2002(4):497-507.
DOI: 1
CSTR:
Abstract:
The results of detailed chronostratigraphic subdivision of the loess-palaeosoil formation (LPF) of the East-European Plain are presented. A correlation of main palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental events of the loess areas in the Pleistocene has been assessed.
It has been established that the period of the LPF development on the East-European Plain comprises 17 stages (9 interglacials and 8 glacials). The lower climate-stratigraphic units identified within the glacials and interglacials are endothermal coolings (cold phases), thermoxerotic and thermohygrotic substages of interglacial climatic rhythms; stadials, interstadials, cryohygrotic and cryoxerotic substages of glacial climatic rhythms. Endothermal coolings have been identified within a majority of interglacials.
The evolution of the environment and vegetation during the epochs of loess and soil formations in the East-European loess province is characterised by pollen of the reference sections of the Upper Oka (Likhvin-Chekalin section), the Upper Don (Strelitsa section), the Middle Kuma (Otkaznoe section), the Middle Dniester (Molodova section, Ketrosy section) and the Middle Desna (Arapovichi section) regions of the East-European Plain.
On the basis of the original results of complex palyno-chronostratigraphic investigation, reconstruction, temporal periodization and distant correlation of palaeoclimatic events and deposits of the palaeoshelf, glacial, periglacial and extraglacial zones of Northern Eurasia over the last 600 ka have been carried out. The correlation of identified palaeoenvironmental events and corresponding horizons in the composite chronostratigraphical column was based on the electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis of subfossil mollusc shell remains. The interglacial conditions revialed are centred at about 580 ka, 400 ka, 310 ka, 220 ka and between 145-70 ka. A broad correlation between long palynological sequence, directly ESR-dated warm-climate-related events and other palaeoenvironmental records described in the literature has been noted for eleven upper oxygen isotope stages (11 to 1).
