Sedimentary features reveal transport paths for Holocene sediments on the Kristianstad coastal plain, SE Sweden.

AbstractWe have investigated coastal and aeolian deposits on the Kristianstad plain in southernmost Sweden by a combination of methods that has yielded data on sedimentary features such as grain-size variations, shape and character of quartz grain surfaces (determined in light microscope and scanning electron microscope), and mineralogical composition. Such sedimentary techniques have been not applied to coastal deposits in this part of the Baltic Sea region before. The littoral, foredune and parabolic dune sands are sedimentologically similar, only a slight grain-size transformation by aeolian processes in the foredune was observed. Sand in straight-crested dunes, on the other hand, origin…

New luminescence ages reveal Early to Middle Weichselian deposits in central Latvia

New optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages show that sandy deposits overlain by Late Weichselian subglacial till in central Latvia are of Early to Middle Weichselian age. The finer chronological resolution of unconsolidated sediment deposition in the Central Latvian Lowland (CLL) remains relatively unstudied, and here we provide a first characterisation of the deposits with respect to their age. Three OSL ages ranging between 84 ± 9 ka and 112 ± 11 ka suggest that the deposits studied in the CLL are of Early Weichselian age (MIS 5). We found no Middle Weichselian deposits in the CLL, and assume that any such younger sediments might have been eroded during the advance of the Zemgale Lo…

STOP 6: Morphology, internal structure and texture of inland dunes at the Smilškalni site, Middle Gauja Lowland

The north-eastern aeolian ‘European Sand Belt’ as potential record of environmental changes: A case study from Eastern Latvia and Southern Estonia

Abstract The Latvian and Estonian inland dunes belong to the north-eastern part of the ‘European Sand Belt’ (ESB). These dunes are widely distributed over broad glaciolacustrine plains and Late Glacial alluvial deltas, considered to be potential sources for the aeolian material. Little is known about these aeolian sediments and their substratum; here we present a detailed sedimentary structural and textural characterisation together with a luminescence-based chronology. Through a comparison between grain-size, rounding of quartz grains and surface characteristics in medium/coarse (0.5–0.8 mm) sand, and the light mineral content, we found an alternation of aeolian and periglacial components.…

Luminescence dating of aeolian–coastal events on the Kristianstad plain, SE Sweden

Aeolian–coastal sediments and landforms are excellent palaeoenvironmental archives, but chronological studies of coastal records are scarce in Sweden. In this study, we provide luminescence and radiocarbon ages of aeolian activity and coastal landscape evolution on the Kristianstad plain, SE Sweden, based on the investigations of two foredunes and two inland dunes at Åhus and Vittskövle. Additionally, we do a laboratory intercomparison of five young luminescence samples. The comparison shows a significant age difference most likely due to an instrumental difference. The equivalent dose cannot be determined accurately with the low irradiation times, and therefore, the results obtained from …

Sandy fan‐like forms in the central‐eastern mazovian lowland (central poland): textural record and chronology

A unique, continuous, fan-shaped belt of sandy landforms in the central-eastern Mazovian Lowland, Central Poland has been investigated using a multiproxy dataset of sediment physical properties and chronological framework. Although there are several previous studies of similar fan-like forms elsewhere in Central Poland, this central-eastern part has not been investigated in detail. A combined methodological approach, using grain-size distributions, the roundness, surface character and microtexture of quartz grains, and the mineral composition of the light and heavy fractions, indicate a predominantly aeolian origin for the fan-like forms. Overlying them are dunes, the sediment within which …

Late-glacial to Holocene aeolian deposition in northeastern Europe - The timing of sedimentation at the Iisaku site (NE Estonia)

Abstract The Late-glacial and Holocene aeolian inland dune complex at Iisaku (NE Estonia) has been investigated using an accurate and detailed compilation of the sedimentary properties and chronological framework. The quartz grains forming the dunes are very variable, reflecting aeolian, weathering, and periglacial conditions, both prior and after deposition. Although the morphological forms and the sedimentary record point to a dune-like environment, the transport record reflects either a short transport time or/and distance, and a contribution from neighbouring sedimentary environments. Dune development in the area was strongly controlled by the formation of the Baltic Ice Lake (BIL) in f…

Quartz grains reveal sedimentary palaeoenvironment and past storm events: A case study from eastern Baltic

Abstract Sediment record collected from the coastal lake serves as a powerful tool for reconstructing changes in palaeoenvironment and understanding the potential signals of past storminess. In this study, we use several proxies from sediment of the Holocene Thermal Maximum at coastal Lake Lilaste, Latvia. We focus on surface texture of quartz grains from the mineral inorganic fraction as indicators of depositional environments. We then use this as a proxy for potential storm transport and combine with information on granulometry, diatom stratigraphy and chronology to answer the question whether flux of quartz grains in the lake originated from the sea or from the land. Analyses in a binocu…

An aeolian or a glaciolacustrine record? A case study from Mieļupīte, Middle Gauja Lowland, northeast Latvia

Abstract In the Middle Gauja Lowland, northeast Latvia, dunes are distributed over a vast glaciolacustrine plain that formed during the retreat of the Fennoscandian ice sheet. Such a direct contact between aeolian and glaciolacustrine sediments can be used to infer depositional settings and decipher to what extent these sediments bear an aeolian component. Our proxies, although preliminary, reveal a limited range of variation in grain-size parameters, a significant presence of quartz grains with silica precipitation and matt-surface grains of various rounding degrees and massive structure combined with horizontal lamination. These are indicative of periglacial-aeolian depositional condition…

Age and sedimentary record of inland eolian sediments in Lithuania, NE European Sand Belt

We present a study based on four inland eolian locations in Eastern, Central and Southeastern Lithuania belonging to the northeastern part of the ‘European Sand Belt’ (ESB). Although there have been several previous studies of the ESB, this north-eastern extension has not been investigated before in any detail. The sedimentary structural–textural features are investigated and a chronology was derived using optically stimulated luminescence on both quartz and feldspar. The sedimentary structures and the rounding and surface characteristics of the quartz grains argue for a predominance of eolian transport. Additionally, some structural alternations and a significant contribution of non-eolian…

STOP 13: Inland dune field near Daugavpils, East-Latvian Lowland