Middle Pleistocene interglacial deposits at Barling,Essex, England: evidence for a longer chronology for the Thames terrace sequence

Results are presented from a multidisciplinary study of fossiliferous interglacial deposits on the northern side of the Thames estuary. These fill a channel cut into London Clay bedrock and overlain by the Barling Gravel, a Thames–Medway deposit equivalent to the Lynch Hill and Corbets Tey Gravels of the Middle and Lower Thames, respectively. The channel sediments yielded diverse molluscan and ostracod assemblages, both implying fully interglacial conditions and a slight brackish influence. Pollen analysis has shown that the deposits accumulated during the early part of an interglacial. Plant macrofossils, particularly the abundance of Trapa natans, reinforce the interglacial character of the palaeontological evidence. A beetle fauna, which includes four taxa unknown in Britain at present, has allowed quantification of palaeotemperature using the mutual climatic range method (T_max 17 to 26 °C; T_min ?11 to 13 °C). A few vertebrate remains have been recovered from the interglacial deposits, but a much larger fauna, as well as Palaeolithic artefacts, is known from the overlying Barling Gravel. The age of the interglacial deposits is inferential. The geological context suggests a late Middle Pleistocene interglacial, part of the post‐diversion Thames system and therefore clearly post‐Anglian. This conclusion is supported by amino acid ratios from the shells of freshwater molluscs. The correlation of the overlying Barling Gravel with the Lynch Hill/Corbets Tey aggradation of the Thames valley constrains the age of the Barling interglacial to marine oxygen isotope stages 11 or 9. The presence of Corbicula fluminalis and Pisidium clessini confirms a pre‐Ipswichian (marine oxygen isotope substage 5e) age and their occurrence in the early part of the interglacial cycle at Barling precludes correlation with marine oxygen isotope stage 11, as these taxa occur only later in that interglacial at sites such as Swanscombe and Clacton. Thus by process of elimination a marine oxygen isotope stage 9 age would appear probable. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The ‚loess’︁ section at Borden,Kent, SE England

A 5.3m profile originally described as loess with a buried interglacial soil is reinterpreted from petrographic evidence and thermoluminescence dating as a Holocene colluvial accretionary soil. Mineralogical analyses of coarse silt (16–63 μm) fractions suggest that most of the silty colluvium was derived from weathered Thanet Beds upslope, though some loess was incorporated during the final depositional phase. Thin sections show that clay illuviation occurred penecontem-poraneously with deposition of colluvium. Thermoluminescence properties suggest partial optical bleaching of the grains during rapid deposition, which is consistent with a Holocene colluvial origin.     

Early and Middle Pleistocene river systems in eastern England: evidence from Leet Hill,southern Norfolk,England

Pleistocene sediments at Leet Hill, southern Norfolk are examined in terms of their sedimentary structures, palaeocurrent indicators, clast and heavy mineral lithology and litho- and morphostratigraphic position. Colour of the quartzite and vein-quartz clasts is used to differentiate the Bytham and the Kesgrave sands and gravels, with the Bytham sands and gravels having a significantly higher proportion of coloured material. The Kirby Cane sands and gravels are the lower sedimentary unit and were deposited by the Bytham river, which drained a catchment extending into central England. At Leet Hill, erosion of the Kesgrave Sands and Gravels by the Bytham river has given the Kirby Cane sands and gravels a distinctive lithological assemblage. Trace clast lithologies suggest that the Kesgrave Sands and Gravels in the region of Leet Hill were deposited in a coastal location with an input from northern sources as well as southern and Welsh sources diagnostic of the Thames catchment. The glaciofluvial Leet Hill Sands and Gravels were deposited by outwash from the Anglian Scandinavian ice sheet. Initially the flow direction of the outwash was determined by the Bytham river valley, but this changed to a southerly direction once the valley had been infilled. This paper provides the first indication of the location of the boundary (Early Pleistocene coastline) between the fluvial Kesgrave Sands and Gravels and the marine equivalent reworked by coastal processes, and demonstrates the way the pre-glacial relief initially controlled patterns of glaciofluvial sedimentation during the early part of the Anglian glaciation. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New OSL dating of UK loess: indications of two phases of Late Glacial dust accretion in SE England and climate implications

Windblown dust deposits or loess, locally known in the UK as brickearth, blanket many parts of southern England outside the limits of the British and Irish Ice Sheet. The best‐studied loess exposures occur in Kent, southeast England, where the deposits are believed to be Late Glacial in age. New sedimentological evidence is presented for phases of accretion with two distinct units, a calcareous brickearth exhibiting periglacial cryoturbation and a non‐calcareous, massive brickearth. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating has been applied to chemically isolated modal quartz silts to derive a chronology for sediment accretion and to better understand the palaeoclimatic significance of these deposits. © British Geological Survey/Natural Environment Research Council copyright 2007. Reproduced with the permission of BGS/NERC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The origin of very flinty dry-valley deposits in the Marlow area,Buckinghamshire, England

Some of the soils on the floors of dry chalkland valleys north of the River Thames in the Marlow area have surface horizons of moderately to very flinty, weakly or non-calcareous, poorly sorted loams, which were deposited in the late Holocene. These overlie typical chalkland gelifluction and periglacial fluvial deposits. Fine calcareous colluvial loams also occur but are less common than in valleys elsewhere on the English chalk. Particle size and mineralogical analyses suggest that the loamy matrix of the flinty surface horizons was derived from loess and early Tnames terrace deposits or Clay-with-flints occurring on interfluves between the dry-valleys. On the evidence of their poorly sorted nature, lack of carbonate, abundance of large flints and irregularly ridged surfaces, it is suggested that they originated mainly as valley-side debris flows.     

Late pleistocene and holocene loess deposits of the Southeastern Buenos Aires province,Argentina

The Late Pleistocene and Holocene loess deposits of the SE Buenos Aires province are composed of four allostratigraphic units that represent four episodes of loess deposition. The first and the second episodes occurred in Late Pleistocene times. The second episode was followed by a soil forming interval (Early Holocene to Mid-Holocene times). The third episode took place at about 5000 yr BP, after the Holocene sea-level maximum when marine regression began. The fourth episode constitutes a historical event of only local significance.Loess shows a fairly constant granulometric and mineralogical composition. The modal fraction consists of very fine sand and coarse silt (3 to 5 phi). They are classified as sandy silts or silty sands. Three grain-size subpopulations are differentiated: coarse, medium and fine. The medium-size subpopulation, which is the most important, consists of most of the very fine sand and coarse silt. It is thought to be transported by modified saltation and short-term suspension during local dust-storms.The mineralogical composition of loess consists of a volcaniclastic assemblage derived mainly from reworked pyroclastic deposits, primary tephras and volcaniclastic sediments. The source area of these materials was located in the lower Colorado river valley about 400 km SW of the studied area. There was also a direct supply by volcanic ash falls.     

Stratigraphy and origin of New Forest brickearths,England

The thin, loamy brickearth deposits overlying the flinty terrace gravels of the New Forest are divided into older and younger members. The Lower (older) Brickearth includes sediments thought to be mainly loess, with some aeolian sand and possible river floodloam (overbank sediment). These share the common feature of palaeo-argillic soil horizons in their upper layers. Two separate phases of pre-Holocene temperate pedogenesis often can be distinguished in the palaeo-argillic horizons. The Lower Brickearth is the most extensive pre-Devensian loess in Britain. The Upper (younger) Brickearth consists mainly of Late Devensian (Oxygen Isotope Stage 2) loess, but its lower layers also contain fine sand derived mainly from local Tertiary strata. Both brickearths occur on all the terrace surfaces of the New Forest and indicate that the terraces date from Oxygen Isotope Stage 6 or earlier.     

Multiple and single aliquot luminescence dating techniques applied to quartz extracted from Middle and Upper Weichselian loess,Zemechy, Czech Republic

This paper reports the application of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to relatively coarse grains (100–200 μm) of quartz extracted from loess. Two approaches were tested – a multiple aliquot technique and a new single aliquot approach, which is especially suited to the dating of small quantities of such grains found in some loess. The results are compared with infra‐red stimulated luminescence and thermoluminescence (TL) measurements on the finer‐grained (4–11 μm) polymineral fraction and TL measurements on the relatively coarse grains of quartz. The advantages of the new single aliquot (OSL) approach are described and the iterating, computer‐controlled measurement procedure is given. The automated iterative single aliquot regeneration (AISAR) method corrects for changes in luminescence sensitivity during the measurement sequence by monitoring the response to a test dose. Some initial measurements are presented for the loess section at Zemechy, Czech Republic, and these show that the AISAR method gives more precise results than those using a multiple aliquot method. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A loess-paleosol record of climate and glacial history over the past two glacial-interglacial cycles (~ 150 ka), southern Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Loess accumulated on a Bull Lake outwash terrace of Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 6 (MIS 6) age in southern Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The 9 m section displays eight intervals of loess deposition (Loess 1 to Loess 8, oldest), each followed by soil development. Our age-depth model is constrained by thermoluminescence, meteoric ¹⁰Be accumulation in soils, and cosmogenic ¹⁰Be surface exposure ages. We use particle size, geochemical, mineral-magnetic, and clay mineralogical data to interpret loess sources and pedogenesis. Deposition of MIS 6 loess was followed by a tripartite soil/thin loess complex (Soils 8, 7, and 6) apparently reflecting the large climatic oscillations of MIS 5. Soil 8 (MIS 5e) shows the strongest development. Loess 5 accumulated during a glacial interval (~ 76-69 ka; MIS 4) followed by soil development under conditions wetter and probably colder than present. Deposition of thick Loess 3 (~ 43-51 ka, MIS 3) was followed by soil development comparable with that observed in Soil 1. Loess 1 (MIS 2) accumulated during the Pinedale glaciation and was followed by development of Soil 1 under a semiarid climate. This record of alternating loess deposition and soil development is compatible with the history of Yellowstone vegetation and the glacial flour record from the Sierra Nevada.     

山东蓬莱等地第四纪玄武岩的热发光年龄

山东蓬莱、栖霞、沂水、临朐等地分布大片新生代玄武岩。过去主要根据其下伏松散沉积层的时代,与临朐中新统山旺组对比,划分为中新世下玄武岩和上新世上玄武岩。     

Thames interglacial sites, Ipswichian sea levels and Antarctic ice surges

New and old, pollen and other studies are summarized for seven sites in the Thames estuary, all of them most probably of last (Ipswichian) interglacial age. Early in the interglacial, at Crayford, Little Thurrock, and Purfleet, there was an aggradation of laminated (3 mm/pair) 'brickearth' (clay, with silt and sand), to above +11 m O.D. Observations in modern estuaries suggest that the laminations were of tidal origin, and related to a sea stand at +7 m, represented on the coast by e.g. the raised cliff at Brighton. In the middle of the Ipswichian, freshwater fossils at West Thurrock and Wretton (Norfolk) suggest that the sea fell below 0 m. Late in the Ipswichian, arguably at the break of climate, at Crayford, Ilford, Aveley, West Thurrock, Stutton (Suffolk) and probably Little Thurrock, there was an aggradation of massive brickearth (famous for its mammal remains) grading up into sand, to above + 14 m. The possibility is discussed that this second aggradation reflects a second rise of sea level, to +16 m, represented by e.g. the raised beach at Portland, and caused by an Antarctic 'surge'. According to A. T. Wilson, this surge triggered the last (Devensian) ice age.     

Aeolian origin and palaeoclimatic implications of the ‘red clay’ (north China) as evidenced by grain‐size distribution

The ‘Red Clay’ is an important deposit underlying the Quaternary loess–palaeosol sequence in the Chinese Loess Plateau, being regarded as an excellent record of palaeoclimate changes in the late Tertiary. Several properties of the ‘Red Clay’ have been measured previously in order to derive climatic information. However, the sedimentary processes involved and the origin of the materials remain controversial. Here we present results of grain‐size analyses of the ‘Red Clay’ from four representative sites in the Chinese Loess Plateau. In particular their grain‐size distribution is compared with that of typical Quaternary aeolian loess–palaeosol, as well as lacustrine and fluvial sediments. It appears from the sedimentological evidence that the major part of the ‘Red Clay’ is of aeolian origin. It is rather similar in some of its properties to the Quaternary loessic palaeosols. The dust forming the ‘Red Clay’ was transported by a wind system that was weaker than that involved in the accretion of the Quaternary loess. Furthermore, the ‘Red Clay’ sediment has been modified by post‐depositional weathering. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

西宁黄土沉积及其物质来源

西宁黄土包括从Ｓ０至Ｌ１７连续黄土－古土壤序列,黄土开始发育的时间约１．２Ｍａ黄土粒度粗,不稳定重矿物含量高,表明西宁黄土区距黄土物源近,黄土中的石英砂粒多具冰川、冰缘作用的表面机械微结构和形态,结合离石黄土风向主大气环流特征,提出本区黄土主要来地青藏高原第四纪冰川作用和冰缘作用所产生的大量粉砂物质。     

Pedosedimentary development of part of a Late Quaternary loess‐palaeosol sequence in northwest Argentina

The field properties, magnetic susceptibility, particle size, calcium carbonate content, soil micromorphology and optical luminescence ages of the upper 6.1 m and lowermost 4.7 m of the 45 m loess–palaeosol sequence at El Lambedero in the Tafí del Valle region of Tucumán Province (Sierras Pampeanas, northwest Argentina) have been used to set up a partial stratigraphy and chronology, as well as a basic pedosedimentary model of loess accumulation, palaeosol development, reworking and erosion for the site. The minimum ages derived from the basal part of the section suggest that loess began to accumulate some time before 165 ka. A thick and well‐developed pedocomplex in the upper profile is correlated with at least the latter part of marine isotope stage (MIS) 5, whereas the overlying palaeosol may be attributable to pedogenic activity during MIS 3. The absence of material younger than 33 ka close to the surface of this rounded spur landform is probably the result of either non‐deposition or erosional stripping in response to climatic change, or episodic uplift in this seismically active region. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

黄土高原晚上新世红粘土粒度的空间变化

对黄土高原由北到南 6个地点的晚上新世红粘土样品进行了常规粒度测量和化学提取的石英样的粒度测量。红粘土全样和石英样的平均粒径由偏北到南逐渐变细,粗颗粒含量也逐渐减少,表明红粘土可能是由偏北低空风而不是高空风搬运而来的。 3.6～ 2.6MaBP红粘土粒度与其上覆风成黄土粒度的空间变化具有可比性,但变化幅度较小.     

Source Regions and Formation of the Loess Sediments on the High Mountain Regions of Northwestern China

Loess on the high mountains of northwestern China is largely controlled by the topographic features, distributed mainly on the northern slopes of the Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains as well as in the Ili Valley (between the northern and central Tianshan ranges). Loess distributed in different regions has different ages, with the oldest (early Pleistocene) loess occurring in the Ili Valley. Geochemical, mineralogical and granulometric analyses demonstrate that the loess in the three different regions has different provenance. The loess on the northern Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains is mainly derived from the Junggar and Taklimakan Deserts, respectively, whereas the loess in the Ili Valley is derived mainly from the Sary–Ishikotrau Desert located in the Republic of Kazakhstan. However, these deserts serve mostly as holding areas for the silts rather than original source regions. The production of the silt-sized particles is mainly associated with glacial abrasion and tectonic-induced rock denudation. Thus, the loess in the studied regions can be described as “mountainous” loess rather than simply “glacial” loess or “desert” loess. It is unlikely that the mechanisms of loess formation are the same in different regions, given their dependence on specific geomorphological conditions and associated processes.     

Discovery and Significance of Malan Loess on the Piedmont Plain in Pinggu District,Beijing

The platforms on both sides of the Malangou River （a lateral ditch of the Qingshui River that is a tributary of the Yongding River） where Malan Village in Zhaitang Town of Mentougou District of Beijing is located are the place of China＇s typical section of the Quaternary Malan loess. During the investigation in the eastern suburbs of Beijing City, the authors not only clarified 5 grades of terraces on the Pinggu piedmont plain, but also found a clayey silt section mixed with a small amount of alluvial-diluvial gravel layers at a height of 15-25 m above the river level near a Fishpond in Xinli Village of Nandule Town. Results of the study of grain size of the section document that the loess mostly is silty soil （0.05--0.005 mm）, and that the grain size probability cumulative curves of the section are dominated by single-peak, coarse-grained segment I and coarse-grained segment II types, reflecting that its depositional environment is similar to eolian phase. Identification results of heavy minerals from the section show that their contents account for 0.01%-0.11%, averaging 0.04%. There are 24 kinds of heavy minerals, most of which are stable heavy minerals, and the clay minerals mostly are illite, which is consistent with the Malan loess on the Loess Plateau. The chemical composition data reflect that the source area of the loess is relatively arid. The six grade classification of sporopollen in the section further shows the subdivision of the history of alternating warm and humid phases in this geological period. The thermoluminescence dating results range from 21.0 ka to 59.2 ka, convincingly demonstrating that the section indeed consists of Malan loess. The above studies provide a new basis for overall understanding of the distribution of the Malan loess at the northeast margin of the North China Plain and its environment change in the Late Pleistocene.     

Loess in Britain and Ireland: Formation,modification and environmental significance,a review in memory of John Catt (1937–2017)

Loess was first identified in England as early as the mid-19th century, although these deposits were later mapped as ‘brickearth’ or ‘head-brickearth’ by the British Geological Survey. Much of this material was subsequently recognised and named as loess again by soil scientists, most notably by J.A. Catt. The early reports of loess were mostly located in southeast England, however, more recently loessic deposits have also been reported from the north of England, possibly in Scotland, and as far west as western Ireland. Catt also appreciated that these deposits are the western limits of a broad cover of loess stretching across Eurasia. Here, contrasting models for the possible origin, transport pathways and reworking of these deposits are presented. While some of these British deposits are primary in situ loess, a range of processes has likely affected many of them, including periglaciation, Holocene climatic, and human impacts. Luminescence dating has confirmed British loess to be primarily of late Pleistocene age, however, examples of older loess are also reviewed. Deposits in southeast England are the thickest and best expressed today, and these have yielded significant insight into both the mechanism of the hydroconsolidation (collapse) of loess and landscape evolution in northwest Europe during the Last Glacial Period. The thin and regional nature of British and Irish loess may make it an excellent material for studying loess formation, with advantages over the thicker deposits of typical loess of central Europe, where the impact of smaller scale landscape processes may be less obvious.     

Grain size characteristics and genesis of the Muxing loess in the Muling-Xingkai Plain,Northeast China

Thick loess is deposited on the platform in the piedmont zone of Muling-Xingkai Plain(Muxing Plain), but the genesis of the Muxing loess is still unclear. The aims of this study are to analyze the grain size characteristics of Muxing loess collected from the cores of a typical borehole(ZK1) in the piedmont zone of Muxing Plain, and to verify its genesis. The Muxing loess is mainly composed of the particles with diameter less than 50 μm, with an average content of 92.48%. The coarse silt particles with diameter of 10-50 μm are the basic composition of aeolian sediments, and their average content is 44.34% for the Muxing loess, which is the mode class among the particles with different diameters. The grain size parameters and frequency curves are similar to those of the typical aeolian sediments. The distribution characteristic of the Muxing loess in the C-M scatter diagram is consistent with that of the Xi Feng loess. In addition, the discriminant analysis shows the Muxing loess mostly consists of aeolian sediments. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Muxing loess mainly resulted from aeolian deposition based on the grain size characteristics. Muxing Plain is dominated by the monsoon climate, and the wind-blown dusts are gradually deposited after being transported over long distances.