First evidence of an interglacial lake of Eemian age in northeast Italy

Abstract

This paper assesses the age of the Tagliamento Morainic Amphitheatre (northeast Italy), one of the largest morainic bodies in the piedmont area of northern Italy, using new stratigraphical and thermoluminescence (TL) data obtained from a site located on the inner flank of the amphitheatre. Two samples from a 12‐m‐thick stratum of fluviolacustrine, non‐varved, fine sand provided TL ages of approximately 110 ± 16 ka BP. This sandy layer lies below a 6‐m‐thick, massive (non‐laminated), clayey stratum. It is hypothesised that a large but short‐lived lake formed during the interglacial phase separating the penultimate and last glaciations. Assigning a ‘Riss’ age to the southeastern part of the amphitheatre therefore regains credence. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evidence of a two-fold glacial advance during the last glacial maximum in the Tagliamento end moraine system (eastern Alps)

“…The first radiocarbon age for the Würm glacial deposits, without any stratigraphic interpretation, was published by Vaia (1982). Sirovich (1998) used thermoluminescence (TL) dating to establish an Eemian age for drilled lacustrine deposits buried by a Würm till. Paiero and Monegato (2003) identified three different glacial stratigraphic units near the Ragogna hill ( Fig.…”

“…2a) borehole stratigraphy included lacustrine sediments between two unweathered tills. TL ages for these lacustrine sediments yielded an age of 110 ka (Sirovich, 1998).…”

Middle to Late Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental evolution of the southeastern Alpine Valeriano Creek succession (northeastern Italy)

“…The chronological constraint of these pre-LGM units is based on pollen stratigraphy, and has recently been related to a reference site at Azzano Decimo (Pini et al, 2009a). Sirovich (1998) also reported two thermoluminescence ages of about 110 ka from a borehole in lacustrine deposits of presumed Eemian age in the inner part of the Tagliamento terminal moraine system; data were supported by sedimentological evidence, but unfortunately lacked any biostratigraphical support.…”