ARENICOLA: Advanced RadiofluorescENce Imaging and grain Classification in Luminescence Applications

• Applicants: Dr. Margret Christine Fuchs; Dr. Sebastian Kreutzer
• Subject Area: Physical Geography
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 553815036

The most pressing concern of our time is to understand and mitigate the environmental impacts of climate change. We have significant knowledge about the evolution of recent climate changes derived from terrestrial palaeoenvironmental studies covering the last 750,000 years. Robust numerical age models, such as luminescence-based chronologies, back up most of these studies. Luminescence dating represents one of the crucial methods in Quaternary sciences, encompassing the last 2.58 million years. It determines the last heat or sunlight exposure event of natural minerals in rocks and sediments such as quartz or feldspar. It has demonstrated a significant gain in understanding past landscape dynamics. Notable methodological and instrumental advances and their successful application in dating studies have driven the acceptance of luminescence dating. This has resulted in the acquisition of more accurate and precise ages. Luminescence is commonly measured using non-imaging systems, such as photo-multiplier tubes. Imaging systems, such as highly efficient semi-conductor-based detectors are rarely used in dating studies, partly because of the challenges involved in efficient data processing. ARENICOLA is pursuing methodological breakthroughs in analyzing spatially resolved multi-spectral radio-fluorescence signals on a single-grain to sub-grain level. ARENICOLA will systematically investigate the luminescence properties of natural mineral grains using modern image analysis methods, such as machine learning to multispectral radio-fluorescence images on a set of preselected samples. The specific objectives of ARENICOLA include the exploration of automated grain classification and component deconvolution of multi-spectral radio-fluorescence signals for in-depth investigations of spectral and spatial data. Compared to optically and thermally stimulated luminescence, radio-fluorescence is recorded over extended periods of up to hours with sufficient signal intensities. These characteristics render radio-fluorescence suitable as a sediment tracer and to produce provenance fingerprints. To that end, ARENICOLA will generate single-grain radio-fluorescence image training datasets and ready-to-use open-source software to simplify and improve existing luminescence dating protocols. It will further support new and more efficient geochronological applications for paleo-environmental studies.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Cooperation Partner: Privatdozent Dr. Christoph Schmidt