High-resolution proxy record of the environmental response to climatic variations during transition MIS3/MIS2 and MIS2 in Central Europe: The loess-paleosol sequence of Katymár brickyard (Hungary)

Abstract

According to the findings of a complex radiocarbon dated sedimentological, geochemical, anthracological, phytolite, malacological study implemented on an open 1036 cm wind-blown sand, loess, sandy loess and fossil soils profile of western part of brickyard at Katymár village in Hungary. Increased boreal mixed-leaved forest steppe and temperate grassland cover characterized the interstadials in the SE Great Hungarian Plain during the terminal phase of MIS3 stage and MIS2 stage. These interstadials correlate well with the Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) interstadials 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and the post LGM warm interval (DO1) seen in the Greenland ice core oxygen isotope records. Intervening cold phases, on the other hand, their start correlating with Heinrich event 1, 2, 3, 4 and the LGM. These data overall confirm that millennial scale climate variability during MIS3 and MIS2 stages had profound effect on the terrestrial ecosystems in the continental interior of SE Europe leading to periodic mixed-leaved boreal forest steppe within mosaic structure expansions in the interstadias and cold steppe, taiga and tundra like spots mosaic and mixed vegetation expansion in the stadial phases. 1400–1500 year long drier interstadial and humid, extended vegetation covered stadial periods interchanged at Katymár sequence, therefore the vegetation and fauna development was different from the Atlantic and Central European schemes and inferred an independent local and regional South Carpathian Basin trend.