| The Research Laboratory
for Quaternary Geochronology (RLQG) in Tallinn, Estonia, is part of the Institute of
Geology, Tallinn University of Technology. Since the mid-1970s the laboratory has been engaged
in research in the field of luminescence, and since the early 1980s – in research in
the field of ESR dating of mollusc fossils. As a result, new versions of ESR/OSL
techniques has been developed in the recent years for age determinations of marine,
freshwater and terrestrial mollusc shells and enclosing deposits. |
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| Now the Tallinn RLQG is one of very few in the Western
and Central European countries as well as in the former Soviet Union Republics, which can
provide at least three up-to-date Radiation Exposure Dating Methods –
Electron-Spin-Resonance (ESR), Thermally- and Optically- (infrared-light) Stimulated
Luminescence (TL, IR-OSL). A new promising optically stimulated afterglow (OSA) method is
currently under development. Together they are applicable over
a time range from about hundred years to almost a million years on
various naturally occurring minerals: biogenic carbonates, such as terrestrial, freshwater
and marine mollusc shells, corals (by ESR),
and sedimentary minerals (quartz and feldspar) common in aeolian (e.g. sand dunes, loess)
and waterlain (e.g. fluvial, lacustrine, marine) deposits (by
TL and
IR-OSL). Combined use of the
above-mentioned methods is enormously valuable because it can provide an independent age
estimation for Quaternary deposits and cross check often urgently needed to estimate the
reliability of the dates obtained. ESR/OSL are described as Radiation Exposure Dating Methods because each is used to determine the total radiation dose absorbed by a mineral since it was last exposed to a "clock-resetting" event. For luminescence dating of sediments the clock-resetting event is the exposure to sunlight which sediment grains undergo during transport and the process of sedimentation. The ESR signal is not affected by exposure to ordinary light. The "clock-resetting event" in ESR is the creation of a mineral, e.g. the growth of shell skeleton by molluscs. After burial shell is acting as natural radiation dosimeter. The main trend of the research activity, the laboratory has long been engaged in, is the feldspar-based IR-OSL and mollusc-based ESR-study of Quaternary sedimentary dynamics and environmental changes in the Northern Eurasia (including the high-Arctic) region. The major goal of the work is to establish the periodicity and chronology of the main Quaternary events and their relationship with changes in the level of marginal seas and inland bodies of water, to create a climato-chronostratigraphic framework for North Eurasian Pleistocene to provide regional and interregional correlations and the linkage between marine and terrestrial data sets. The research in the field of Mid- Late Pleistocene ESR/IR-OSL-geochronology combined with sedimentology, palynology, diatom analysis, etc. remains to be highly important tool for chronostratigraphic studies on the vast territories of Eurasian north, especially when the age of the sample is greater than 40-50,000 year, the practical limit of radiocarbon dating. In addition to our own
research projects we offer also a dating service for luminescence and resonance dating of
archaeological, environmental and geological contexts. This includes
infrared optically stimulated
luminescence (IR-OSL) dating of sediments and electron-spin-resonance (ESR) dating of
freshwater, terrestrial and marine mollusc shells. The prices for |
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| The
Laboratory Staff Anatoly Molodkov, Doctor of Geology Head of the RLQG molodkov@gi.ee Tatyana Balakhnichova Leading Engineer tatyana@gi.ee Ando Ots, Cand. Sci (Phys.-Math.), Associate Professor Senior Research Scientist ando.ots@ut.ee Marina Osipova Engineer omarina@hot.ee
Kuldev Ploom,
Master of
Sci in Geology
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Projects
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Bibliography of selected publicationsPDF copies of some of these publications are available for non-commercial research and educational purposes only. This material cannot be used for commercial purposes, nor can be made multiple copies without prior written permission from the copyright holder. 1981 Molodkov, A.N. 1981. The use of gamma spectrometry to estimate the annual dose. In: Kurvits, Ü., Ilves, E., Liiva, A., Simm, H. (eds.). Isotope-geochemical methods in biology, geochemistry and archaeology. Tartu, 77-80. 1983 Hütt, G., Molodkov, A., Punning J.-M., Pung, L. 1983. The first experience in ESR dating of fossil shells in Tallinn. PACT J. 9, 433-438. 1985 Hütt, G., Molodkov, A., Moora, T. 1985. Thermoluminescence dating of the remains of ancient Estonian settlements by means of feldspar inclusion method. Proc. of the 3rd Nordic Conference on the Application of Scientific Nethods in Archaeology, 699-603. Molodkov, A., Hütt, G. 1985. ESR-dating of subfossil shells: some refinements.. In: Ikeya, M. and Miki, T. (eds.), ESR Dating and Dosimetry, pp.145-155. IONICS, Tokyo. 1986 Molodkov, A. 1986. Application of ESR to the dating of subfossil shells from marine deposits. Ancient TL 4 (3), 49-54. 1987 Molodkov, A.N., Hütt, G.I., Makeev, V.M., Baranovskaya, O.F., Kosmodamiansky, A.V., Ponomareva, D.P., Bolshianov, D.Y. 1987. The ESR age of the mollusc shells from marine deposits the Oktjabrskoj Revolucii Island and the Kotelnyj Island. In: Punning, J.-M.K. Kind, N.V. and Chichagova, O.A. (eds.), New Data in Quaternary Geochronology, pp. 236-243. Nauka, Moscow. 1988 Molodkov, A. 1988. ESR dating of Quaternary shells: recent advances. Quaternary Science Reviews 7, 477-484. PDF Molodkov, A. Raukas A. 1988. The age of Upper Pleistocene marine deposits of the Boreal transgression on the basis of electron-spin-resonance (ESR) dating of subfossil mollusc shells. Boreas 17, 267-272. 1989 Molodkov, A. 1989. The problem of long-term fading of absorbed palaeodose on ESR-dating of Quaternary mollusc shells. Applied Radiation and Isotopes 40, 1087-1093. PDF Molodkov, A. 1989. An experience of ESR-dating of mollusc shell applied for stratigraphic schemes correlation of Quaternary deposits. In: Alekseev M.N. and Nikiforova K.V. (eds.), Quaternary period. Stratigraphy. pp. 204-213. Nauka, Moscow. 1991 Molodkov, A. 1991. The secular stability problem of the natural radiation field in the Quaternary palaeodosimetry. In: Gaigalas, A. (ed.), Geochronological and isotope-geochemical investigations in Quaternary geology and archaeology. pp. 103-110. University Press, Vilnius. 1992 Molodkov, A., Raukas, A., Makeev, V.M., Baranovskaya, O.F. 1992. On ESR-chronostratigraphy of the Northern Eurasia marine deposits and their correlation with the Pleistocene events. In: Murzaeva, V.E., Punning, J.-M. and Chichagova, O.A. (eds.), Geochronology of Quaternary Period, pp. 41-47. Nauka, Moscow. 1993 Molodkov, A. 1993. ESR-dating of nonmarine mollusc shells. Applied Radiation and Isotopes 43, 145-148. PDF 1995 Molodkov, A. 1995. EPR-chronostratigraphic Data for the Dynamics of the Pleistocene Environments. In: Svitoch A.A. (ed.), Correlation of palaeogeographical events: continent-shelf-ocean. Moscow University Press, Moscow, 93-98. 1996 Gaigalas, A., Molodkov A. 1996. Geology and freshwater mollusc ESR-age of the Butenai interglacial lacustrine deposits (Gailiùnai, Southern Lithuania). Geologija 19, 41-49. Molodkov, A. 1996. ESR Dating of Lymnaea baltica and Cerastoderma glaucum from Low Ancylus Level and Transgressive Litorina Sea Deposits. Applied Radiation and Isotopes 47, 11/12, 1427-1432. PDF Molodkov, A. 1996. ESR dating evidence on early man’s dwelling at a Lower Palaeolithic cave site in the Northern Caucasus. Geologija 19, 67–75. PDF Molodkov, A., Raukas A. 1996. ESR Dating of Subfossil Mollusc Shells of the Limnea Sea. Baltica 9, 29-35. 1998 Molodkov, A., Dreimanis, A., Aboltinš, O., Raukas, A. 1998. The ESR age of Portlandia arctica shells from glacial deposits of Central Latvia: an answer to a controversy on the age and genesis of their enclosing sediments. Quaternary Science Reviews 17, 1077-1094. PDF Molodkov, A., Raukas, A. 1998. ESR age of the Late Pleistocene transgressions in the eastern part of the White Sea coast. Geologija 25, 62-69. PDF 1999 Bolikhovskaya, N., Molodkov, A. 1999. On the correlation of the Quaternary continental and marine sediments of the Northern Eurasia by pollen data and ESR-dating results. In: Bolikhovskaya, N.S., Rovnina L.V. (eds.). Urgent problems of palynology on the boundary of the third millenium. Moscow, IGiRGI, 25-53. Bolshiyanov, D., Molodkov, A. 1999. Marine Pleistocene Deposits of the Taymyr Peninsula and their age from ESR dating. In: Kassens, H., H.A. Bauch, I. Dmitrenko, H. Eicken, H.-W. Hubberten, M. Melles, J. Thiede and L. Timokhov (eds.). Land-Ocean Systems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 469-475. Jaek, I., Hütt, G., Streltsov, A. 1999. Study of deep traps in alkali feldspars and quartz by the Optically Stimulated Afterglow. Radiation Protection Dosimetry 84 (1-4), 467–470. 2000 Bolikhovskaya, N.S., Molodkov, A.N. 2000. Correlation of the loess-palaeosoil formation and marine deposits of Northern Eurasia (by results of palynological and ERS analyses). In: Kaplin, P.A., Sudakova, N.G. (eds.). Problems of Pleistocene palaeogeography and stratigraphy. Moscow University Press, Moscow, 149-178. 2001 Jaek, I., Hütt, G., Rammo, I., Vassilchenko, V. 2001. Search for the dose-sensitive optically stimulated luminescence response in natural carbonates. Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences. Geology 50 (3), 139-148. Molodkov, A. 2001. ESR dating evidence for early man at a Lower Palaeolithic cave-site in the Northern Caucasus as derived from terrestrial mollusc shells. Quaternary Science Reviews 20, 1051-1055. PDF 2002 Bolikhovskaya, N.S., Molodkov, A.N. 2002. Dynamics of Pleistocene Paleoclimatic Events: A Reconstruction Based on Palynological and Electron Spin Resonance Studies in North Eurasia. Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia 2, 2-21.
Gaigalas, A., Molodkov, A. 2002. ESR Ages of Three Lithuanian Mid-Late Pleistocene Interglacials: Methodical and Stratigraphical Approach. Geochronometria 21, 57-64. PDF Molodkov, A., Bolikhovskaya, N. 2002. Eustatic sea-level and climate changes over the last 600 ka as derived from mollusc-based ESR-chronostratigraphy and pollen evidence in Northern Eurasia. Sedimentary Geology 150, 185-201. PDF Molodkov, A., Bolikhovskaya, N., Gaigalas, A. 2002. The last Middle Pleistocene interglacial in Lithuania: insights from ESR-dating of deposits at Valakampiai, and from stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental data. Geological Quarterly 46 (4), 363-374. Bolikhovskaya, N.S., Molodkov, A.N. 2002. Detailed pollen and climatostratigraphic records of the Pleistocene reference loess-palaeosoil sections of Eastern Europe and their correlation with ESR-dated marine deposits. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica 41 (4), 497-507. 2004 Korsakova, O. P., Molodkov, A. N. and Kol’ka, V. V., 2004. Geological-Stratigraphic Position of Upper Pleistocene Marine Sediments in the Southern Kola Peninsula: Evidence from Geochronological and Geological Data. Doklady Earth Sciences 398 (7), 908-912. Molodkov, A., Yevzerov, V. 2004. ESR/OSL ages of long-debated subtill fossil-bearing marine deposits from the southern Kola Peninsula: stratigraphic implications. Boreas 33, 123-131.PDF PDF 2005 Satkūnas, J. & Molodkov, A. 2005. Middle Pleistocene stratigraphy in the light of data from the Vilkiškes site, Eastern Lithuania. Polish Geological Institute Special Papers 16, 94-102. PDF Vasilchenko, V., Molodkov, A., Jaek, I., 2005. Tunnel processes and anomalous fading in natural feldspars extracted from Quaternary deposits. Journal of Applied Spectroscopy 72 (2), 218--223. 2006 Bolikhovskaya, N.S., Molodkov, A.N., 2006. East European loess-paleosol sequences: Palynology, stratigraphy and correlation. Quaternary International 149, 24–36. PDF Molodkov, A., Bitinas, A. 2006. Sedimentary record and luminescence chronology of the Lateglacial and Holocene aeolian sediments in Lithuania. Boreas 35 (2) 244–254. PDF Molodkov, A., Bolikhovskaya, N. 2006. Long-term palaeoenvironmental changes recorded in palynologically studied loess-palaeosol and ESR-dated marine deposits of Northern Eurasia: implication for sea-land correlation Quaternary International, 152-153, 48-58. PDF 2007 Bolikhovskaya, N., Molodkov, A. 2007. Pollen and IR-OSL evidences for palaeoenvironmental changes between ca 39 kyr to ca 33 kyr BP recorded in the Voka key section, NE Estonia. Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 46, 103–112. PDF Jaek, I., Molodkov, A., Vasilchenko, V. 2007. Luminescent manifestation of tunnel and ionic processes in alkali feldspars. Journal of Applied Spectroscopy 74 (3), 357–363. Jaek, I., Molodkov, A., Vasilchenko, V. 2007. On the possible reasons of anomalous fading in alkaline feldspars used for luminescence dating of Quaternary deposits. Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences 56 (3), 167–178. PDF Molodkov, A., 2007. IR-OSL dating of uranium-rich deposits from the new late Pleistocene section at the Voka site, North-Eastern Estonia. Quaternary Geochronology 2, 208–215. PDF Molodkov, A., Bolikhovskaya, N., Miidel, A., Ploom, K. 2007. The sedimentary sequence recovered from the Voka outcrops, North-Eastern Estonia: Implications for late Pleistocene stratigraphy. Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences 56 (1), 47–62. PDF Molodkov, A., Bolikhovskaya, N., Ploom, K. 2007. Geoloogilisi üllatusi Voka klindilahest. Eesti Loodus 9, 10–14 (in Estonian). PDF Molodkov, A, Jaek, I., Vasilchenko, V. 2007. Anomalous fading of IR-stimulated luminescence from feldspar minerals: Some results of the study. Geochronometria 26, 11–17. PDF 2008 Jaek, I., Molodkov, A., Vasilchenko, V. 2008. Instability of luminescence responses in feldspar- and quartz-based palaeodosimeters. Journal of Applied Spectroscopy 75 (6), 820–825. PDF 2009 Molodkov, A., Bolikhovskaya, N. 2009. Climate change dynamics in Northern Eurasia over the last 200 ka: Evidence from mollusc-based ESR-chronostratigraphy and vegetation successions of the loess–palaeosol records. Quaternary International 201, 67–76. PDF 2007–2009 Our ESR results from the Arctic 1: PDF Our ESR results from the Arctic 2: PDF Our ESR and IR-OSL results from the Kola Peninsula: PDF 2010
Molodkov, A., Bitinas, A., Damušytė, A. 2010. IR-OSL dating studies of glacigenic sediments from the Lithuanian Maritime Region. Quaternary Geochronology 5, 263–268. PDF
Molodkov, A., Bolikhovskaya, N. 2010. Climato-chronostratigraphic framework of Pleistocene terrestrial and marine deposits of Northern Eurasia, based on pollen, electron spin resonance, and infrared optically stimulated luminescence analyses Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences 59, 1, 49–62. PDF
Baltrūnas, V., Karmaza, B., Molodkov, A., Šinkūnas, P., Švedas, K., Zinkutė, R. 2010. Structure, formation and geochronology of the late Pleistocene and Holocene cover deposits in South-Eastern Lithuania. Sedimentary Geology 231, 3–4, 85–97.PDF
Jaek, I., Molodkov, A., Vasilchenko, V. 2010. Mechanisms of luminescent responses in thermal and optical stimulation of potassium feldspars. J. Appl. Spectr., 77, 441–444. PDF2011
Alexanderson, H., Landvik, J.Y., Molodkov, A., Murray, A.S. 2011. A multi-method approach to dating middle and late Quaternary high relative sea-level events on NW Svalbard – a case study. Quaternary Geochronology 6, 326–340. PDF Gusev, Е.А., Arslanov, H.A., Maksimov, F.E., Molodkov, A.N., Kuznetsov, V.Yu., Smirnov, S.B., Chernov, S.B., Zherebtsov, I.E., Levchenko, S.B. 2011. New geochronological data on Neopleistocene-Holocene sediments from the lower Yenisey area. The problems of Arctica and Antarctica 88(2), 36–44 (in Russian) PDF Bitinas, A., Damušytė, A., Molodkov, A. 2011. Geological Structure of the Quaternary Sedimentary Sequence in the Klaipėda Strait, Southeastern Baltic. In J. Harff el al. (eds.). The Baltic Sea Basin, Central and Eastern European Development Studies (CEEDES). Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 133–146. PDF
Molodkov, A. 2011. Cross-check of the dating results obtained by ESR, IR-OSL and U-Th methods: implication for the Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. 13th International Conference on Luminescence and Electron Spin Resonance Dating, Toruń, Poland, 10–14 July 2011 Abstract Poster
2012Doğan, U., Koçyiğit, A., Varol, B., Özer, İ., Molodkov, A., Zöhra, E. 2012. MIS 5a and MIS 3 relatively high sea-level stands on the Hatay-Samandağı coast, Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey. Quaternary International (in press). PDF Gusev Е.А., Molodkov A.N. 2012. Structure of deposits formed during the final stage of the Kazantsevo transgression (MIS 5a) in the north of Western Siberia. Doklady Earth Sciences, 443 (2) (in press). Molodkov, A. 2012. Cross-check of the dating results obtained by ESR and IR-OSL methods: implication for the Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. Quaternary Geochronology (in press) |
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| Address: The Research Laboratory for Quaternary Geochronology Institute of Geology Tallinn University of Technology 5, Ehitjate Rd. 19086 Tallinn ESTONIA For more information please contact: Dr Anatoly Molodkov Head of the RLQG E-mail: molodkov@gi.ee |
Last updated: February 2012 |
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