Abstract: Quartz, one of the most widely distributed minerals on the earth surface, is believed to be the best carrier inheriting parent
rock information due to its strong resistance to weathering. The luminescence (thermoluminescence and optically stimulated
luminescence) sensitivity of quartz has been preliminarily tried to trace eolian sediment provenances since it is closely related to its
parent rock and transport-deposit processes. However, little is known about luminescence properties of quartz in the fluvial sediments.
The present study compares the luminescence properties of quartz derived from three important rivers of the eastern China (Huanghe，
Yangtze and Zhuoshui) and further discuss its possibility of tracing marine sediments. Through analysis of luminescence sensitivity of
quartz among 7 sediment size fractions (<4 μm, 4~16 μm, 16~32 μm, 32~45 μm, 45~63 μm, 63~90 μm, 90~125 μm) from Huanghe,Yangtze and Zhuoshui rivers, the results show that the luminescence sensitivities of 110℃ TL peak and OSL of quartz changed with
quartz grain size and the sensitivities of fine and coarse quartz grains are much lower than those of medium quartz (4~45 μm). It is also
found a significant difference of luminescence sensitivities in all quartz particle fractions among Huanghe, Yangtze and Zhuoshui
rivers, with the highest in Yangtze and the lowest in Zhuoshui River. The irradiation and bleaching experiments indicate that
transport-deposit processes might have increased the luminescence sensitivities of quartz to some degree. The quartz experienced more
irradiation and bleaching cycles in the Yangtze drainage basin because the transport time of sediments from source to sink was much
longer, which might lead to high luminescence sensitivities of quartz. Besides, the quartz generated from mafic igneous rocks in the
upper Yangtze also had high luminescence sensitivities. The luminescence sensitivities of quartz from Huanghe sediments inherit
quartz properties from Loess Plateau. As a short mountainous river, Zhuoshui River transported sediments quickly from source to the
sink, which resulted in low luminescence sensitivities of quartz due to less irradiation and bleaching cycles. In addition, metamorphic
rocks distributed widely in the drainage basin produced quartz with low luminescence sensitivities. Meanwhile, high luminescence
sensitivities of quartz with medium grain size were believed to the related to fluvial transport pathway and quartz properties. Although
increases in quartz luminescence sensitivities are predictable when fluvial sediments are transported in the sea, the increment might be
much less than the differences among the three rivers based on the above results. Therefore, quartz luminescence properties of 4~45
μm fraction are suggested to use for tracing marine sediments in the shelf of Yellow Sea and the East China Sea.

Key words: quartz, provenance, Huanghe, Yangtze, Zhuoshui, luminescence sensitivity