Loess-palaeosol sequences as archives for Late Pleistocene environmental conditions in central Spain

该项目的目的是利用西班牙中部的黄土-古土壤序列重建晚更新世的环境条件。在这个地区，来自陆地档案的关于晚更新世的资料很少。塔古斯盆地中巨大的黄土和类黄土沉积物序列有很大的潜力填补这一科学空白。重点是原始黄土沉积（真黄土），它可以直接得出风成迁移的过程和时间框架。此外，重新定位的黄土沉积物和冲积性黄土被认为是检测高地貌活动的时期。包括的古土壤用于探测气候或湿度有利的时期。当前的目标是通过使用沉积学和成土学方法研究至少5种沉积物剖面，为西班牙中部塔古斯河上游流域的黄土沉积物开发复合剖面。地层上重要位置的岩石层定年确保了年代学的解决。编制的标准剖面将成为推导晚更新世环境条件和环境变化的基础。特别是与该项目的结果进行比较，处理Jarama河的晚第四纪河流动力学，该河流排出大量黄土堆积的地区，将有助于开发西班牙中部晚更新世景观演变的高分辨率模型。进一步的重点将放在黄土沉积物的来源上，以区分当地成分和长途运输，以及探测主导风向。

The aim of the project is to reconstruct Late Pleistocene environmental conditions by using loess-palaeosol sequences in central Spain. In this area information about the Late Pleistocene derived from terrestrial archives is rare. Huge sequences of loess and loess-like sediments in the Tagus Basin have a great potential to close this scientific gap. The focus is on original loess deposits (true loess), which allow direct conclusions about processes and time frames of the aeolian translocation. Furthermore, relocated loess sediments as well as alluvial loess are considered to detect periods of higher geomorphic activity. Included palaeosols are used to detect climatically or hygrally favourable periods. The immediate objective is to study at least 5 sediment profiles by using a sedimentological and pedogenetic approach to develop a composite profile for the loess deposits of the upper Tagus catchment in central Spain. A chronological resolution is ensured by the OSL-dating of stratigraphically important positions. The compiled standard profile will be the basis to derive Late Pleistocene environmental conditions and environmental changes. Especially the comparison with the results of the project, dealing with Late Quaternary fluvial dynamics of the Jarama River that drains areas with huge loess accumulations, will facilitate the development of a high-resolution model of the Late Pleistocene landscape evolution in central Spain. A further focus will be on the provenances of the loess sediments to differentiate between the local component and long distance transportation, as well as to detect dominant wind directions.