Soil formation and environmental reconstruction of a loess-paleosol sequence in Zmajevac, Croatia

Loess-paleosol sequences are widely recognized in the Pannonian region from a sedimentological perspective; however, fewer studies are focusing on the soil formation processes within these paleosols. We present a detailed pedological study of one of the sequences in Zmajevac, aiming to complete the...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Poch, Rosa M., Galović, Lidija, Husnjak, Stjepan, Martinčević Lazar, Jasmina, Hećej, Nina, Ružičić, Stanko, Pjanić, Ajka, Álvarez Morales, Daniela, Beerten, Koen, Gajić, Rodoljub, Stejić, Petar, Pandurov, Mihajlo
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universitat de Lleida (UdL)
Repositorio:Repositori Obert UdL
OAI Identifier:oai:repositori.udl.cat:10459.1/467451
Acceso en línea:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2024.108507
https://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/467451
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Late Pleniglacial climate
Micromorphology
Pedogenic carbonate mobilization
Descripción
Sumario:Loess-paleosol sequences are widely recognized in the Pannonian region from a sedimentological perspective; however, fewer studies are focusing on the soil formation processes within these paleosols. We present a detailed pedological study of one of the sequences in Zmajevac, aiming to complete the paleoenvironmental information related to these paleosols, particularly to decipher the nature and environmental conditions that formed the thick, slightly developed (cumulus) Bw horizons on top of the three paleosols in the selected sequence. Chemical, physical, mineralogical, and micromorphological analyses, as well as 14C dating of shells, were performed on samples from the three paleosols and the recent soil of the Zmajevac sequence. The results suggest that a discontinuous but rather rapid supply of aeolian and partly alluvial materials led to weak soil formation in all paleosols, limited to calcium carbonate mobilization. The sedimentary accretion processes and milder climatic conditions account for the lack of significant rubefaction and the absence of clay illuviation. The most recent (ZN REC) soil is a paleoclimatological archive of the Bølling–Allerød interstadial period. Each older paleosol section represents three sedimentological and pedological events from MIS 3 (ZN 1), MIS 4 interglacial (ZN 2) and MIS 5e (ZN 3). In general, the younger the age of the horizons within each succession, the lower the level of development. These top horizons of investigated sequences are Bw (cumulus) horizons. Thus, this study enhances our understanding of paleoenvironmental conditions in the Pannonian region.