot Regenerative protocol (SAR), help us to understand the formation and dynamics of aeolian systems in Brazil. Samples from a dune were collected from different heights and points for dating. The results obtained by OSL-SAR showed that ages decrease as the height from the dune base increase and older samples are found in deeper horizontal positions. The ages for the base of the studied dunes indicated that its stabilization occurred during the recess of the sea level.