POSITION OF THE LAST INTERGLACIAL IN THE HUNGARIAN LOESSES – RECENT EVIDENCES FROM LUMINESCENCE DATINGS

Based on the most recent combined luminescence dating of four Hungarian loess profiles the most accepted theory of the loess stratigraphy has to be changed, as it was already suggested in some earlier works. In the upper part of these profiles (Paks, Mende, Basaharc and Albertirsa) we discovered a time gap which can be as much as 70 ka or larger. Generally the Mende Upper paleosoil complex (MF1 and MF2) is situated in this time gap. The only exception is at Paks, where between 20-100 ka there was either no loess deposition or the sediments were totally eroded. The lower part of this complex (MF2) was formed on the loess of the penultimate glaciation suggesting that the pedogenesis took place during the Last Interglacial period (OIS 5e). At the Mende and Basaharc sections the amino acid racemization dating supports this hypothesis. The surprising value of 65 ka obtained by the luminescence dating of the lowermost soil horizon at Albertirsa indicates that it developed on a loess younger than the Last Interglacial. Thus the soil labeled stratigraphically as MF2 in this section does not correspond to those recognized as such for the other sections. Soros Foundation and OTKA T 029798 supported this research.