OSL dating of Quaternary terrace systems in the western peruvian Andes

My thesis is integrated within the long-term project of Prof. Fritz Schlunegger which aims to establish a chronology of sediment accumulation and surface erosion in the western Peruvian Andes in response to climate variations.

The western escarpment of the Andes of northern Chile and Peru is characterized by west-directed drainage systems, and the resulting valleys are occupied by fluvial terraces and fan deposits.

Previous investigations in the Pisco and Majes Valley in southern Peru have shown that the terraces are of cut-and-fill origin. Luminescence dating of terrace and fan deposits compared to paleoclimate records suggest that aggradational phases were contemporaneous with humid periods on the Altiplano in the headwaters of the investigated rivers. One aim of my project therefore, is to investigate the occurence of these phases of aggradation in other valleys of the western escarpment of the Andes and if there is a climatic control on valley aggradation on a wider regional scale. This can be achieved by establishing a reliable large-scale chronology for the Quaternary valley fills. As the previous luminescence dating revealed some difficulties for the sediments already investigated, another focus of my thesis is on the luminescence methodology with the aim of improving the reliability and precision of the luminescence ages.