High-resolution record of the environmental response to climatic variations during the Last Interglacial-Glacial cycle in Central Europe: the loess-palaeosol sequence of Dolní Věstonice (Czech Republic)

ANTOINE, Pierre, Denis-Didier ROUSSEAU, Jean-Philippe DEGEAI, Olivier MOINE, France LAGROIX, Sebastian KREUTZER, Markus FUCHS, Christine HATTÉ, Caroline GAUTHIER, Jiří SVOBODA and Lisá LENKA. High-resolution record of the environmental response to climatic variations during the Last Interglacial-Glacial cycle in Central Europe: the loess-palaeosol sequence of Dolní Věstonice (Czech Republic). Quaternary Science Reviews. 2013, vol. 67, 1 May, p. 17-38. ISSN 0277-3791. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.01.014.

Basic information

• Original name: High-resolution record of the environmental response to climatic variations during the Last Interglacial-Glacial cycle in Central Europe: the loess-palaeosol sequence of Dolní Věstonice (Czech Republic)
• Authors: ANTOINE, Pierre (250 France), Denis-Didier ROUSSEAU (250 France), Jean-Philippe DEGEAI (250 France), Olivier MOINE (250 France), France LAGROIX (250 France), Sebastian KREUTZER (276 Germany), Markus FUCHS (276 Germany), Christine HATTÉ (250 France), Caroline GAUTHIER (250 France), Jiří SVOBODA (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution) and Lisá LENKA (203 Czech Republic).
• Edition: Quaternary Science Reviews, 2013, 0277-3791.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: Archaeology, anthropology, ethnology
• Country of publisher: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 4.571
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14310/13:00068081
• Organization unit: Faculty of Science
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.01.014
• UT WoS: 000317871600003
• Keywords in English: Loess palaeosol; Czech Republic; Weichselian; Early-glacial; Grain size; Palaeopedology; OSL; Organic carbon; Environmental magnetism; Malacology
• Tags: AKR, rivok

Abstract

High-resolution multidisciplinary investigation of key European loess-palaeosols profiles have demonstrated that loess sequences result from rapid and cyclic aeolian sedimentation which is reflected in variations of loess grain size indexes and correlated with Greenland ice-core dust records. This correlation suggests a global connection between North Atlantic and west-European air masses. Herein, we present a revised stratigraphy and a continuous high-resolution record of grain-size, magnetic susceptibility and organic carbon d13C of the famous of Dolní Vestonice (DV) loess sequence in the Moravian region of the Czech Republic. A new set of quartz OSL ages provides a reliable and accurate chronology of the sequence’s main pedosedimentary events. The grain size record shows strongly contrasting variations with numerous abrupt coarse-grained events, especially in the upper part of the sequence between ca 20-30 ka. This time period is also characterised by a progressive coarsening of the loess deposits as already observed in other western European sequences. The base of the DV sequence exhibits an exceptionally well-preserved soil complex composed of three chernozem soil horizons and 5 aeolian silt layers (marker silts). This complex is, at present, the most complete record of environmental variations and dust deposition in the European loess belt for the Weichselian Early-glacial period spanning about 110 to 70 ka, allowing correlations with various global palaeoclimatic records. OSL ages combined with sedimentological and palaeopedological observations lead to the conclusion that this soil complex recorded all of the main climatic events expressed in the North GRIP record from Greenland Interstadials (GIS) 25 to 19.