Electron spin resonance signals of quartz in present-day river bed sediments and possible source rocks in the Kizu River basin, Western Japan

Abstract

In this study, measurements of electron spin resonance (ESR) signals from quartz grains from present-day river bed sediments of the Kizu River basin (western Japan) were used to estimate the mixing ratios of the possible source materials of these fluvial deposits. The dose-saturated ESR signal intensities obtained from the Al and Ti-Li centers in quartz grains were close to the range between the maximum and minimum intensities of their potential source rocks, meaning it was possible to estimate the mixing ratios of these sources. The results indicate that the dose-saturated Al and Ti-Li center ESR intensities can be used to quantitatively estimate the provenance of the sediments deposited by the Kizu River.