Optical Stimulated Luminescence Dating Study of Eolianite on the Island of Bozcaada, Turkey: Preliminary Results

In the present paper, eolianite exposed on the south coast of the semiarid island of Bozcaada, Turkey, was investigated on the basis of geomorphologic and petrographic data, and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating results. The eolianite is lithic arenite in composition and contains abundant quartz, calcite, and various lithoclasts amalgamated with micritic calcite, sparitic calcite, and meniscus cements. Within the youngest layers standing at 1-2 m above sea level, the rock contains rhizoliths with or without carbonaceous fills. The OSL ages obtained ranged between 24.21 +/- 1.53 ka and 16.18 +/- 1.70 ka, suggesting that eolianite constitutes an example of low stand deposits coinciding with oxygen isotope stage 2 (OIS-2).