The hematite–goethite enhancement model of loess and an ‘irregular’ case from Paks, Hungary

Abstract

On the basis of a key model of the appearance of hematite and goethite in some Chinese and European loess successions, paleosols generally contain higher proportions of hematite formed by pedogenic processes during warm and humid interglacials, while loess contains sedimentary goethite deposited during colder, glacial periods. Rock magnetic measurements were conducted on samples from Paks (Hungary) loess, revealing an anomalous case. Sediments were found to contain higher amounts of hematite and/or goethite, while the well‐developed paleosols were found to be lacking in hematite but had significant amounts of magnetite and maghemite. This observation demonstrates that the character of pedogenic magnetic mineral alteration and neoformation differs from the hematite/goethite model; the model is therefore not applicable to the Paks succession, possibly due to differences in the regional paleoclimate and pedogenic environment. The results indicate the existence of a further model, in which hematite formation is not significant in the course of pedogenesis.

Magnetic Susceptibility Properties of Loess From the Willendorf Archaeological Site: Implications for the Syn/Post-Depositional Interpretation of Magnetic Fabric

“…Note that our κ-T results are similar to the κ-T data obtained from loess from the last glacial at the Krems-Wachtberg archaeological site about 20 km north-east of Willendorf (Zeeden et al, 2015), a loess-paleosol sequence in the Czech Republic (Oches and Banerjee, 1996), and the Poiana Cires ¸ului site in eastern Romania (Zeeden et al, 2009, Zeeden et al, 2011; and as such, indicates similarities in terms of magnetic mineralogy. However, in other studies of European loess distinctly different temperature dependent susceptibility patterns have been observed in the drier parts of the Middle and Lower Danube Basins (Jordanova et al, 2007a;Necula and Panaiotu, 2012;Bradák et al, 2019b). In particular, the strong increase in MS from ∼450 to 580 °C is not present in loess preserved within arid and steppe environments.…”