Late glacial river-bed changes on the Little Hungarian Plain, based on preliminary chronological, geological and paleontological data

Comprehensive chronological, geological and paleontological investigations were conducted as part of archaeological excavations in 2011 and 2012, prior to the construction of the M85 motorway between Gyor and Csorna, Hungary. These studies clearly show that the alluvial fan that underlies much of the Little Hungarian Plain was built up by streams flowing in a southeasterly to northwesterly direction from the nearby Bakony Hills, and continued to form until the end of the last glacial period. The northern part of the fan, now named the Csorna Plain, became inactive (i.e. became a fossil river-bed system) at about 25-15 ka, when the Rába and Marcal rivers changed theirflowdirection fromsouth-north towest-east.As a result of this change in flow direction, the Rába and Marcal rivers became incised, capturing the Bakony stream beds, stopping sediment deposition on the northern side of the alluvial fan (essentially the left bank of the Rába-Marcal river system), although the southern part of the fan continue to form as before. On the northern side of the fan, the sediment surface dried out due to falling groundwater levels, and aeolian sand-drifts began to form. Eventually, accumulation of the sand-drift sediments ceased due to the deposition of loess-type sediments, which fixed the surface, conserved the sand-drift shapes, and contributed to the straightening and eventual canalization of the fluvial channels. Geoarchaeological examinations indicate that the development of present fluvial features were strongly affected by the settlement and tillage activity of human communities on the Csorna Plain. © 2015 S. Sávai et al

Results of paleoecological studies in the loess region of Szeged-Öthalom (SE Hungary)

AbstractNew results of sedimentological, Magnetic Susceptibility, geochemical, radiocarbon and malacological analysis from a typical and an infusion loess section are presented from SE Hungary. The geologic and geomorphologic value of the area is that aeolian (typical) loess accumulated on sand dunes that formed during MIS3, while in the interdune depressions on the top of lacustrine deposit series, infusion loess developed. As the two types of loess interfinger, it is the first demonstration that the two types of loess formed during the same time period (isochron) in different environments (heterotype). At the end of MIS3 and during MIS 2 between 33,000–13,000 cal BP, a temperate steppe-forest steppe environment characterized the loess surface of the SE Great Hungarian Plain. During the first interstadial phase of MIS2 a Pinus sylvestris charcoal rich paleosol layer developed on the loess covered surface of a wind-blown sand hummock, while in the interdune depressions a pond phase developed. After the formation of the paleosol layer on the surface of the loess covered wind-blown sand hummock during the Heinrich 2 event, Vertigo modesta-Vallonia tenuilabris indicate a cold steppe-forest steppe environment and a deeper and colder lake phase in the interdune depressions. After that, a short microinterstadial phase developed and a Pupilla triplicata-Chondrula tridens dominated temperate steppe-forest steppe environment evolved on the terrestrial surface between 23,000–21,000 cal BP. After 21,000 cal BP, in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) the environment completely changed. The average dust accumulation accelerated and coarse silt (0.02–0.06 mm) became dominant. As a result, the lake stage transformed to a marshy environment, while on the land area shade-loving, including closed forest environment-preferring mollusca taxa appeared, such as Vestia turgida, Vitrina pellucida and Mastus venerabilis. Based on the mollusca fauna composition, humidity increased during the cooling of the LGM horizon, forestation started and a boreal forest-steppe evolved at the study site. During the post LGM, the interdune depressions filled and aeolian loess layers developed. Formation of the infusion loess occurred between 24,000–17,000 cal BP. Loess formation lasted until the beginning of the Late Glacial Maximum (Last Permafrost Maximum) and ended in a forest steppe environment with boreal, Central European, holarctic, palearctic and continental mollusc fauna elements

Preliminary paleoecological reconstruction of long-term relationship between human and environment in the northern part of Danube-along Plain, Hungary

The peat bog at Ócsa is located at the northern part of the Danube-Tisa Interfluves at the transitional zone of two landscapes with different morphological characters. At the boundary of the Danube-Tisa Interfluves and the Danube-along Plain a marshland sequence can be found from Hajós to Ócsa. We extended our research to the Ócsa peat bog to complete the environmental historical investigations in the examined area, as well

First radiocarbon dated paleoecological data from the freshwater carbonates of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve

The first radiocarbon dates available on the evolution of the freshwater carbonates of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve are presented in this work along with their possible uses to precisely date paleoecological and paleoenvironmental changes. This work also gives the basis of a comparative analysis of the Holocene radiocarbon-dated profile of Csólyospálos with other Hungarian radiocarbondated profiles of the same age (Bátorliget, the Sárrét, etc.) and the implementation of a detailed chronological and regional paleoenvironmental study. Furthermore, our findings clearly demonstrate the importance of radiocarbon analysis in the study of terminal Pleistocene and Holocene Hungarian sedimentary sequences for accurately dating and reconstructing the chronological order of paleoenvironmental changes as well as the evolution of the natural endowments plus the regional comparison of the various profiles

Črvenka loess-paleosol sequence revisited : Local and regional Quaternary biogeographical inferences of the southern Carpathian Basin

Studies of Quaternary malacological assemblages from the loess-paleosol section of Črvenka (Vojvodina region, Serbia) provided the opportunity to examine the paleobiogeographic dynamics of the southern part of the Carpathian Basin. The results of quantitative-statistical, paleoecological and paleobiogeographical analyses performed on 9185 specimens of 38 mollusc species from six stratigraphic units showed that the study area was a transition area between the refuge areas in the Carpathian Basin during the Pleistocene. © 2016 Pál Sümegi et al., published by De Gruyter Open

Črvenka loess-paleosol sequence revisited : Local and regional Quaternary biogeographical inferences of the southern Carpathian Basin

Studies of Quaternary malacological assemblages from the loess-paleosol section of Črvenka (Vojvodina region, Serbia) provided the opportunity to examine the paleobiogeographic dynamics of the southern part of the Carpathian Basin. The results of quantitative-statistical, paleoecological and paleobiogeographical analyses performed on 9185 specimens of 38 mollusc species from six stratigraphic units showed that the study area was a transition area between the refuge areas in the Carpathian Basin during the Pleistocene. © 2016 Pál Sümegi et al., published by De Gruyter Open