Possibilities and limitations of ESR dating applied to Pliocene and Pleistocene units of western central mainland Portugal

Abstract

Summary: This work aims to give a short description of the applicability of ESR method for dating Pliocene and Pleistocene units of western central mainland Portugal ranging between 2.5 and 0.2 Ma. The vast culminant unit of the sedimentary infill only was previously dated, at the base, in one site. The dating of the topmost deposits of this unit will allow to date the transition from the stage of sedimentary infilling to that of fluvial incision and to understand the controls of this. Only the lower coastal terraces are dated to <ca. 300 ka provided by OSL methods. The ESR dating will support stratigraphic correlations and estimate the local uplift rates and the identification of the main active tectonic structures in central western mainland Portugal.