Thermoluminescence as a palaeothermometer

ABSTRACT Chondritic meteorites are widely regarded as a unique source of information on the chemical and physical processes that occurred in the early Solar System. An important phase in

their history is a period of metamorphism1 and thermoluminescence (TL) has proved a powerful technique for exploring this aspect, especially at the low end of the metamorphic spectrum2. The

ordinary chondrites as a whole display a 105-fold range in TL sensitivity, while the least metamorphosed, or type 3, ordinary chondrites display a 103-fold range. Associated with this

103-fold range in TL sensitivity are variations in the temperature at which the maximum TL emission occurs, and in the temperature range over which emission occurs3,4. We report here the

results of annealing experiments on a little-metamorphosed (type 3.5) ordinary chondrite. The TL emission characteristics of the annealed samples show trends very similar to those observed

in meteorites which have naturally been metamorphosed to various extents. The trends are also similar to those observed in annealing experiments on terrestrial albite5–7 where the changes

are associated with the low-to high-temperature transformation. These data suggest that the TL phosphor in meteorites is feldspar and that TL can be used to estimate palaeotemperatures for

little-metamorphosed and highly-unequilibrated meteorites. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS

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institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS DOLOMITE LUMINESCENCE THERMOCHRONOMETRY RECONSTRUCTS THE LOW-TEMPERATURE

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RIBBECK Article Open access 26 February 2025 SPACE WEATHERING RECORD AND PRISTINE STATE OF RYUGU SAMPLES FROM MICROMEGA SPECTRAL ANALYSIS Article 05 October 2023 REFERENCES * Dodd, R. T.

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University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701, USA R. K. Guimon, K. S. Weeks, B. D. Keck & D. W. G. Sears Authors * R. K. Guimon View author publications You can also search for

this author inPubMed Google Scholar * K. S. Weeks View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * B. D. Keck View author publications You can also

search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * D. W. G. Sears View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and

permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Guimon, R., Weeks, K., Keck, B. _et al._ Thermoluminescence as a palaeothermometer. _Nature_ 311, 363–365 (1984).

https://doi.org/10.1038/311363a0 Download citation * Received: 08 May 1984 * Accepted: 19 July 1984 * Issue Date: 27 September 1984 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/311363a0 SHARE THIS ARTICLE

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