Initial results of the colorimetric indices of the oldest exposed pedocomplex (Titel loess plateau, Serbia)

Abstract

n this study we present an in-depth description of the colorimetric values for the lowest section of the Dukatar Loess Palaeosol Sequence (LPS) pedocomplex S5. Formed during the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 13-15, it represents the oldest pedocomplex exposed at the base of the Titel loess plateau (TLP), near the confluence of the Tisa and Danube rivers in Vojvodina (northern Serbia). The results of low-field magnetic susceptibility measurements (χlf) were compared to colour properties (obtained by conventional methods as well as instrumental measuring) and quantified Soil Development Indices (SDI). Of these measurements we found that the Redness Index (RI1) yielded the most useful results, as this index appears most sensitive to lithological changes and soil development intensity. It was also observed that a high level of correlation existed between χlf, and a* chromaticity. The initial results of this study highlight the utility of colorimetric methods as an interdisciplinary tool when evaluating the presence of ferromagnetics, and the application of rock magnetism to the Middle and Upper Pleistocene LPS of the Middle Danube Basin. The presented approach can be used to observe the evolution of climatic and ecological conditions in the given study area, and for establishing correlations between sites extending over the Eurasian LPS provinces.

A comprehensive dataset of luminescence chronologies and environmental proxy indices of loess-paleosol deposits across Asia

“…Redness (a*) of loess and paleosol sediments is controlled by the content of hematite and other observed iron hydroxides [48][49][50] . Thus, relative redness can be used to reflect the relative degree of chemical weathering of sediments 12 .…”

“…High redness of loess-paleosol sequences from mid-latitude Asia is related to strong chemical weathering and pedogenesis under a warm and moist environment 52 . The yellowness (b*) is affected by the mass fraction of goethite, as well as iron minerals such as pyrite, marsh iron ore and limonite, that can reflect the relative change in precipitation in the region 49,50 . The lightness (L) is related to the content of TOC and CaCO 3 , such that an increase of CaCO 3 and decrease of TOC would cause a high L value, and can therefore, be used as an indicator of vegetation and precipitation changes in the region 52,53 .…”

“…Measurements were conducted on a Konica-MinoltaCM700d color meter. Color reflectance, defined by CIE L*a*b*, where the measured color indices L* indicates lightness, that defines black at 0 and white at 100, while a* and b* refer to redness and yellowness in Red-yellow chromaticity 49,50 .…”

A Glacial–Interglacial Malacofauna Record from the Titel Loess Plateau, Serbia, between ~350 and 250 ka

“…Vojvodina, the northernmost region of Serbia (Figure 1a,b), has some of the beststudied LPSs of the Middle Danube River basin [25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. This region is well-known for its thick (up to 50 m) loess deposits, which are an important and multifaceted paleoenvironmental archive [26,28,32].…”