The chronology of the Šarengrad II loess-palaeosol section (Eastern Croatia)

Abstract

A 23 m thick succession of Quaternary deposits was investigated at Šarengrad, Eastern Croatia. A geochronological study was performed on loess samples using luminescence dating. An elevated temperature post-IR infrared stimulated luminescence (post-IR IRSL) dating protocol was applied. Performance tests showed that the protocol is suitable for the samples under study. The post-IR IRSL based chronology implies that, contradictory to previous correlations, not the Last Glacial - Last Interglacial cycle but a Middle Pleistocene loess-palaeosol sequence is exposed at Šarengrad II. Based on our ages, the lowermost loess is correlated to oxygen isotope stage (OIS) 9-10 and the double palaeosol at the top of the section most likely correlates with OIS 7. The Last Glacial record is exposed at the nearby Šarengrad I section. Furthermore, a heavy and light mineral analysis was performed on the investigated section as well as on the previously investigated Šarengrad I section, showing that the mineral association is typical for Quaternary deposits of the Pannonian basin.

Keywords

• loess-palaeosol, Šarengrad, geochronology, luminescence dating, Middle Pleistocene