Desert, dust and dosimetry 2023
In March 2023, Matthias May, Stephan Opitz, Andreas Peffeköver and Linda Maßon travelled to the Atacama Desert as part of the DFG-funded project CRC1211 Earth -Evolution at the dry limit. For subproject C08 of our working group, this time not only samples were taken from dust traps and seven different soil profiles, but also dosimeters were buried in these profiles.
Following the field campaign, sedimentological and geochemical analyses of the samples were carried out in Cologne within the framework of a Master's thesis (Johanna Steiner), in order to identify different deposition processes. Furthermore, as part of Linda Maßon's dissertation, the sediment samples are being analysed using luminescence dating in order to infer Earth surface processes in hyperaridity. Luminescence dating measures the time at which the sediment was last exposed to solar radiation or a high temperature. Therefore, samples for this dating method must be taken in the dark. For this purpose, an opaque black tarpaulin was spread over the soil profiles during sampling (see video/photos).
For luminescence dating, it is also important to know the radioactive radiation of the surrounding sediment. The buried dosimeters measure the natural radiation in the sediment over a longer period of time. The dosimeters were excavated in another field campaign in December 2023. In collaboration with the company RadPro, which provided the dosimeters, the dosimeters were analysed immediately after their return to Germany.
In addition to excavating the dosimeters, Linda Maßon presented a poster at the XVI CGCh conference in Santiago late November 2023. Finally, tephra samples (mainly volcanic ash) were taken for subproject D6 during the field visit in December.
