Palaeoenvironmental Synthesis of the Eastern Ebro Basin Loess–Palaeosol Sequences (LPSs)

Loess–palaeosol sequences (LPSs) are continuous records of palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions during the Quaternary. This study includes 17 LPS located in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula, irregularly distributed, associated with different river basins: the Ebro Basin, the Mora Basin,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Daniela Álvarez, Carlos Alberto Torres-Guerrero, Jaume Boixadera, Carles Balasch, José Manuel Plata, Rafael Rodríguez Ochoa, José Ramón Olarieta, Rosa M. Poch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Quaternary
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/8/2/25
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Summary:Loess–palaeosol sequences (LPSs) are continuous records of palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions during the Quaternary. This study includes 17 LPS located in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula, irregularly distributed, associated with different river basins: the Ebro Basin, the Mora Basin, and the Ter sub-basin. The soils developed on these loess deposits present a loam–sandy texture, coarser than the typical loess, ochre in colour, with variable thickness (1–12 m), calcareous composition (20–45% CaCO<sub>3</sub> eq.), very low or null organic matter (OM), and basic pH. These deposits have been classified as desert LPS, whose pedogenesis is mainly associated with the redistribution of calcium carbonate and, in some cases, gypsum. Several methodologies have been applied to determine their mineralogical, physical, and chemical characteristics and date them by luminescence techniques. In addition, some relevant pedofeatures (porosity, CaCO<sub>3</sub>, gypsum, etc.) have been characterised in detail. The aims of the present study have been to know the pedogenic development of the LPS by defining the main soil-forming factors that have affected them in order to associate these factors with the characteristic palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental conditions reported in this area over time and to improve the understanding of soil evolution.
ISSN:2571-550X