Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dating

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating is a chronometric method that determines the age of sedimentary materials by measuring light-induced electron release from mineral grains. Developed by David Huntley and colleagues in the 1980s, it measures the time elapsed since sediment was last exposed to sunlight. This technique is widely used in archaeology, geology, and paleoenvironmental studies to date deposits ranging from a few decades to several hundred thousand years old.