Lower to middle Weichselian pedogenesis and palaeoclimate in Central Europe using combined micromorphology and geochemistry: the loess-paleosol sequence of Alsheim (Mainz Basin, Germany)
Introduction
Loess-paleosol sequences are excellent terrestrial archives for Late Cenozoic climate change (e.g. Catt, 1991; Frechen et al., 2001; Kemp, 2001; Porter, 2001; Schatz et al., 2011). Whereas the broader application of luminescence dating techniques led to a deeper decipherment of loess-paleosol sequences (e.g. Roberts, 2008; Kadereit et al., 2010; Thiel et al., 2011), detailed micromorphological-sedimentological (e.g. Kemp et al., 1994; Xiao et al., 1995; Kühn et al., 2006a) and palaeopedological studies contributed to an improved understanding of past climate fingerprints in loess and corresponding environments (e.g. Kemp et al., 2006; Mason et al., 2008; Haesaerts et al., 2010; Marković et al., 2011; Zech et al., 2011).
Against the background of the fact that modern soils at the today's land surface have formed under present climate conditions, buried soils being in a similar developmental stage and having the same soil properties are most likely indicative to comparable climate conditions of the past (Catt, 1991). Nevertheless it has to be taken into account that not all paleosol properties necessarily reflect environmental conditions comparable with today (Kemp, 2001; Kühn et al., 2006b). If buried paleosols are not welded or accretionary they can be used as proxies for palaeoclimate conditions (e.g. Buggle et al., 2009; Sheldon and Tabor, 2009; Suchodoletz et al., 2009; Dreibrodt et al., 2010a; Pietsch and Kühn, 2012).
Many regions in loess areas have been settled since ancient times and are characterised by severe soil erosion caused by centuries of agriculture or viticulture (e.g. Lang, 1997; Kalis et al., 2003; Mäckel et al., 2003; Ruddiman et al., 2008; Fuller et al., 2011). As a result calcaric Regosols on slopes and Anthrosols or colluvial deposits on footslopes and in valley floors are widely spread (Leopold and Völkel, 2007; Dreibrodt et al., 2010b). These soils, however, are hardly climate-indicative, because they result predominantly from soil erosion and are therefore not suitable for a comparison with buried in situ paleosols. Without having the opportunity of a comparison of paleosols with modern soils within an area, only proxies – developed elsewhere – or directly taken from the palaeosols can yield information about the palaeoenvironment.
Aside from a precise characterisation of petrographic and elemental properties, geochemistry offers the possibility to get indicatory values on palaeoprecipitation and palaeotemperature from paleosol horizons (e.g. Sheldon and Tabor, 2009). Combined with micromorphology it provides essential information about weathering intensity, pedogenic processes, relocation processes and palaeoenvironmental conditions.
Micromorphological features of paleosols reflect soil forming process such as clay illuviation, calcification, decalcification, redoximorphosis or relocation, and hence reflect environmental conditions under which these soils formed (e.g. Bronger et al., 1994; Kemp, 1998; Fedoroff et al., 2010). Micromorphology gives additional information about the intensity of soil forming processes, i.e. about soil developmental stages and their succession (Pietsch and Kühn, 2009) and it helps to refine the pedostratigraphy of loess-paleosol sequences (Kühn et al., 2006a).
In this paper we focus on particle size distribution, geochemical and micromorphological data characterising particularly lower Weichselian loess and loess derivatives as well as weathering intensities of buried Bw, Btw and Ah (humus zones, Chernozem) soil horizons of a loess-paleosol sequence situated in Central Europe. By our knowledge, the use of geochemical data of distinct buried soil horizons in terms of palaeoenvironmental proxies is the first attempt to calculate palaeotemperature and palaeoprecipitation in Europe for the Late Cenozoic.
Section snippets
Local and regional setting
Several loess-paleosol sequences (numbers 1–4 in Fig. 1) have been investigated in the Mainz Basin in Germany. They show a high sensitivity to regional climate and environmental changes particularly since the penultimate glacial period (e.g. Frechen, 1999; Semmel, 1999; Frechen and Weidenfeller, 2000; Bibus et al., 2002). The Alsheim loess-paleosol sequence (number 1 in Fig. 1), is situated in the eastern part of the Mainz Basin, about 2 km west of the eastern rim of the Upper Rhine Rift.
Materials and methods
For the description of the different loess derivatives we translated the German morphogenetic terms Schwemmlöss and Sumpflöss (cf. Koch and Neumeister (2005) for the variety of terms of loess derivatives). The layers of aquatic loess (“Schwemmlöss”), which means loess translocated by water erosion, indicate intensive relocation processes of middle and lower Weichselian age. The term bog loess (“Sumpflöss”) is used for loess accumulated in stagnating water.
51 bulk samples for particle size
Particle size distribution
The silt content of all three sections is more than 60% (Fig. 5). Highest sand contents with around 20% occur only in the aquatic loess of Als IIb. Bog loess deposits have generally higher clay contents with up to 30% (Als IIb and Als I). Pedogenetically altered loess seems not to be well distinguishable by the degree of fineness. This may be also caused by a weak pedogenesis in form of physical and chemical mineral weathering causing the reduction of particle size, and by a new formation of
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Thomas Schneidermeier (Bensheim) for many discussions and joint work in the field as well as for the geochemical analyses. We are greatly indebted to Dana Pietsch (Tübingen) and two anonymous reviewers for most valuable comments on the manuscript.
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