Upper Pleistocene loess-palaeosol records from Northern France in the European context: Environmental background and dating of the Middle Palaeolithic

Antoine, Pierre; Coutard, Sylvie; Guérin, Gilles; Deschodt, Laurent; Goval, Emilie; Locht, Jean‐luc; Paris, Clément

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2015.11.036

Cited by 83 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…This configuration induced a widening of deflation areas on the continental shelves of the North Sea and Channel and in large river valleys and a very strong increase in detrital particles available for Aeolian deflation and transport, enabling the deposition of markedly thicker loess units over Europe (35). A second marker level, observed around 23 ka at the top of tundra gley G7, is characterized by a sharp decrease in the GSI, an almost complete disappearance of the rich mollusk fauna of Nussloch (17), a shift from finely laminated to homogeneous loess in Western and Central Europe (26,27,30), and a significant increase in the sand content in Eastern Europe (28,29). This marker level at ∼23 ka, also recorded across the European Loess Belt, indicates a shift to markedly more arid conditions between 23 and 20 ka contemporaneous with maxima in ice sheet extension and volume.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of Last Glacial climate variability in west-European loess revealed by radiocarbon dating of fossil earthworm granules

Moine

Antoine

Hatté

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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102

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The characterization of Last Glacial millennial-timescale warming phases, known as interstadials or Dansgaard-Oeschger events, requires precise chronologies for the study of paleoclimate records. On the European continent, such chronologies are only available for several Last Glacial pollen and rare speleothem archives principally located in the Mediterranean domain. Farther north, in continental lowlands, numerous high-resolution records of loess and paleosols sequences show a consistent environmental response to stadial-interstadial cycles. However, the limited precision and accuracy of luminescence dating methods commonly used in loess deposits preclude exact correlations of paleosol horizons with Greenland interstadials. To overcome this problem, a radiocarbon dating protocol has been developed to date earthworm calcite granules from the reference loess sequence of Nussloch (Germany). Its application yields a consistent radiocarbon chronology of all soil horizons formed between 47 and 20 ka and unambiguously shows the correlation of every Greenland interstadial identified in isotope records with specific soil horizons. Furthermore, eight additional minor soil horizons dated between 27.5 and 21 ka only correlate with minor decreases in Greenland dust records. This dating strategy reveals the high sensitivity of loess paleoenvironments to Northern Hemisphere climate changes. A connection between loess sedimentation rate, Fennoscandian ice sheet dynamics, and sea level changes is proposed. The chronological improvements enabled by the radiocarbon "earthworm clock" thus strongly enhance our understanding of loess records to a better perception of the impact of Last Glacial climate changes on European paleoenvironments

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of Last Glacial climate variability in west-European loess revealed by radiocarbon dating of fossil earthworm granules

Moine

Antoine

Hatté

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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102

103

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“…This interpretation is supported by observations from northwestern France plateau sections in which large ice‐wedge cast networks are systematically connected with tundra gley horizons (Antoine et al . ). Furthermore, the new radiocarbon chronology of the Nussloch loess sequence (Moine et al .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…, ; Antoine et al . ). Previously based on pedostratigraphical studies, grain‐size analysis, terrestrial mollusc assemblages and OSL dating (Antoine et al .…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The loess sequences of western Europe provide very detailed and reliable records of climatic and environmental changes of the last 110 kyr in the European Plain (Remy ; Antoine et al . , ; Meijs ; Haesaerts et al . ; Schirmer ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the occurrence of some erosion gaps these sequences, made up of complex and cyclic successions of loess units (aeolian deposits) and of soil horizons, have recorded the impact of millennial‐scale climatic variability during the Last Glacial (Antoine et al . , ; Moine et al . ; Rousseau et al .…”

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confidence: 99%

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High‐resolution quantification of earthworm calcite granules from western European loess sequences reveals stadial–interstadial climatic variability during the Last Glacial

Prud'homme

Moine

Mathieu

et al. 2018

Boreas

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High concentrations of calcite fossil granules produced by earthworms (ECG) have been identified in most of the stratigraphical units along the loess‐palaeosol reference sequence of Nussloch (Germany). They are particularly abundant in interstadial brown soils and in tundra gley horizons, the latter reflecting short‐term phases of aggradation then degradation of permafrost. These granules are characterized by a radial crystalline structure produced in the earthworms by specific bio‐mineralization processes. In our study, we used this biological indicator combined with 14C and OSL dating, and sedimentological parameters to characterize millennial‐time scale climatic variations recorded in loess sequences. The approach is based on high‐resolution counts of ECG throughout a 17‐m‐thick loess sequence (332 samples). Strong increases in granule and mollusc concentrations suggest warmer climate conditions during palaeosol formation phases, associated with increasing biodiversity, biological activity and vegetation cover. Decreased granule concentrations occur within primary loess deposits, indicating a strong correlation with palaeoenvironmental conditions and demonstrating the reliability of ECG concentration variations as a new palaeoenvironmental proxy. Finally, this pattern is also recorded in loess sequences located about 600 km westward in northern France demonstrating the large‐scale validity of this new palaeoclimatic proxy.

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Reconstructing fluvial incision rates based on palaeo‐water tables in chalk karst networks along the Seine valley (Normandy, France)

Nehmé

Farrant

Ballesteros

et al. 2020

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Quantifying rates of river incision and continental uplift over Quaternary timescales offer the potential for modelling landscape change due to tectonic and climatic forcing. In many areas, river terraces form datable archives that help constrain the timing and rate of valley incision. However, old river terraces, with high‐level deposits, are prone to weathering and often lack datable material. Where valleys are incised through karst areas, caves and sediments can be used to reconstruct the landscape evolution because they can record the elevation of palaeo‐water tables and contain preserved datable material. In Normandy (N. France), the Seine River is entrenched into an extensive karstic chalk plateau. Previous estimates of valley incision were hampered by the lack of preserved datable fluvial terraces. A stack of abandoned phreatic cave passages preserved in the sides of the Seine valley can be used to reconstruct the landscape evolution of the region. Combining geomorphological observations, palaeomagnetic and U/Th dating of speleothem and sediments in eight caves along the Lower Seine valley, we have constructed a new age model for cave development and valley incision. Six identified cave levels up to ∼100 m a.s.l. were formed during the last ~1 Ma, coeval with the incision of the Seine River. Passage morphologies indicate that the caves formed in a shallow phreatic/epiphreatic setting, modified by sediment influxes. The valley's maximum age is constrained by the occurrence of late Pliocene marine sand. Palaeomagnetic dating of cave infills indicates that the highest‐level caves were being infilled prior to 1.1 Ma. The evidence from the studied caves, complemented by fluvial terrace sequences, indicates that rapid river incision occurred during marine isotope stage (MIS) 28 to 20 (0.8–1 Ma), with maximal rates of ~0.30 m ka−1, dropping to ~0.08 m ka−1 between MIS 20–11 (0.8–0.4 Ma) and 0.05 m ka−1 from MIS 5 to the present time. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Upper Pleistocene loess-palaeosol records from Northern France in the European context: Environmental background and dating of the Middle Palaeolithic

Cited by 83 publications

References 88 publications

The impact of Last Glacial climate variability in west-European loess revealed by radiocarbon dating of fossil earthworm granules

The impact of Last Glacial climate variability in west-European loess revealed by radiocarbon dating of fossil earthworm granules

High‐resolution quantification of earthworm calcite granules from western European loess sequences reveals stadial–interstadial climatic variability during the Last Glacial

Reconstructing fluvial incision rates based on palaeo‐water tables in chalk karst networks along the Seine valley (Normandy, France)

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