Grain-size analysis of the Neogene red clay formation in the Pannonian Basin

The red clay is a significant deposit underlying the Pleistocene loess-paleosols sequence in the Pannonian Basin. The sedimentary processes involved and the origin of the materials remain controversial. In order to determine the depositional processes of the Pliocene red clay formation we studied many red clay sections in Hungary. Here, we present results of grain-size analyses of the red clay from representative sites. In particular their grain-size distribution is compared with that of typical Pleistocene eolian loess-paleosols, as well as lacustrine and fluvial sediments. It appears from the sedimentological data that the majority of the red clay is of a wind-blown origin. The red clay might be transported by weak westerly winds and has been modified by post-depositional alteration.