Geochronology of Middle and Upper Pleistocene Loess Sections in Hungary

Abstract

The application of both thermoluminescence and infrared stimulated luminescence dating to the extensively studied “classical” Hungarian loess/paleosol sequences from Basaharc, Mende, and Paks provides a reliable chronological framework and climatostratigraphic reconstruction for the last interglacial/glacial cycle. Based on this combined luminescence dating study a new chronology is proposed for the “Young Loess” in Hungary. Luminescence dating suggests that the loess below the MF2 horizon formed during the penultimate glaciation. The MF1 horizon probably formed during an interstade within oxygen isotope stage 3. For the youngest loess, overlying MF1, a very high accumulation rate was determined. Large time gaps occur above MF2 and MF1, indicating that most of the record of the last glaciation is missing in the standard sections at Basaharc, Mende, and Paks. Either large discontinuities or a very low accumulation rate occurred in all three type sections during the soil-forming periods. High-resolution studies of climatic proxies using this combined luminescence dating approach provide a reliable chronological framework for loess and loess derivatives of the last glacial cycle in Hungary, although a precise and complete chronostratigraphic reconstruction cannot be achieved from the incomplete records found at these sites.

TL Ages of Loesses from the Last Two Glacials in Se Poland

“…He dated also some of the profiles described in this paper but the results seem to be incomparable with modern ones. The results of TL dating carried out in Lublin in the years 1980-1992 differ also from the results obtained for the same loess profiles in other TL laboratories (Butrym, 1987;Butrym and Maruszczak, 1984;Frechen et al, 1997).…”

“…This is caused by long bleaching by artificial light, which can change the sensitivity of mineral material. This phenomenon does not occur in every dated sample, however the obtained results should be verified using the total-bleach technique (Berger et al, 1992;Frechen, 1992 andFrechen et al, 1997 andZhou and Wintle, 1994), which is free from the above-mentioned limitations.…”

“…Loess material in Europe is considered to be of local origin so it was probably transported by surface winds from a short distance of up to several tens of kilometres (Dolecki and Łanczont, 1995;Maruszczak, 1986;Frechen et al, 1999;Chlebowski et al, 2003). Very extensive comparative studies on TL and IRSL methods applied to silt deposits from Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, and France (Frechen, 1992 andFrechen et al, 1997Frechen et al, , 1999Frechen et al, , 2001Frechen et al, and 2003 reveal that the total-bleach method applied to those silts, which are defined in literature as reworked loess, slope wash deposit, deluvial and solifluction loess, gives overestimated results, adequately to insufficient bleaching of TL signal. However, the results of IRSL and TL dating of typical/proper loesses are usually consistent with geologic interpretation so it is confirmed that the total-bleach method can be used for dating of Aeolian silt deposits.…”

“…The use of the LiF dosimeters in small samples could have given underestimated results because the dosimeters obtained only a part of ionising radiation energy in comparison to that which they could have obtained in the soil. Due to the above-mentioned reasons, different researchers criticized this method of thermoluminescence dating (Fedorowicz and Olszak, 1988;Bluszcz, 1987a, 1987b;Wintle, 1987;Frechen, 1992;Frechen et al, 1997). Butrym obtained many dating results for loess.…”

Danube loess stratigraphy — Towards a pan-European loess stratigraphic model

“…Early TL chronologies from the DLPS (e.g. Wintle, 1987;Singhvi et al 1989) were obtained using protocols which have since been shown to be potentially unreliable in loess environments (Frechen et al, 1997). Subsequently, optically stimulated luminescence dating (OSL) on quartz, and infrared stimulated luminescence dating (IRSL) on feldspars and polymineral samples dominated by feldspar signals were adopted and thought to provide more reliable age estimates (Balescu et al 2003(Balescu et al , 2010Novothny et al 2009Novothny et al , 2010Lang et al 2003;Timar et al 2010).…”