Palaeoenvironmental interpretation of a Pleistocene alluvial succession in central Poland: sedimentary facies analysis as a tool for palaeoclimatic inferences

A Pleistocene valley-fill alluvial succession deposited in the Kleszczów Graben, central Poland, has been studied in the Belchatów openpit mine. The succession, palynologically documented to represent the Drenthe/Warthe interstadial, consists of three alluvial complexes whose component lithofacies associations indicate a fluvial system evolving from temperate-climate meandering river to transitional-type shallow braided network, to periglacial well-developed braided river influenced by aeolian sand supply. The study suggests that the abundance of fine-grained overbank deposits, occurrence of peats/palaeosols and fining-upward cyclothems are diagnostic attributes of perennial meandering river alluvium, which may indicate temperate climatic conditions. Periglacial braided river alluvium is recognizable by an admixture of wind-derived sand grains with aeolian surface textures and by the occurrence of ice-wedge features, indicative of cold climatic conditions. The distinction between the two basic types of alluvium is aided by the analysis of architectural elements and palaeocurrent directional data. The study demonstrates that sedimentological facies analysis can be a useful tool for the recognition of palaeoclimatic changes in Pleistocene alluvial successions.