Abstract
Abstract Two tephra horizons are known in the Middle and Upper Pleistocene loesses of the Carpathian Basin. The older Bag Tephra has been described from numerous loess outcrops in Hungary, whereas the younger Paks Tephra has been described only from the brickyard of Paks, in southern Hungary. The most characteristic heavy minerals in these horizons are various clinopyroxenes occurring in different proportions. The clinopyroxenes of the Bag Tephra are extremely rich in Ca and Al, while the volcanic glass is rich in K indicating high-K andesitic or shoshonitic volcanism. Based on comparative geochemical analyses, the most likely origin of the Bag Tephra is the Roman or the Campanian volcanic fields in Italy. Geochemical investigation of the Paks Tephra is in progress, and preliminary results suggest the same source for this younger tephra. In contrast to the tephra horizons, the correlation of the numerous paleosols in some Hungarian loess sections and their paleoenvironmental interpretation is possible only if they are based on very detailed micromorphological studies. The age determination of the loesses containing the paleosols, directly by thermoluminescence (TL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL), and indirectly by 14 C-based isotope work, should provide a reliable basis for the identification of soil forming periods in different parts of the Carpathian Basin.
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