Detailed chronological and high resolution grain size, geochemical and palaeomagnetic study of the Sutto loess-palaeosol sequence, Hungary

The loess-palaeosol record in Sutto, Hungary provides an excellent high-resolution archive for palaeoenvironmental changes of the Carpathian Basin. Loess deposits up to 20 m thick cover the Sutto travertine complex, located next to the right bank of the Danube River. The loess is intercalated by two greyish stratified horizons, three brownish steppe-like soils and a pedocomplex, including a reddish-brown palaeosol covered by a chernozem-like palaeosol.
   Detailed infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating was carried out, revealing more or less continuous sedimentation from MIS 6 to MIS 2. Independent age control is provided by radiocarbon dating for the upper part of the profile, by amino acid racemisation (AAR) from the main loess units and by uranium-series (²³⁰Th/²³⁴U) ages correlating the travertine with MIS 7-8 from below the loess.
   In order to reconstruct the palaeoclimatic and environmental changes during the penultimate and last glacial cycles, high resolution grain size, malacological, geochemical (bulk carbonate stable isotope composition and n-alkanes) as well as palaeomagnetic analyses have been performed, which provides a high-resolution record of the Sutto loess-palaeosol sequence.