Correlation of the Moravian “main terrace” and the Alpine “Hochterrasse” – preliminary conclusions

 

Jaroslav Tyráček, Pavel Havlíček

Geoscience Research Reports 37, 2004 (GRR for 2003), pages 78–79

Full text (PDF, 0.06 MB)

 

Abstract

Two main climatostratigraphical schemes, Alpine and North European, are used in European Quaternary. Because the glaciated regions are separated by a wide periglacial zone and no connecting link is identified, the correlation of both stratigraphical schemes remains theoretical despite that two favourable areas are at the disposal there. The first one, the Rhine River valley, originating in the "Rheingletschergebiet" with Alpine type of glaciation and ending downstreams in the realm of the Scandinavian ice sheets, proved unsuitable owing to neotectonics, disturbing the correlatable terrace sequences. The second region is in Moravia where the glaciofluvial sediments cross the main European water divide into the drainage basin of the Danube River. The "main terrace" traceable from the glaciated Odra River basin as far as the Danube River valley and its "Hochterrasse" is used as an index horizon for the intended correlation. The geology of the overlying sediments evidences that the Moravian "main terrace" correlates with the anaglacial (cooling) phase of the Saale glacial, while the Alpine "Hochterrasse" corresponds to the kataglacial (warming) phase of the same climatic cycle. The "main terrace" formed at the onset of the glacial whereas, by contrast, the "Hochterrasse" was deposited at the end of the same glacial. These fluvial accumulations are, therefore, very useful tool for correlation of both systems. In general the Saale correlates with Alpine Riss despite that the detailed stratigraphical classification of the latter is still open to debate.