Regional Monitoring of Natural Environment 2004, No 5, 103-115
ABOUT DURING FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF LESSIVE SOILS ENVIRONMENT IN CENTRAL EUROPE
K.-D. Jäger, D. Kopp
Summary
In the stratigraphical investigation of Central European loess exposures the Bt-horizons of buried soils representing the lessivé group (luvisols respectively podzoluvisols) as a rule are regarded as indication of interglacials.
Nevertheless, recently Bt-horizons of luvisols occur frequently on glaciogenic till substrates, too. There podzoluvisols are widespread. With good reason their development due to periglacial environment causing permafrost soil may be assumed. In the network patterns of the recent soil cover the same positions are occupied by podzoluvisols as in the lowland areas providing glacial deposits as on the loess deposits of the uplands. Consequently, comparable environment and period of origin may be supposed in all probability.
Apparently, the decisive condition of development causing Bt-horizons has been a period characterized by highly intensive water saturation of the contemporaneous surface due to melting permafrost during the lateglacial transition to the following interglacial. The consequence for the stratigraphical investigation of loess profiles means that any Bt-horizon does not indicate the real interglacial (or even its climax) but reflects the preceding transition from a previous glacial to the succeeding interglacial.
Apparently the period of creating lessivé soils occupying actual surfaces is shared mainly by the late Vistulian interstadials of Meiendorf and Bølling.
The sequence of horizons characterizing a lot or even the majority of actually superficial luvisols covering till as well as loess substrates in Central Europe does not correspond to the instructions recommended by the State Geological Surveys in Germany (Ah-Ael-Bt-C). Rather a correct description could be ABv-Bv-Et-Bt-C.
