Abstract
Stratified periglacial sediments extensively cover the slopes of central European low mountain areas. Periglacial cover beds and loess-like sediments as most abundant strata influence many near-surface processes, forming an important component of the Earth's critical zone.The present study focusses on the analysis of a complex sequence of periglacial slope deposits with multiple intermediate layers and intercalated slope wash sediments in order to determine and date periods of intermediate layer formation.Since luminescence dating often provides inconsistent data for cover beds, there is need to reconsider the numerical dating strategy. This study hence places stronger emphasis on numerical dating of interbedded, sufficiently bleached slope wash sediments. The gained OSL-ages are more reliable and consistent and thus, provide a temporal framework for relative dating of intermediate layer formation cycles. In combination with paleosol relics the numerical ages allowed a chronostratigraphic interpretation of Late Pleistocene paleoenvironmental dynamics and slope evolution.Our findings not only prove multiple phases of intermediate layer formation in the study area during the last glacial period but also enabled the correlation of single intermediate layers with specific time spans, including Early and Middle Weichselian as well as the Late Glacial. Remnants of the Eemian soil in the studied sequence even indicate a Saalian age for the lowermost intermediate layer.The present study shows that luminescence dating of intercalated slope wash deposits instead of cover beds is a promising numerical dating strategy for the chronostratigraphic interpretation of cover bed sequences. The findings further illustrate that complex, fanned out periglacial sediment sequences form despite their scarcity important paleoenvironmental archives for Late Pleistocene periglacial landscape dynamics in central European low mountain areas.
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