Luminescence Chronology of the Schwalbenberg II Loess in the Middle Rhine Valley

Abstract

The multiple aliquot protocol based Infrared Stimulated Luminescence (IRSL) and thermoluminescence (TL) data and those of the single aliquot regenerative protocol based post-IR IRSL at 225°C and fading-corrected IRSL at 50°C show that anomalous fading is only a minor problem for the loess and loess derivatives at the Schwalbenberg II loess section. Therefore, it is very likely that multiple aliquot based protocols, which were applied commonly in the 1990s for loess from the Middle Rhine Valley, yielded reliable IRSL and TL age estimates up to an age of about 70-80 ka. The loess/palaeosol sequence of the Schwalbenberg II loess section shows a remarkable detailed Weichselian Middle Pleniglacial (MIS 3) record. A detailed and more reliable chronological framework was set up by luminescence dating methods for the loess record resulting in four major accumulation periods for this last glacial record. The chronological results give further evidence for the litho-pedological correlation of the Hesbaye Formation and the Ahrgau Formation to MIS 2 and MIS 3, respectively. The Keldach Formation is designated to correlate to MIS 4 by means of litho-pedostratigraphy but gives deposition ages between 55 and 45 ka, which does suggest a correlation to MIS 3. Copyright: