Late Weichselian and Holocene climatic and local controls on aeolian deposition inferred from decomposing grain size-shape distributions

• Published in: Quaternary Science Reviews
• Main Authors: van Hateren, Johannes Albert, Kasse, Cornelis, van der Woude, John, Schokker, Jeroen, Prins, Maarten Arnoud, van Balen, Ronald Theodorus
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Aeolian sediment transport mechanisms; Aeolian stratigraphy; End-member modelling; Grain size-shape distributions; Paleoclimatology; Paleoenvironmental reconstruction; Quaternary; Sedimentology-loess; Vegetation dynamics; Western europe; polar desert
• Online Access: https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/73518b32-d0f4-404a-8cf5-41116e695b95; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107554; https://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/73518b32-d0f4-404a-8cf5-41116e695b95; http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130542863&partnerID=8YFLogxK; http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85130542863&partnerID=8YFLogxK

Aeolian deposits form rich archives of climatic and environmental changes, which have not been fully explored. In this study, results from end-member modelling of grain size-shape distributions were combined with palynological records to reconstruct sedimentary environments and transport mechanisms, and to distinguish climatically-caused from local or system-intrinsic variabilities. We compare results from Weichselian aeolian type locality Lutterzand in the Eastern Netherlands to those of a aeolian site in the Central Netherlands. Four grain size-shape end-members were determined. These represent coarse fluvial or aeolian bedload, fine aeolian bedload, aeolian modified saltation and aeolian suspension (loess) transport mechanisms. We assume that synchronous changes in end-member composition at the two sites are effects of climate change; non-synchronous changes are the result of local or system-intrinsic variability, which are attributed to the influence of the paleo-topographic position on local humidity of the sediment bed. Our results show that during the final stage of the Late Pleniglacial, a change from polar desert to wet sand-sheet paleo-environment occurred, which implies increased humidity and decreased wind speed that may be linked to a northward shift of the polar front preceding warming during the Bølling time interval. The deposition of loess during the Bølling implies further climate amelioration and a concomitant increase in vegetation density. The landscape re-opens during the Older Dryas. The high degree of sediment sorting and near absence of modified saltation and suspension transport mechanisms/end members during this phase are indicative of an undulating aeolian topography and the formation of incipient dunes, for which sparse vegetation forms growth nuclei. A high loess content reveals that the Betula phase of the Allerød was humid. The subsequent Allerød Pinus phase was drier, potentially due to Pinus-induced drought and wildfires. The deposits of the Younger Dryas reflect a ...