Luminescence chronostratigraphy for the loess deposits in Złota, Poland

Abstract

Loess formations in Poland display a close relationship with cooling and warming trends of the Northern Hemisphere during the Pleistocene. Loess sequences sensitively record regional palaeoclimatic and palaeoecological changes. The Złota loess profile (21°39'E, 50°39'N) provides a unique opportunity to reconstruct climate conditions in the past in this part of Poland. This continuous sequence of loess and palaeosol deposits allows to distinguish between warmer and more humid climate which is favourable for soil development and much colder and dry periods which are conducive to loess accumulation. The silty and sandy aeolian material originates mainly from weathered rock surfaces affected by frost shattering or from glaciofluvial/fluvial deposits of river flood plains. In Poland, loess and loess-like formations occur in the southern part of the country, mostly in the south polish uplands, i.e. in the Lublin, Sandomierz, and Cracow Uplands. We used different techniques to establish a chronological framework for this site. 21 samples for luminescence dating were collected from the investigated loess profile in Złota. Infrared post-IR IRSL dating method was applied to the polymineral fine grains (4-11µm). The dating results are accompanied by detailed analyses of the geochemical composition, organic carbon and carbonate. Also, analysis of magnetic susceptibility and grain-size distribution were investigated. Based on such a large stratigraphic dataset an age-depth model using OxCal has also been constructed for this site.

A new methodological approach (QEMSCAN®) in the mineralogical study of Polish loess: Guidelines for further research

“…The samples for experiments were taken from the Late Pleistocene loess-paleosol sequence in Złota (21′39′E, 50°39′N) located in the south-eastern part of Poland, on the northern side of the Vistula river valley, and near the mouth of the San river ( Figure 1). The 13m Złota loess-paleosol sequence consists of five main units developed in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene [10,11]:…”

“…two paleosol complexes (S1 correlated with MIS 5 and L1SS1 correlated with MIS 3), two calcareous loess units (L1LL1 correlated with MIS 2 and L1LL2 correlated with MIS 4) and recent S0 soil at the top ( Figure 2). To correlate the stratigraphic units used herein with the Polish loess stratigraphy, please refer to the previous articles [11] or [12]. More detailed information about the Złota loess-paleosol sequence can be found elsewhere [11].…”

“…To correlate the stratigraphic units used herein with the Polish loess stratigraphy, please refer to the previous articles [11] or [12]. More detailed information about the Złota loess-paleosol sequence can be found elsewhere [11].…”

New approach of clustering of late Pleni-Weichselian loess deposits (L1LL1) in Poland

“…The characteristics of the site based on multidisciplinary investigations were published by Jary [10]. A chronological framework for this site was established by Moska et al [29].…”

“…Location (a) and litological description (b) of Złota L1LL1 unit (lithological description modified according to ref [29]…”