Correlation of Pleistocene deposits in the area between the Baltic and Black Sea, Central Europe

Abstract

The distribution, age and correlation of Pleistocene sediments (1.806-0.01 Ma) is presented for an about 1200 km long geologic cross-section that extends from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and crosses the eastern part of the Polish Vistula drainage basin, the Dniester and Upper Pripyat drainage basins of the Ukraine, and also parts of the Russian Kaliningrad District and Moldova. In the vicinity of Warsaw, the oldest Pleistocene deposits comprise preglacial fluvio-lacustrine sediments of the Otvockian (Eburonian) cooling and Celestynovian (Waalian) warming stages that equate in the south with the Berezan and Kryzhaniv horizons, composed of loessy clays, silts and red-brown palaeosol. Along the cross-section, deposits of 8 main glaciations correlate with a similar number of main loesses (Narevian-Ilyichivsk, Nidanian-Pryazovsk, Sanian 1-Sula, Sanian 2-Tiligul, Liviecian-Orel, Krznanian-Dnieper 1, Odranian-Dnieper 2-Tyasmyn, Vistulian-Valday) that are separated by 7 main intra-loess palaeosols that developed during the main interglacial periods (Augustovian-Shirokino, Małopolanian-Martonosha, Ferdynandovian-Lubny-Solotvin, Mazovian-Zavadivka-Sokal, Zbójnian-Potagaylivka, Lubavian-Lublinian-Kaydaky-Korshiv, Eemian-Pryluky-Horokhiv). The first three interglacials are megainterglacials, which possibly include cool intervals during which ice sheets did not advance beyond Scandinavia. All glaciations and loesses, as well as interglacials and palaeosols that are considered as main climatostratigraphic units of the Pleistocene of Central Europe, are grouped into climatic cycles and megacycles that correlate with corresponding units of Western Europe.