A Detailed Paleoclimate Proxy Record for the Middle Danube Basin Over the Last 430 kyr: A Rock Magnetic and Colorimetric Study of the Zemun Loess-Paleosol Sequence

Abstract

In mid-latitude Eurasia, loess-paleosol sequences (LPS) provide the most widespread sedimentary records of Quaternary paleoenvironmental evolution. In the Middle Danube Basin (MDB), these archives cover at least the last million years of climate history, and occasionally contain archeological findings. The studied Zemun LPS is located on the right bank of the Danube in Northern Serbia. The site was declared as a protected site, based on Paleolithic artifacts found on the riverbank and stemming from unknown stratigraphic levels of the loess cliffs exposed along the Danube. The present study aims to provide a stratigraphic, paleoenvironmental, and temporal context for the Zemun LPS by means of environmental magnetic and colorimetric methods. Our investigations result in a chronostratigraphic scheme allowing direct comparison with other well-established reference records in the MDB and elsewhere. Two potential tephra layers tentatively assigned to the so-called L2 and Bag tephras, which are both widespread in the MDB and beyond were investigated for their bulk magnetic properties. The resulting integrated age model suggests that the Zemun LPS records a detailed history of a quasi-continuous accumulation of mineral dust from Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 11–5a (c. 430–60 ka). The outcome of our integrative approach indicates a continuous aridification over the last four interglacial/glacial cycles and we discuss potential changes in seasonality over time.

Last glacial loess dynamics in the Southern Caucasus (NE-Armenia) and the phenomenon of missing loess deposition during MIS-2

“…The high magnetic susceptibility (MS) in LPS of NE-Armenia may relate to high proportions of metallic ores within volcanic glasses that attain background levels of up to 20% within unaltered loess 53 . In addition to ultrafine superparamagnetic (SP) particles released from volcanic rocks and glasses, another phenomenon contributing to high χ lf values is the surface oxidation of relatively large detrital and/or magmatic magnetic grains forming a crust of SP-domains 54 – 56 . These processes are possibly responsible for the Armenian Highland samples occupy the highest χ lf value range (Fig.…”

“…Loess may experience an MS increase in case of weathering and pedogenesis (magnetic enhancement accompanied by increasing χ fd ) or due to admixed volcanic clastics (Fig. 5 ) 56 , while post-sedimentary MS depletion is highly improbable in case of the LPS in NE-Armenia since no signs of requisite water-saturated conditions 57 were identified in the sections. Increasing MS in line with pedogenesis is, e.g., visible in the supposed Eemian soil P-1/S3 (Fig.…”

Multi-method study of the Middle Pleistocene loess–palaeosol sequence of Köndringen, SW Germany

“…Many Middle Pleistocene LPSs still lack stateof-the-art chronologies for individual loess and soil units, although palaeomagnetism and tephra stratigraphy are being applied where time intervals and material are present (e.g. Jordanova et al, 2022;Laag et al, 2021;Marković et al, 2015). TL ages from pre-Eemian (MIS 6 and older) loess elaborated during the 1980s to 1990s provide first approximations to the Middle Pleistocene loess chronology, though with large uncertainties (Zöller et al, 1988;Frechen et al, 1992;Frechen, 1994).…”

Central Mediterranean tephrochronology between 313 and 366 ka: New insights from the Fucino palaeolake sediment succession

“…However, new chronostratigraphical information of the BAG tephra in both the Zenum and Suhia Kladenetz sequences (Laag et al . 2021; Jordanova et al . 2022) suggests a deposition in MIS 10 glacial deposits, which is in conflict with the position of the TF‐102/106 tephra during MIS 11.…”