Pedology and mineralogy of loess profiles at Kapela-Batajnica and Stalac´, Serbia

Ž .Catena 41 2000 217–227www.elsevier.comrlocatercatena

Pedology and mineralogy of loess profiles atKapela-Batajnica and Stalac, Serbia´

N. Kostic a, N. Protic b,)´ ´a Faculty of Agriculture, UniÕersity of Belgrade, Zemun, Minor YugoslaÕia

b Institute for Soil Science, Teodora Drajzera br.7, Belgrade 11000, Minor YugoslaÕia

Abstract

Profiles with multiple paleosols developed in loess at Kapela-Batajnica and Stalac were studied´by chemical, physical and mineralogical methods to determine paleoclimatic changes through thePleistocene. The cyclic nature of sedimentary and pedogenetic processes is indicated by theCaCO content and silt and clay mineralogy. Stalac is 200 km south of Kapela-Batajnica, and´3

differences between individual paleosols at the two sites are attributed to local differences in soilparent material composition, weathering intensity or erosion of the paleosols. The profile at Stalacprovides an important link between typical Middle European and SE European loess–paleosolsequences, and indicates the relative influences of the Mediterranean and continental climates.Statistical analysis of values for the hydrolytic alteration index of Thorez and other mineral ratioscalculated at 0.5-m vertical intervals suggests a steady decrease in interglacial weathering rates

Ž .since the GunzrMindel pedocomplexes F8 and F9 and a gradual change from warm humid to¨temperate dry conditions. The climatic curve for the Kapela-Batajnica sequence suggests continen-tal conditions and correlates well with the NW European climatic curve up to the GunzrMindel¨

Ž .Interglacial pedocomplex F8 . The curve for the lower part of the Stalac sequence shows a´stronger Mediterranean influence and correlates well with the curve for Greece, but the upper part

Ž .of the Stalac sequence above the Riss 1rRiss 2 pedocomplex F6 shows an increased continental´climatic influence. q 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Loess–paleosol sequences; Paleocene; Stalac

1. Introduction

Loess–paleosol sequences provide important information about cycles of climatic andother environmental changes during the Quaternary. Loess is the most important soil

) Corresponding author. Fax: q381-111667-175.Ž .E-mail address: [email protected] N. Protic .´

0341-8162r00r$ - see front matter q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.Ž .PII: S0341-8162 00 00102-8

( )N. Kostic, N. ProticrCatena 41 2000 217–227´ ´218

parent material-type in Serbia, and there are several sites with well-developed paleosolsequences separated by quite thick layers of less altered loess. The surface soils are

ŽChernozems and degraded Chernozems Food and Agriculture Organization of the. Ž .United Nations, 1998 . However, Laskarev 1922, 1926, 1938 , Markovic-Marjanovic´ ´

Ž . Ž . Ž1950, 1952, 1957, 1964, 1972 , Aleksandrovic 1956, 1957, 1974 , Bronger 1970,´. Ž . Ž . Ž .1971, 1975, 1976 , Rakic 1985 , Protic 1990 and Protic et al. 1995 have indicated´ ´ ´

that earlier buried paleosols developed in loess are morphologically different; forexample, the soil of the RissrWurm Interglacial is often a well-developed Eutric¨

Ž . Ž .Cambisol. Singhvi et al. 1989 , Bronger and Heinkele 1989 and Zeremski et al.Ž .1991 suggested that the earliest sediments and paleosols in the sequences at StariSlankamen and Kapela-Batajnica could be as old as 583"88 kyr, so the full sequencesshould provide detailed climatic histories for much of the later Quaternary.

In the brick works at Stalac, a sequence approximately 35 m thick and containing´nine pedocomplexes has recently been exposed. As it is 180 km south of Belgrade, it isone of the most southern loess–paleosol sequences exposed in the Balkans. At Kapela-

Ž .Batajnica on the Danube 20 km north of Belgrade 200 km north of Stalac , the´sequence is 40 m thick and also contains nine pedocomplexes. These two profiles

Žprovide an opportunity to compare the paleoclimatic history of two areas, one Kapela-.Batajnica with an essentially continental influence similar to that of other central

Ž .European loess–paleosol sites, and the other Stalac with a stronger Mediterranean´influence.

2. Materials and methods

Bulk samples were collected from each horizon or lithological unit at 0.5 m intervalsŽ .or less for thinner units , giving totals of 56 at Stalac and 61 at Kapela-Batajnica. These´

were air-dried and gently ground to pass a 2-mm sieve, then split into subsamples by theŽ .cone-and-quarter method. The analytical methods used were taken from Klute 1986 .

The CaCO content was determined with a Scheibler calcimeter. Particle size distribu-3

tion of decalcified samples was determined by sieving and the pipette-sampling methodafter dispersion by boiling and overnight shaking in 0.4 M Na P O .4 2 7

The mineralogical composition of bulk samples was obtained by X-ray diffraction ofrandomly oriented powders produced by grinding to -10 mm and freeze-drying. ClayŽ .-2 mm fractions were separated by centrifugal sedimentation and analysed miner-alogically by X-ray diffraction with a Philips diffractometer using Ni-filtered CuKa

radiation and a 45-kV tube voltage. Oriented specimens were scanned over the 2–458

2Q range at 28 miny1, using a 18 beam slit and a 0.18 receiving slit. The DRX Win 1.4ccomputer package was used to quantify proportions of individual minerals in both theground bulk samples and clay fractions.

Ž .The hydrolytic alteration index of Thorez 1985 was calculated by multiplying theŽpercentages of each mineral in the clay fractions by its phase number 7 for kaolinite, 5

.for smectite, 3 for vermiculite, etc. , then dividing the sum of these by the percentage ofillite. The extent of mineral weathering was also estimated by comparing illiterilliteqquartz and feldsparrfeldsparqquartz ratios in the ground bulk samples.

( )N. Kostic, N. ProticrCatena 41 2000 217–227´ ´ 219

All data were analysed statistically by the Statistica for Windows 4.3b packageŽ .Statsoft, 1996 . Time-series analysis was based on the recognition of four components:

Ž . Ž . Ž .a seasonal component denoted S , a trend component T , a cyclical component Ct t tŽ .and a random error or irregular component I . Seasonal changes occur at regulart

intervals, whereas cyclical changes have a longer duration that varies between cycles. TtŽ .and C were combined into a single trend-cycle component TC . The specifict t

functional relationships between these components can assume different forms. How-ever, the simplest possibility is that they combine in an additive fashion so that:

X the observed value at time t sTC qS q IŽ .t t t t

ŽGiven some a priori knowledge of cyclical factors affecting the series i.e. climatic.cycles , the estimates for the different components can be used to compute a time trend

Ž .function for the observed data Davis, 1986 . The climatic cycles used were thoseŽ .calculated by Vernekar 1971 from the three superimposed Milankovitch cycles of

orbital perturbation.

3. Results

3.1. Paleosol morphology

At both Stalac and Kapela-Batajnica, the structural and morphological properties of´pedogenetic A, B and BC horizons, often with hydromorphic features, are wellpreserved in each pedocomplex. Recognisable cambic, vertic, rubefied or humus accu-mulative horizons are preserved in all pedocomplexes at Stalac, but only six were found´

Table 1Distribution of main pedogenetic horizons with preserved soil structural properties in the sequences at Stalacand Kapela-Batajnica

Pedocomplex Period Horizon Horizons HorizonsŽBronger and type preserved, preserved,

.Heinkele, 1989 Stalac Kapela-Batajnica´

F1 Holocene A 1 1moŽ .F2, 3, 4 Wurm A 3 1¨Ž .F5 RissrWurm B 2 1¨ vtŽ .F6 Riss 1rRiss 2 B 1vcm

a aF7 MindelrRiss B 2 2aŽ .F8 GunzrMindel B 2¨ v

F9 Gunz 1rGunz 2 B 4¨ ¨aF10 DonaurGunz 1¨

Totals 15 6

aRubefied soils.


Ž .at Kapela-Batajnica Table 1 . Table 2 shows that the main properties of thesewell-preserved horizons are similar for each pedocomplex at the two sites. In particular,the RissrWurm pedocomplex shows vertic features at both sites, the Riss 1rRiss 2 and¨GunzrMindel paleosols have cambic horizons in both sequences and the MindelrRiss¨and Gunz 1rGunz 2 paleosols are rubefied at both sites. The ages suggested for the¨ ¨

Ž .pedocomplexes in Tables 1 and 2 are based on the presence of a rubefied ferralic?horizon in the deepest part of the sequence at Kapela-Batajnica, which is thought to date

Ž .from the DonaurGunz Interglacial Bronger, 1971 .¨Six zones of carbonate concretions occur in the Kapela-Batajnica sequence, one in

the Wurm loess, three in the RissrWurm and MindelrRiss interglacial pedocomplexes¨ ¨and two in the Mindel loess. The last two zones could not be related to leaching fromany overlying soils, but the remaining ones occur in lower parts of paleosol profilesŽ . Ž .BC or B horizons or within immediately subjacent loess C horizons and areCa vCa Ca

clearly attributable to pedological leaching.

Table 2Important characteristics of horizons present in paleosols of various periods at Stalac and Kapela-Batajnica´Period Horizon Stalac Kapela-Batajnica´

type

Paudorf A Mollic horizon, granular structure Mollic horizon, morehumus than at Stalac,´hydromorphic features,granular structure

Ž .RissrWurm B Vertic horizon, parallelipiped Vertic horizon,¨ vt

aggregates, secondary hydromorphic parallelipiped aggregatesfeatures

Ž .Riss 1rRiss 2 B Cambic horizon, strongly developed Cambic horizon,v

fine prismatic structure, secondary moderately well-developedhydromorphic features fine prismatic structure

Ž . Ž .MindelrRiss B Rubefied ferralic? horizon, Rubefied ferralic?red-stained quartz, polyhedral horizon, red-stainedstructure, secondary hydromorphic quartz, polyhedralfeatures structure, secondary

hydromorphic featuresŽ .GunzrMindel B Cambic horizon, weakly Cambic horizon,¨ v

developed coarse polyhedral rubefied, moderatelystructure developed coarse

polyhedral structureŽ .Gunz 1rGunz 2 B Weakly rubefied ferralic Transitional BC,¨ ¨

horizon, moderately developed weakly rubefiedpolyhedral structure, secondary horizon, weakhydromorphic features hydromorphic features

Ž .DonaurGunz BC Not exposed Rubefied ferralic?¨horizon, secondaryhydromorphic featuresin upper parts


3.2. Particle size distribution

The particle size distributions show considerable variation through the two sequencesŽ . Ž .Fig. 1 . As is typical in loess, silt 2–20 mm is the dominant fraction in most of the

Ž . Ž . Ž . Ž .Fig. 1. Distribution of sand )20 mm , silt 2–20 mm and clay -2 mm in the Stalac a and´Ž .Kapela-Batajnica b loess–paleosol sequences.


Ž .samples. The sand 20–2000 mm fraction shows considerable cyclic variation, whichcould result from changes in source areas, distance of transportation or wind strengthduring deposition. The large amounts of sand in some lower parts of the Kapela-Batajnicasequence suggest a local source and strong winds related to a cold dry climate at thebeginning of the period represented. Later, there was a change to a more distant sourceandror milder climate with weaker winds. However, the Stalac sequence is moderately´sandy throughout and does not show this change over time. Because it lies to the south,it was either further from the source area at the beginning of the same period or did nothave the same severe climate.

In the Stalac sequence, the older C horizons contain 48–62% silt and have loam or´silt loam textures. Because of an increase in clay content from 2–27% in the C horizonsto 35–49% in the BC and B horizons, the latter have silt loam or clay loam textures.

Ž .However, the differences in clay content between C and AC or A horizons are muchŽ .less in higher parts of the sequence; here, only the surface Holocene A horizon is as

fine in texture as clay loam.ŽIn the Kapela-Batajnica sequence, the deepest C horizons are loamy sands 54–85%

.sand, 8–28% clay and the BC horizons are sandy loams, sandy clay loams, loams orŽ .clay loams 11–30% clay . In the middle and upper parts of the sequence, the C

Ž .horizons are silt loams 40–69% silt, 8–28% clay and the B horizons are silt loams,loams and clay loams with slightly increased clay contents.

Ž .Fig. 2 shows the smoothed trend cycle component TC for the silt fractions. Thet

curves for the two sequences show good amplitude and phase correlation, especiallywith respect to phase for pedocomplexes F5 and F7. This suggests that at both sites, theolder loesses have undergone stronger weathering of silt fractions and greater clayaccumulation than the younger loesses.

Ž . Ž .Fig. 2. Smoothed trend cycles of the silt 2–20 mm fraction through the Stalac solid line and Kapela-Batajnica´Ž .pecked line loess–paleosol sequences.


3.3. Carbonate content

The carbonate content ranges from zero to 30.4% at Kapela-Batajnica and zero to36.5% at Stalac. Because of migration and accumulation, the highest concentrations´occur in BC and C horizons immediately beneath the paleosols. Statistical analysis

Ž .shows that, apart from this cyclic variation, there is a general trend TC of increasingtŽ . Ž .carbonate content above the F7 MindelrRiss pedocomplex Fig. 3 . This may have

resulted from a progressive decrease in rainfall since the F7 pedocomplex was formed.

3.4. Mineralogical composition

The bulk mineral composition of all the samples is typical of loess. Quartz isŽ . Ž . Ž . Ž .dominant 24–83% , followed by micas 7–41% , calcite 0–26% , feldspars 3–26% ,

Ž . Ž . Ž .clay minerals 5–26% , chlorite 1–10% , dolomite 0–7% and minor heavy minerals,such as amphibole, garnet, epidote, zoisite, pyroxene, tourmaline, zircon, rutile, sphene,

Ž .apatite and iron oxides. The clay fractions Fig. 4 are composed mainly of illite withŽ . Ž . Ž .variable amounts of smectite 13–38% , kaolinite 6–23% and vermiculite 2–18% ,

and smaller amounts of chlorite, interstratified illite–smectite and chlorite–vermiculite,quartz and feldspars. The main differences between the two sequences are in the

Ž . Žcontents of illite 31–59% at Kapela-Batajnica, 28–39% at Stalac and chlorite 1–8%´.at Kapela-Batajnica, 11–21% at Stalac .´

Ž .Trend-cycle analysis of the hydrolysis index Thorez, 1985 through both sequencesŽ . ŽFig. 5 suggests that after formation of the F8 and F9 pedocomplexes probably Gunz¨

.1rGunz 2 , there was a decrease in weathering rates, suggesting a gradual change in¨climatic conditions from warm humid to temperate dry. Slight differences between thetwo sites superimposed on this overall trend probably reflect original mineralogicaldifferences in the loess resulting from different provenance of the windblown sediment.

Ž .Fig. 3. Smoothed trend cycles of the carbonate content through the Stalac solid line and Kapela-Batajnica´Ž .pecked line loess–paleosol sequences.


Ž . Ž .Fig. 4. Distribution of principal clay minerals in the Stalac a and Kapela-Batajnica b loess–paleosol´sequences.

Ž .Smoothed trend-cycles TC for the feldsparrfeldsparqquartz and illiterilliteqtŽ .quartz ratios in the upper part of the Kapela-Batajnica sequence Fig. 6 support many of

the climatic changes inferred from the hydrolysis index. Both illite and feldspar aresensitive to hydrolysis by rainwater, whereas quartz is much more stable, so smallervalues for both ratios indicate stronger weathering.

The hydrolysis index curve for the Kapela-Batajnica sequence correlates well, at leastŽ .up to the F8 pedocomplex, with the climatic curve of Paepe 1982 based on clay


Ž . Ž .Fig. 5. Smoothed trend cycles of the hydrolysis index of Thorez 1985 through the Stalac solid line and´Ž .Kapela-Batajnica pecked line loess–paleosol sequences.

mineralogical studies of paleosols developed in eolian sediments in NW Europe. Incontrast, the curve for the Stalac sequence between the F9 and F6 pedocomplexes´resembles the climatic curve based on clay mineral evidence for paleosols in Greece,

Ž . Žalso given by Paepe 1982 , though for higher parts of the Stalac sequence above´.pedocomplex F6 , the hydrolysis index curve correlates better with Paepe’s NW

European climatic curve. This suggests that the continental climate typical of NWŽEurope extended only as far as Kapela-Batajnica until the formation of F6 Mindel

.1rMindel 2 , but thereafter also influenced Stalac to some extent.´

Ž . Ž .Fig. 6. Smoothed trend cycles for illiterilliteqquartz solid line and feldsparrfeldsparqquartz pecked linein ground bulk samples through the upper part of the loess–paleosol sequence at Kapela-Batajnica.


4. Discussion and conclusions

The broad similarities in the morphological properties, particle size distributions andcarbonate contents of most of the equivalent paleosols in the two sequences indicateessentially synchronous climatic changes at Kapela-Batajnica and Stalac. Minor differ-´ences in properties between equivalent paleosols can be attributed to small localdifferences in the composition of the original loess or in weathering intensity. The strongtime-series amplitude and phase correlations between the two sites, especially for the F5and F7 pedocomplexes, confirm the synchroneity of climatic changes based on thepaleosols.

However, superimposed on these cyclic changes, both sequences show upwardincreases in carbonate content, especially in the B horizons, since formation of the F7

Ž .pedocomplex MindelrRiss , and this suggests an overall decrease in precipitation sinceŽ .that period. The changes in the hydrolysis index of Thorez 1985 at both sites and in the

feldsparrfeldsparqquartz and illiterilliteqquartz ratios at Kapela-Batajnica indicateŽ .steady overall decreases in weathering rates after formation of the F9 GunzrMindel¨

pedocomplex, which also suggests a progressive decrease in precipitation during thelater parts of the Quaternary, perhaps with some overall cooling.

The earlier climatic histories of the two sites differ in that the Kapela-Batajnicapaleosols are similar to those formed in the equivalent interglacials in NW Europe,whereas the Stalac paleosols resemble those of Greece, indicating a Mediterranean rather´than continental influence in southern Serbia up to pedocomplex F6. However, from F5to the present, the continental influence at Stalac was stronger.´

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Pedology and mineralogy of loess profiles at Kapela-Batajnica and Stalac´, Serbia

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