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Helena Alexandersson

Helena Alexanderson

Professor

Helena Alexandersson

Luminescence dating of holocene siliciclastic sediments in eastern Dahomey Basin, southwestern Nigeria

Author

  • Richard O. Fakolade
  • Philip R. Ikhane
  • Qiuyue Zhao
  • Qingzhen Hao
  • Helena Alexanderson
  • Zhengtang Guo

Summary, in English

Several attempts at reconstructing geological settings and palaeoclimatic changes of the siliciclastic deposits of the Dahomey Basin, SW Nigeria, using relative age dating and correlation methods, have resulted in serious discrepancies on the ages. Therefore, a chronology framework established by an absolute age dating method is requisite to constrain the geological interpretation. This research focuses on quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of the upper siliciclastic sediments to help bridge the lacuna that arose from previous relative geologic dating. Ten sub-surface sediment samples were collected from the eastern part of the basin, and quartz OSL dating using single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol was conducted for all the samples. The OSL signals appear well bleached prior to deposition and the OSL ages are reliable and robust. Through the application of OSL, the age framework of the uppermost part of sediments in the study area was established. The OSL dating results revealed that these depositional periods fall within the Holocene and are concentrated during two groups: 3.52 ka–1.55 ka, and 0.64 ka–0.05 ka. The samples with ages of 3.52 ka–1.55 ka distribute in the belt-like inland zone approximately parallel to the coastline. This deposition episode appears to be caused by the decrease in relative sea level during late Holocene. Thus, this study sheds light on the understanding past coast dynamics in the region.

Department/s

  • Quaternary Sciences

Publishing year

2021

Language

English

Pages

90-96

Publication/Series

Quaternary International

Volume

598

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Pergamon Press Ltd.

Topic

  • Earth and Related Environmental Sciences

Keywords

  • Dahomey basin
  • Holocene
  • Luminescence dating
  • Nigeria
  • Quaternary

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1040-6182