Pedosedimentary evolution of the last interglacial and early glacial sequence in the European loess belt from Belgium to central Russia

Abstract

For more than one century, the textural B-horizon of the last interglacial soil and its cover deposits have been standing out in Europe as an important pedostratigraphic marker. The complexity of this horizon was well illustrated since the seventies, though its pedological and stratigraphic significance remained doubtful. Macro-, meso- and micromorphological data gathered by the authors at various key-sites in Europe and the sequential correlation principle have resulted in a better understanding of the high complexity of the pedosedimentary and stratigraphical evolution of the last interglacial and early glacial loess succession. The present study identifies four megacyclic pedosedimentary intervals that show a general trend towards dry and continental climatic conditions. A consistent correlation exists between pedosedimentary evolution and vegetation, as recorded in the Grande Pile pollen record. The picture obtained in the present study is similar for both the Western and the Eastern European loess palaeosol successions. The so-called 'last interglacial soil', with three major soil-forming processes, belongs to the Eemian and Saint-Germain I (MIS substages 5e and 5c), whereas the humiferous sediments and soils on top are linked to Melisey II, Saint-Germain II and Ognon I (MIS substages 5b and 5a). The overlying loess, colluvial sediments and humiferous soils that end the palaeosol succession belong to the Ognon II and III interstadials; they record the onset of the early Pleniglacial (MIS stage 4) characterized by a significant increase in aeolian sedimentation.