Multiproxy evidence of middle and Late Pleistocene environmental changes in the loess-paleosol sequence of Bůhzdař (Czech Republic)
Introduction
Loess-paleosol sequences consist of alternating loess and paleosols that represent a close relationship with cooling and warming trends during the Pleistocene (Kukla, 1975; Frechen, 2003; Ložek, 2007). These alternations are widespread in areas of loess distributions and are reported worldwide (Han et al., 1997; Frechen, 2003; Li and Liu, 2003; Kaakinen et al., 2006; Ning et al., 2006; Dodonov, 2013; Muhs, 2007; Porter, 2007; Roberts et al., 2007; Marković et al., 2008, 2015; Antoine et al., 2009, 2013; 2019; Novothny et al., 2011; Wacha et al., 2011; Rao et al., 2015; Ghafarpour et al., 2016; Chen et al., 2018). The loess-paleosol sequences in Europe, especially the Upper Pleistocene loess-paleosol sequences, provide an excellent terrestrial archive with high-resolution of climate forcing (Frechen, 2003). Detailed studies of such loess-paleosol sequences offer comprehensive understanding of past climate and paleoenvironmental changes on land where paleoclimate proxies are often scarce and/or difficult to assess.
Loess-paleosol sequences of Central Europe were deposited in a non-glaciated region between two glaciated regions: the glacier advancing from the Alps in the south and the Fennoscandinavian ice sheet in the north (Shi et al., 2003). Czech loess-paleosol sequences can be found in two main regions: Central Bohemia and South Moravia. Detailed descriptions of loess-paleosol sequences were provided by Kubiena, Kukla, Ložek and Smolíková during the 1950s and 1960s. More recently and based on modern methods, publications on loess-paleosol sequences by Frechen et al. (1999), Cílek (2000), Bábek et al. (2011), Antoine et al. (2013), Vysloužilová et al. (2014, 2015, 2016), and Hošek et al. (2015) mostly focused on well-known profiles such as Zeměchy or Dolní Věstonice, making the multiproxy evidence of the Bůhzdař profile unique.
This study presents a detailed multiproxy record of local paleoenvironmental changes archived in a loess-paleosol sequence at Bůhzdař. Geochemical approaches are combined with grain-size distributions and optical stimulated luminesce (OSL) dating in order to assess the climatic conditions at the time of the formation of the strata. The Bůhzdař profile was first briefly described by Ložek (1954) who analyzed fossil malacofauna, but no thorough study has been conducted since then.
Section snippets
Regional setting
The Bůhzdař profile is situated 9 km northwest of Prague, Czech Republic, at an altitude of 300 m a.s.l., (coordinates: 50° 9′ 54.481″ N, 14° 12′ 39.903″ E; Fig. 1), The study profile is located in an old brickyard in the cadastral community Zájezd u Buštěhradu. A small watercourse, Buštěhradský stream, is located approximately 200 m south of the studied profile. The geological basement is formed by Neoproterozoic phyllitic slates and phyllitic cherts belonging to the Kralupy-Zbraslav Group.
Materials and methods
The uncovered profile is 5 m thick and composed of eight pedosedimentary units, i.e. three paleosol units and five loess units (Fig. 2). The recent humus horizon of Chernozem is not present in the profile because it was taken away as it is conventional in raw material extraction (brickyard). The upper 2.9 m of loess is divided into four horizons (loess I, loess II, loess III and loess IV). The deepest of these horizons (loess IV) further extends into a paleosol layer by a 70 cm long wedge,
Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL)
The age of the youngest loess (loess I, BUH-OSL1) is consistent with the Last Glacial Maximum (MIS 2), approximately 28 ± 2 ka (Table 2). The loess in the middle part of the profile (loess III, BUH-OSL2) deposited 145 ± 11 ka (MIS 6) and the deepest loess (loess V, BUH-OSL3) during the MIS 8, i.e. 204 ± 17 ka. The Eemian paleosols (MIS 5e) are completely missing in the Bůhzdař profile.
Grain size analysis
Silt-sized grains (2–63 μm) constitute the dominant fraction of the studied loess profile reaching 61–82% of
The Bůhzdař profile in European context
The Bůhzdař profile generally corresponds well to other European loess-paleosol sequences. In this study, the most common European definition of silt (63–2 μm) was used (Rousseau et al., 2007; Antoine et al., 2009; Terhorst et al., 2009, 2015). Rates of silt-sized and clay-sized particles in loess samples at the Bůhzdař profile are in line with other European loess profiles (Rousseau et al., 2007) and allow paleosols to be distinguished from loess (Fig. 8).
The mineralogical and geochemical
Conclusion
- 1.
The profile was affected by several erosional events. The complex of paleosols is dated between 204 and 145 ka which should be equal to PK IV (S2), based on comparison to other profiles in Europe (Kukla, 1977; Frechen et al., 1999; Hatté et al, 1998, 2013, 1999; Žigová; Šťastný, 2006; Antoine et al., 2013; Zech et al., 2013; Obrecht et al., 2014; Hošek et al., 2015). The loess I from the top of the profile is dated (28 ka) to the LGM which suggests that the Eemian and younger paleosols were
Declaration of competing interest
None.
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Charles University Grant Agency [GAUK 1188217].
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2022, CatenaCitation Excerpt :This nonuniformity of loess–palaeosol sequences (LPSs) is a result of different climatic conditions (Obreht et al., 2017, 2019), more specifically the influence of Atlantic moisture on the one hand (Terhorst et al., 2015) and local geomorphological conditions on the other. In Czech LPSs, the MIS 3 part is often reduced (Neruda and Nerudová, 2009; Antoine et al., 2013; Hošek et al., 2015) or completely missing (Flašarová et al., 2020). Moreover, most loess–palaeosol MIS 3 sites in Czechia, mainly in the land of Moravia, have been investigated primarily from an archaeological point of view with little geoscientific insight (e.g. Valoch, 1984; Valoch et al., 1993; Neruda and Nerudová, 2005; Neruda and Nerudová, 2013; Škrdla, 2017a).
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2021, Quaternary InternationalCitation Excerpt :Bishop et al. (2010) suggested that Fe3+ is an important electron acceptor to support respiration of Fe-reducing bacteria in minerals in loess deposits. Magnetic measurements of loess-paleosol sequences have proven to be valuable tools for the reconstruction of paleoclimate change, not only along the loess belt that crosses Eurasia, from Europe (cf. Antoine et al., 2009; Buggle et al., 2009; Marković et al., 2015; Sprafke et al., 2018; Bradák et al., 2018; Wacha et al., 2018; Radaković et al., 2019; Flasarova et al., 2020) through Central Asia (cf. Yang et al., 2014; Fitzsimmons et al., 2018) to China (e.g. Song et al., 2014; Maher et al., 2016), but also in loess deposits of the United States (cf. Johnson and Willey, 2000; Miao et al., 2007; Reheis et al., 2018). χ-T is a rock magnetic tool for determining changes in the mineralogy of natural samples upon heating; it can also indicate the degree of pedogenesis (Banerjee et al., 1993; Deng et al., 2001, 2004; Liu et al., 2005; Song et al., 2018; Költringer et al., 2020).
Pedosedimentary record of MIS 5 as an interplay of climatic trends and local conditions: Multi-proxy evidence from the Palaeolithic site of Moravský Krumlov IV (Moravia, Czech Republic)
2021, CatenaCitation Excerpt :Pedological records are often incomplete and usually in the form of a Bt horizon, if it is preserved (Smolíková, 1982; Frechen et al., 1999; Bábek et al., 2011; Antoine et al., 2013; Fuchs et al., 2013; Hošek et al., 2015), probably because of intensive erosion. In some cases it is entirely missing (Flašarová et al., 2020). In Lower Austria the situation is slightly different (Fig. 1B), as Bw horizons of cambisol were also recognized (e.g. Sprafke et al., 2014; Sprafke, 2016).
Loess records of environmental change
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