Tomasz Zieliński - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Tomasz Zieliński
Geologos, 2014
Geostatistical methods for 2D and 3D modelling spatial variability of selected physicochemical pr... more Geostatistical methods for 2D and 3D modelling spatial variability of selected physicochemical properties of biogenic sediments were applied to a small valley mire in order to identify the processes that lead to the formation of various types of peat. A sequential Gaussian simulation was performed to reproduce the statistical distribution of the input data (pH and organic matter) and their semivariances, as well as to honouring of data values, yielding more ‘realistic’ models that show microscale spatial variability, despite the fact that the input sample cores were sparsely distributed in the X-Y space of the study area. The stratigraphy of peat deposits in the Ldzań mire shows a record of long-term evolution of water conditions, which is associated with the variability in water supply over time. Ldzań is a fen (a rheotrophic mire) with a through-flow of groundwater. Additionally, the vicinity of the Grabia River is marked by seasonal inundations of the southwest part of the mire a...
CATENA, 2016
We use a range of environmental variables to explore the possible drivers influencing the biota, ... more We use a range of environmental variables to explore the possible drivers influencing the biota, especially the composition of aquatic invertebrates, during the Younger Dryas (YD) and Early Holocene (EH) in different river valley sites: a well-developed meandering river and the confluence zone of headwater streams. Using pollen, macrofossil, cladoceran, and chironomid as well as geochemical and lithological data as proxies for environmental factors (i.e., water depth and temperature), we attempt to show that these different sites display similar hydroclimatic signals (especially floods). The geochemical records in the studied valley are correlated with environmental factors, such as the evolution of the vegetation, the intensification phase of slope processes, and fluvial activities. Cladocerans and chironomids potentially play important roles in the recognition of flood episodes in the study sites, and any shift in their diversity and, especially, the co-occurrence of planktonic, sediment-associated cladocerans with rheophilic chironomids could be valuable indicators of floods and flow episodes. The variable changes in water levels at the sites reconstructed by the cladoceran-based water-depth model were positively associated with changes in lithophilic elements (K, Na, Al, Mg, and Ti), SiO 2(biog + ter) and Fe/Mn, and our estimates of the paleohydraulic parameters for the study sites are generally consistent with changes in the composition of aquatic invertebrates. The recorded YD floods appear to be synchronous, regardless of the size and the different geological and geomorphological settings of each part of the river catchment. Our investigation demonstrates that flood magnitude increases in the downstream direction along the valley. The common increases in the water level at all study sites from the Grabia River valley are significant from 12,400 to 12,200 and from 11,900 to 11,800 cal BP and are comparable with those from elsewhere in Poland and Europe.
Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae
A b stract. Pleistocene glaciolacustrine sediments o f the Kleszczów Graben near Bełchatów-silts ... more A b stract. Pleistocene glaciolacustrine sediments o f the Kleszczów Graben near Bełchatów-silts and clays with numerous sand intercalations-record the development and decay o f a glacial lake in a subsiding basin. The sediments were classified in eight genetic facies. These facies present a wide scope o f sediments o f subaqueous redeposition and deposition in the basin-from dense mass flows o f debris-flow type, through liquefied flows and turbidity currents, to low-energy bottom currents. The facies make the ground for identification o f subenvironments and environm ents in the Pleistocene glacial lake. The individual complexes correspond to various environments w ithin the lake: inclined lake bottom dominated by dense mass flows and fluidal flows, open lake with fine-grained parapelagic deposition, deepened axial part o f the basin with weak bottom currents, marginal part o f the lake with distal turbidity currents generated by liver supply. Markov chain statistical analysis was used to determine the succession o f sedimentary processes in the different lake environments. Vertical sequences o f facies proved that the dense mass flows gradually evolved to more diluted Newtonian flows. The sequences typical o f turbidites were noted as well as those o f weak underflows generated by river inflows. The frequency and nature o f the coarse-grained lake sediments formed by mass flows and turbidity currents testify to tectonically controlled style o f sedimentation. Processes o f violent redeposition were caused mainly by seismic tremors in the active Kleszczów Graben. A b strak t. Plejstoceńskie osady glacilimniczne rowu Kleszczowa (odkrywka bełchatowska) odzw ierciedlają rozwój i zanik jeziora glacjalnego w warunkach subsydencji podłoża. Są to muły i iły z licznymi przewarstwieniami piaszczystymi. Wśród nich wyróżniono osiem facji genetycznych prezentujących szeroki w achlarz typów podwodnej redepozycji grawitacyjnej-od gęstych spływów masowych typu debris flow, przez spływy uwodnio nego materiału i prądy turbiditowe, do niskoenergetycznych prądów dennych. W yróżnione facje są podstawą identyfikacji subśrodowisk i środowisk w plejstoceńskim jeziorze. Kolejne analizowane kompleksy osadowe odpow iadają różnym środowiskom w zbiorniku. Podwodny skłon jeziora zdominowany był przez gęste spływy masowe i spływy uwodnionego materiału, natomiast otwarty zbiornik-przez depozycję parapelagiczną, w przeglębionej, osiowej części basenu przeważały niskoenergetyczne prądy denne, a w marginalnej części jeziora dystalne prądy zawiesinowe generowane dopływem rzecznym. Statystyczna metoda łańcuchów M arkowa została zastosowana, by w yróżnić następstwo facji i procesów sedymentacyjnych w różnych środowiskach jeziora. W yróżnione dzięki tej metodzie pionowe następstwo facji reprezentuje stopniowe przejście od gęstych spływów masowych do przepływów hydraulicznych. Notowano również sekwencje typowe dla tuibiditów oraz dla słabych prądów dennych powodowanych dopływami rzecznymi. Charakter gruboziarnistych osadów jeziornych, będą cych rezultatem spływów masowych i prądów turbiditowych, wskazuje na tektoniczne uwarunkowania sedy mentacji limnoglacjalnej. Procesy redepozycji wzbudzane były najprawdopodobniej przez wstrząsy sejsmiczne w aktywnym rowie Kleszczowa.
Glacial till petrography of the South Podlasie Lowland (E Poland) and stratigraphy of the Middle Pleistocene Complex (MIS 11-6)
Annales Societatis …, 2000
Abstract: The studied section of the upper Narew river is an example of an anastomosing system. I... more Abstract: The studied section of the upper Narew river is an example of an anastomosing system. It consists of a network of interconnected channels and interchannel areas covered with peat-forming rush and reed vegetation. The channels have low longitudinal gradient, ...
Boreas, 2013
The Drawa sandur, which is the largest, coarse-grained sandur in Poland, dates from the Pomerania... more The Drawa sandur, which is the largest, coarse-grained sandur in Poland, dates from the Pomeranian phase of the Weichselian glaciation (c. 16 ka BP). Using Markov chain analysis we infer that five cycles and five rhythms occur in its proximal part. The cycles dominated by Gt and St lithofacies in the lower part of the sandur succession and by a GDm lithofacies in the upper part, are fining-upward cycles deposited in braided channels during large ablation floods. Three groups of cycles are distinguished based on their genesis: (i) cycles due to channel-sheet evolution during large floods; (ii) cycles due to braid-bar development during initial and advanced diminishing of floods; and (iii) cycles developed in the thalweg or interbar channels. The succession as a whole forms a large-scale coarsening-up megacycle ('sandur megacycle') which corresponds to a phase of ice-sheet advance. Because the cyclicity was evident from Markov chain analysis of the sedimentary succession, we suggest that this statistical tool is valuable for reconstruction of glacifluvial sedimentary conditions, particularly as it can shed new light on the palaeogeographical development of sandar.
Geological Quarterly, 2014
Dif fer ent meth ods have been used to de ter mine the strati graphic po si tion of Pleis to cene... more Dif fer ent meth ods have been used to de ter mine the strati graphic po si tion of Pleis to cene al lu vial de pos its, par tic u larly flu vial inter gla cial de pos its. Near-sur face de pos its of a me an der ing river, de vel oped in point-bar and ox bow lake fa cies, in the Samica River val ley (near £uków, east ern Po land) have been in ves ti gated. The fos sil val ley is in cised into the till plain and the outwash. The flu vial suc ces sion is lo cally over lain by solifluction de pos its. All the de pos its un der went sedimentological anal y sis. The petrographic com po si tion of basal till oc cur ring in the vi cin ity of a fos sil val ley was de ter mined with the method of in di ca tor er rat ics. Flu vial de pos its were ex am ined by pol len anal y sis and plant macrofossil anal y sis of ox bow lake fa cies. Ab so lute dat ing meth ods were ap plied to the de pos its (thermoluminescence meth ods: TL and ad di tion ally IRSL). Lithological dif fer ences be tween flu vial and the sur round ing glaciofluvial de pos its were iden ti fied and their lithostratigraphic po si tion as signed. Petrographic anal y sis of till and palaeobotanical anal y ses of ox bow lake fa cies gave com pat i ble re sults. Flu vial de pos its were formed af ter the Sanian 2/Elsterian Gla ci ation, dur ing the Mazovian/Holsteinian Inter gla cial. Lu mi nescence dat ing of the flu vial de pos its by the TL MAX method yielded the most rel e vant re sults (412-445 ka), which in di cate that these de pos its were formed dur ing the end of the MIS 12 and be gin ning of the MIS 11 stage. Key words: chronostratigraphy, geo chron ol ogy, inter gla cial me an der ing river, Pleis to cene, Mazovian/Holsteinian, eastern Po land.
Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae, 2021
In the stratigraphic division of the Saalian (Middle Pleistocene) in Europe, the Wartanian cold p... more In the stratigraphic division of the Saalian (Middle Pleistocene) in Europe, the Wartanian cold period has the rank of a stadial of the Odranian Glaciation, correlated with MIS 6. The authors demonstrate the higher rank of this cold period, on the basis of an analysis of the sedimentary succession in eastern Poland, at an exposure of the terminal moraine of the Wartanian ice sheet. At the Wólka Zagórna site, three stratigraphic units were distinguished: A (lower glacigenic deposits-glaciofluvial deposits and subglacial till), A/B (fossil soil of lessivé type), B and C (a periglacial horizon with deflation pavement, involutions, frost-wedge structures and upper glaciofluvial deposits and flow till, with ice-wedge casts). Two distinct periods of climatic cooling, associated with the youngest Saalian ice sheets, were recorded in this succession in E Poland: Odranian (unit A, an ice-sheet transgression marked by the deposition of glaciofluvial deposits dated as 365-226 ka, ending with the deposition of subglacial till), and Wartanian (units B and C, an ice sheet transgression marked by development of a periglacial zone, dated as 180-126 ka, and then deposition of glacigenic sediments at the front of the ice sheet and formation of a marginal moraine). Each of these periods of ice-sheet transgression occurred at a different time (in the MIS 8 and MIS 6 positions) and were separated by a warm period. It is documented by unit A/B-a fossil soil with a very well developed B t horizon-which attests to its formation in an illuviation process beneath a complex of mixed forests during an interstadial warming that occurred in MIS 7. From this palaeoclimatic reconstruction, it is inferred that the Wartanian cold period should be viewed as a separate glaciation in MIS 6 and the Odranian period should be assigned to MIS 8 in the stratigraphic schema of the Quaternary.
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2015
A multi-proxy reconstruction of water depth, temperature and precipitation inferred from Cladocer... more A multi-proxy reconstruction of water depth, temperature and precipitation inferred from Cladocera, Chironomidae and pollen assemblages has been obtained from Świerczyna paleo-oxbow (central Poland) during the Younger Dryas (YD) and Early Holocene. Results suggest that the YD was relatively cold and comprised two main phases. The first (ca. 12,500-12,000 cal. yrs BP) is characterized by a continental climatic regime and a decrease in winter temperatures and precipitation but an increase in spring/summer precipitation. The second phase (ca. 12,000-11,500 cal. yrs BP) was more mild with a variable continental climate, an increase in summer and winter temperature, a lengthening of the growing season and increased annual precipitation. The reconstructed water level generally follows changes in spring and summer precipitation and length of growing season. The frequency and timing of hydroclimatic oscillations at Świerczyna show strong similarities to records from other sites in Europe. This confirms that oxbows and valley mire ecosystems respond to rapid climate change during the YD and Early Holocene. This study therefore brings new insights into the effects of climate changes on river environments, especially during the YD. We also discuss the limitations of water depth, temperature and precipitation reconstructions inferred from the studied biotic assemblages.
A reconstruction of the palaeohydrological conditions of a flood-plain: a multi-proxy study from the Grabia River valley mire, central Poland
Boreas, 2015
ABSTRACT This study investigated the Grabia River valley mire in central Poland to reconstruct it... more ABSTRACT This study investigated the Grabia River valley mire in central Poland to reconstruct its palaeoenvironmental conditions from the Younger Dryas to the present. We analysed sedimentological, biological and geochemical data from the palaeo-oxbow lake and valley mire to identify the principal hydrological trends, especially episodes of high water level. During the Lateglacial and Holocene, the Grabia River had a meandering channel, and its hydraulic parameters and the channel dimensions changed in response to climatic oscillations and vegetation development. We identified phases of high flood intensity and high groundwater level that correlate with regional and supraregional climatic events. The frequency and timing of palaeohydroclimatic oscillations show strong similarities to records from other sites in Poland and the rest of Europe. We show that various analytical methods, namely, pollen, plant macrofossils, Cladocera, Chironomidae, sedimentological, geochemical and radiocarbon data, can be effective tools for reconstructing past hydroclimatic changes in palaeo-oxbow lakes and investigating the effects of past climate changes on river environments. The high sensitivity of the biota, especially Cladocera, to changes in water level permits the reconstruction of palaeoecological changes, especially flood episodes that occurred in the river valley. In particular, the increase in the proportion of sediment-associated Cladocera and pelagic taxa was closely correlated with floods. Through comparisons with the palaeobiological data, geochemical data allowed the identification of humid phases within the fen associated with a rising groundwater table, direct fluvial activity (floods) and alluvial deposition. We also discuss the limitations of palaeohydrological reconstructions based on these proxies, especially on fossil aquatic invertebrates.
Unique Features of Interglacial Deposits (MIS 11, Eastern Poland): Comparison of Palaeobotanical and Geological Data
STRATI 2013, 2014
This paper describes a unique succession of alluvial deposits from the Holsteinian Interglacial i... more This paper describes a unique succession of alluvial deposits from the Holsteinian Interglacial in eastern Poland. The succession was studied in terms of sedimentology, palaeobotany, and thermoluminescence (TL) geochronology. The interglacial alluvial succession includes two facies of a meandering river: point bar and oxbow. TL ages of point bar deposits and palaeobotanical analysis of oxbow lake deposits allow us to associate the deposits with the initial phases (preoptimum period) of the Holsteinian Interglacial. Specific palaeoenvironmental conditions did not favour the formation of a complete interglacial biogenic–clastic succession as it was deposited in the shallow oxbow lake, which underwent rapid eutrophication.
SEPM Journal of Sedimentary Research, 1995
Specific erosional and depositional processes in a pleistocene subglacial tunnel in the wielkopolska region, poland
Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 2012
Abstract The Pleistocene Cieśle succession accumulated in a subglacial tunnel and shows three sed... more Abstract The Pleistocene Cieśle succession accumulated in a subglacial tunnel and shows three sedimentological units: (1) trough cross‐stratified sand with granules deposited in deep channels up to 5.4 m, (2) trough stratified and massive gravels deposited in a very deep channel up to 6.2 m eroded by a catastrophic hyperconcentrated flow, and (3) a massive diamicton, interpreted as a basal till of melt‐out type. We focus on angular and deformed sandy clasts that occur in the second unit. It appears that thermal erosion, short transport in a sediment‐laden current and sudden sedimentation were responsible for the oversized sandy clasts that occur in the gravel glaciofluvial deposits. The deposits are characterized by large‐scale erosional scours, massive structure, and fluid‐escape deformations. This combination of features can be used as a key tool for the interpretation of hyperconcentrated‐flow conditions beneath Pleistocene ice sheets.
Fluwioglacjalne struktury sedymentacyjne w Bełchatowie
Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae, 1980
Fluvioglacial depositional structures in Belchatow, Central Poland In the brown coal bearing depo... more Fluvioglacial depositional structures in Belchatow, Central Poland In the brown coal bearing deposits in Belchatow, Central Poland, numerous erosional washouts have been observed. These occur within a series of fine-,grained Pleistocene fluvioglacial sands (Fig. 1) and have dimensions of up to 7 m in length, 3.5 m width, and 1.8 m in depth, and are infilled with well-sorted, finegrained sands. In the upcurrent direction of the washouts inclined parallel-laminated sets are found to occur, — the so-called a -member (Fig. 4A; Pl. 1, Fig. 1; Pl. II, Fig. 2). These are derived from the avalanche-like sedimentation of material transported to the edge of the washout by migrating ripples. In the downcurrent direction, this type of lamination grades into small-scale trough cross lamination — the b -member, and climbing-ripple cross lamination, named the с -member. (Fig. 4A; Pl. 1, Fig. 1). In the с -member the following sequences have been observed; Horizontally, in the direction of flow, A—...
Poligeneza cykliczności osadów glacilimnicznych
Geological Quarterly, 2015
Holsteinian flu vial de pos its in the Samica River val ley in east ern Po land have been stud ie... more Holsteinian flu vial de pos its in the Samica River val ley in east ern Po land have been stud ied, in an ap prox i mately 12 m thick suc ces sion fill ing palaeochannels and com pris ing sandy chan nel fa cies suc ceeded by a pack age of gyttja, peat and silt depos ited in an ox bow lake. Chan nel belts in clud ing palaeochannel fills cut into outwash sands and are over lain by diamictic sands re worked by gelifluction un der periglacial con di tions. Sedimentological and palynological in ves ti ga tions in com bi nation al lowed the rec og ni tion of gla cial and inter gla cial de pos its. The chan nel belt was formed by a typ i cal sand-bed, me ander ing river with de po si tion con trolled by abun dant point bars. The sed i men tary evo lu tion of the Samica val ley is in ter preted in the con text of the gla cial-inter gla cial cy cle. Val ley-scale ero sion and change of river style from braided to me an der ing occurred co evally with the de cay of an ice sheet (deglaciation) and the main phase of me an der ing river sed i men ta tion is at tributed to the lat est Elsterian and early Holsteinian. The next part of the inter gla cial, from pi o neer stage to es tab lished tem per ate con di tions, is re corded in a biogenic ox bow-lake fill. The suc ces sion stud ied has been com pared with pub lished data on the Eu ro pean flu vial de pos its of Mid dle Pleis to cene interglacials. It is pointed out here that river chan nel pat terns in West ern and East ern Eu rope dif fered. Based on this ob ser va tion, some gen eral hy poth e ses re gard ing con ti nen tal-scale clima tic dis tinct ness are put for ward.
Late Weichselian and Holocene record of the paleoenvironmental changes in a small river valley in Central Poland
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2016
Abstract: The developmental history, from the Oldest Dryas to the Late Holocene, of a paleolake a... more Abstract: The developmental history, from the Oldest Dryas to the Late Holocene, of a paleolake and mire located in a river valley in Central Poland was studied using high-resolution records of pollen, macrofossils, Cladocera, sedimentology, and geochemistry from a 14 C dated sediment core. We inferred temperature and water level dynamics using cladocerans and palynological and geochemical methods were employed to investigate natural fluvial activity, particularly for these elements that are difficult to find through sedimentological methods. Our research demonstrates how climate fluctuation in the Late Glacial and Holocene periods influenced the development of a paleolake and mire in a small river valley and shows the importance of long-term research to establish hydroclimatic conditions in biogenic sediments. We propose that water level fluctuations were important in modifying biotic assemblages. The results of our multiproxy analysis clearly suggest that the main driver of changes in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, as well as in geomorphological processes in the valley, was climate: reconstructed temperatures generally follow the known trends, showing an increase at the beginning of the Bolling, Allerod, and Holocene and a decrease at the beginning of the Oldest and Younger Dryas. Similarly, periods of water level increase are synchronous with climatic changes. However, the local environmental forces were a significant factors affecting biotic diversity in the studied time span. Fish predation, macrophyte structure, pH, and calcium content partly influence the results of the cladoceran-based water depth reconstruction in particular. Interestingly, the cladoceran-inferred summer temperature reconstruction for Pawlowa appear realistic. Although the temperature trends can be considered reliable, our results indicate the important role of local factors which control the species composition of the subfossil assemblages.
Prospects and limitations of heavy mineral analyses to discriminate preglacial/glacial transitions in Pleistocene sedimentary successions
Geologos
The present study revolves around the identification of the stratigraphical boundary between Plei... more The present study revolves around the identification of the stratigraphical boundary between Pleistocene formations that formed prior to the first advance of the Scandinavian ice sheet (Early Pleistocene, i.e., the so-called preglacial) and the overlying, glacially derived deposits (Middle Pleistocene). In particular, it focuses on variation in heavy mineral assemblages, which are an important tool for stratigraphers. The Neogene basement, described here, was most often the source of material that was redeposited by Early Pleistocene rivers. The geological structure and Early Pleistocene palaeogeographical scenarios for various Polish regions are discussed. Moreover, comparisons with other European preglacial formations are carried out. The mineral spectrum of Lower Pleistocene deposits is largely dependent of rocks of the Neogene and Mesozoic basement. If the incision of ancient catchments was into terrigenous rocks, the stratigraphical boundary between preglacial and glacial forma...
Sedimentary Facies, Processes and Paleochannel Pattern of an Anastomosing River System: An Example from the Upper Neogene of Central Poland
Journal of Sedimentary Research
Geologos, 2014
Geostatistical methods for 2D and 3D modelling spatial variability of selected physicochemical pr... more Geostatistical methods for 2D and 3D modelling spatial variability of selected physicochemical properties of biogenic sediments were applied to a small valley mire in order to identify the processes that lead to the formation of various types of peat. A sequential Gaussian simulation was performed to reproduce the statistical distribution of the input data (pH and organic matter) and their semivariances, as well as to honouring of data values, yielding more ‘realistic’ models that show microscale spatial variability, despite the fact that the input sample cores were sparsely distributed in the X-Y space of the study area. The stratigraphy of peat deposits in the Ldzań mire shows a record of long-term evolution of water conditions, which is associated with the variability in water supply over time. Ldzań is a fen (a rheotrophic mire) with a through-flow of groundwater. Additionally, the vicinity of the Grabia River is marked by seasonal inundations of the southwest part of the mire a...
CATENA, 2016
We use a range of environmental variables to explore the possible drivers influencing the biota, ... more We use a range of environmental variables to explore the possible drivers influencing the biota, especially the composition of aquatic invertebrates, during the Younger Dryas (YD) and Early Holocene (EH) in different river valley sites: a well-developed meandering river and the confluence zone of headwater streams. Using pollen, macrofossil, cladoceran, and chironomid as well as geochemical and lithological data as proxies for environmental factors (i.e., water depth and temperature), we attempt to show that these different sites display similar hydroclimatic signals (especially floods). The geochemical records in the studied valley are correlated with environmental factors, such as the evolution of the vegetation, the intensification phase of slope processes, and fluvial activities. Cladocerans and chironomids potentially play important roles in the recognition of flood episodes in the study sites, and any shift in their diversity and, especially, the co-occurrence of planktonic, sediment-associated cladocerans with rheophilic chironomids could be valuable indicators of floods and flow episodes. The variable changes in water levels at the sites reconstructed by the cladoceran-based water-depth model were positively associated with changes in lithophilic elements (K, Na, Al, Mg, and Ti), SiO 2(biog + ter) and Fe/Mn, and our estimates of the paleohydraulic parameters for the study sites are generally consistent with changes in the composition of aquatic invertebrates. The recorded YD floods appear to be synchronous, regardless of the size and the different geological and geomorphological settings of each part of the river catchment. Our investigation demonstrates that flood magnitude increases in the downstream direction along the valley. The common increases in the water level at all study sites from the Grabia River valley are significant from 12,400 to 12,200 and from 11,900 to 11,800 cal BP and are comparable with those from elsewhere in Poland and Europe.
Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae
A b stract. Pleistocene glaciolacustrine sediments o f the Kleszczów Graben near Bełchatów-silts ... more A b stract. Pleistocene glaciolacustrine sediments o f the Kleszczów Graben near Bełchatów-silts and clays with numerous sand intercalations-record the development and decay o f a glacial lake in a subsiding basin. The sediments were classified in eight genetic facies. These facies present a wide scope o f sediments o f subaqueous redeposition and deposition in the basin-from dense mass flows o f debris-flow type, through liquefied flows and turbidity currents, to low-energy bottom currents. The facies make the ground for identification o f subenvironments and environm ents in the Pleistocene glacial lake. The individual complexes correspond to various environments w ithin the lake: inclined lake bottom dominated by dense mass flows and fluidal flows, open lake with fine-grained parapelagic deposition, deepened axial part o f the basin with weak bottom currents, marginal part o f the lake with distal turbidity currents generated by liver supply. Markov chain statistical analysis was used to determine the succession o f sedimentary processes in the different lake environments. Vertical sequences o f facies proved that the dense mass flows gradually evolved to more diluted Newtonian flows. The sequences typical o f turbidites were noted as well as those o f weak underflows generated by river inflows. The frequency and nature o f the coarse-grained lake sediments formed by mass flows and turbidity currents testify to tectonically controlled style o f sedimentation. Processes o f violent redeposition were caused mainly by seismic tremors in the active Kleszczów Graben. A b strak t. Plejstoceńskie osady glacilimniczne rowu Kleszczowa (odkrywka bełchatowska) odzw ierciedlają rozwój i zanik jeziora glacjalnego w warunkach subsydencji podłoża. Są to muły i iły z licznymi przewarstwieniami piaszczystymi. Wśród nich wyróżniono osiem facji genetycznych prezentujących szeroki w achlarz typów podwodnej redepozycji grawitacyjnej-od gęstych spływów masowych typu debris flow, przez spływy uwodnio nego materiału i prądy turbiditowe, do niskoenergetycznych prądów dennych. W yróżnione facje są podstawą identyfikacji subśrodowisk i środowisk w plejstoceńskim jeziorze. Kolejne analizowane kompleksy osadowe odpow iadają różnym środowiskom w zbiorniku. Podwodny skłon jeziora zdominowany był przez gęste spływy masowe i spływy uwodnionego materiału, natomiast otwarty zbiornik-przez depozycję parapelagiczną, w przeglębionej, osiowej części basenu przeważały niskoenergetyczne prądy denne, a w marginalnej części jeziora dystalne prądy zawiesinowe generowane dopływem rzecznym. Statystyczna metoda łańcuchów M arkowa została zastosowana, by w yróżnić następstwo facji i procesów sedymentacyjnych w różnych środowiskach jeziora. W yróżnione dzięki tej metodzie pionowe następstwo facji reprezentuje stopniowe przejście od gęstych spływów masowych do przepływów hydraulicznych. Notowano również sekwencje typowe dla tuibiditów oraz dla słabych prądów dennych powodowanych dopływami rzecznymi. Charakter gruboziarnistych osadów jeziornych, będą cych rezultatem spływów masowych i prądów turbiditowych, wskazuje na tektoniczne uwarunkowania sedy mentacji limnoglacjalnej. Procesy redepozycji wzbudzane były najprawdopodobniej przez wstrząsy sejsmiczne w aktywnym rowie Kleszczowa.
Glacial till petrography of the South Podlasie Lowland (E Poland) and stratigraphy of the Middle Pleistocene Complex (MIS 11-6)
Annales Societatis …, 2000
Abstract: The studied section of the upper Narew river is an example of an anastomosing system. I... more Abstract: The studied section of the upper Narew river is an example of an anastomosing system. It consists of a network of interconnected channels and interchannel areas covered with peat-forming rush and reed vegetation. The channels have low longitudinal gradient, ...
Boreas, 2013
The Drawa sandur, which is the largest, coarse-grained sandur in Poland, dates from the Pomerania... more The Drawa sandur, which is the largest, coarse-grained sandur in Poland, dates from the Pomeranian phase of the Weichselian glaciation (c. 16 ka BP). Using Markov chain analysis we infer that five cycles and five rhythms occur in its proximal part. The cycles dominated by Gt and St lithofacies in the lower part of the sandur succession and by a GDm lithofacies in the upper part, are fining-upward cycles deposited in braided channels during large ablation floods. Three groups of cycles are distinguished based on their genesis: (i) cycles due to channel-sheet evolution during large floods; (ii) cycles due to braid-bar development during initial and advanced diminishing of floods; and (iii) cycles developed in the thalweg or interbar channels. The succession as a whole forms a large-scale coarsening-up megacycle ('sandur megacycle') which corresponds to a phase of ice-sheet advance. Because the cyclicity was evident from Markov chain analysis of the sedimentary succession, we suggest that this statistical tool is valuable for reconstruction of glacifluvial sedimentary conditions, particularly as it can shed new light on the palaeogeographical development of sandar.
Geological Quarterly, 2014
Dif fer ent meth ods have been used to de ter mine the strati graphic po si tion of Pleis to cene... more Dif fer ent meth ods have been used to de ter mine the strati graphic po si tion of Pleis to cene al lu vial de pos its, par tic u larly flu vial inter gla cial de pos its. Near-sur face de pos its of a me an der ing river, de vel oped in point-bar and ox bow lake fa cies, in the Samica River val ley (near £uków, east ern Po land) have been in ves ti gated. The fos sil val ley is in cised into the till plain and the outwash. The flu vial suc ces sion is lo cally over lain by solifluction de pos its. All the de pos its un der went sedimentological anal y sis. The petrographic com po si tion of basal till oc cur ring in the vi cin ity of a fos sil val ley was de ter mined with the method of in di ca tor er rat ics. Flu vial de pos its were ex am ined by pol len anal y sis and plant macrofossil anal y sis of ox bow lake fa cies. Ab so lute dat ing meth ods were ap plied to the de pos its (thermoluminescence meth ods: TL and ad di tion ally IRSL). Lithological dif fer ences be tween flu vial and the sur round ing glaciofluvial de pos its were iden ti fied and their lithostratigraphic po si tion as signed. Petrographic anal y sis of till and palaeobotanical anal y ses of ox bow lake fa cies gave com pat i ble re sults. Flu vial de pos its were formed af ter the Sanian 2/Elsterian Gla ci ation, dur ing the Mazovian/Holsteinian Inter gla cial. Lu mi nescence dat ing of the flu vial de pos its by the TL MAX method yielded the most rel e vant re sults (412-445 ka), which in di cate that these de pos its were formed dur ing the end of the MIS 12 and be gin ning of the MIS 11 stage. Key words: chronostratigraphy, geo chron ol ogy, inter gla cial me an der ing river, Pleis to cene, Mazovian/Holsteinian, eastern Po land.
Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae, 2021
In the stratigraphic division of the Saalian (Middle Pleistocene) in Europe, the Wartanian cold p... more In the stratigraphic division of the Saalian (Middle Pleistocene) in Europe, the Wartanian cold period has the rank of a stadial of the Odranian Glaciation, correlated with MIS 6. The authors demonstrate the higher rank of this cold period, on the basis of an analysis of the sedimentary succession in eastern Poland, at an exposure of the terminal moraine of the Wartanian ice sheet. At the Wólka Zagórna site, three stratigraphic units were distinguished: A (lower glacigenic deposits-glaciofluvial deposits and subglacial till), A/B (fossil soil of lessivé type), B and C (a periglacial horizon with deflation pavement, involutions, frost-wedge structures and upper glaciofluvial deposits and flow till, with ice-wedge casts). Two distinct periods of climatic cooling, associated with the youngest Saalian ice sheets, were recorded in this succession in E Poland: Odranian (unit A, an ice-sheet transgression marked by the deposition of glaciofluvial deposits dated as 365-226 ka, ending with the deposition of subglacial till), and Wartanian (units B and C, an ice sheet transgression marked by development of a periglacial zone, dated as 180-126 ka, and then deposition of glacigenic sediments at the front of the ice sheet and formation of a marginal moraine). Each of these periods of ice-sheet transgression occurred at a different time (in the MIS 8 and MIS 6 positions) and were separated by a warm period. It is documented by unit A/B-a fossil soil with a very well developed B t horizon-which attests to its formation in an illuviation process beneath a complex of mixed forests during an interstadial warming that occurred in MIS 7. From this palaeoclimatic reconstruction, it is inferred that the Wartanian cold period should be viewed as a separate glaciation in MIS 6 and the Odranian period should be assigned to MIS 8 in the stratigraphic schema of the Quaternary.
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2015
A multi-proxy reconstruction of water depth, temperature and precipitation inferred from Cladocer... more A multi-proxy reconstruction of water depth, temperature and precipitation inferred from Cladocera, Chironomidae and pollen assemblages has been obtained from Świerczyna paleo-oxbow (central Poland) during the Younger Dryas (YD) and Early Holocene. Results suggest that the YD was relatively cold and comprised two main phases. The first (ca. 12,500-12,000 cal. yrs BP) is characterized by a continental climatic regime and a decrease in winter temperatures and precipitation but an increase in spring/summer precipitation. The second phase (ca. 12,000-11,500 cal. yrs BP) was more mild with a variable continental climate, an increase in summer and winter temperature, a lengthening of the growing season and increased annual precipitation. The reconstructed water level generally follows changes in spring and summer precipitation and length of growing season. The frequency and timing of hydroclimatic oscillations at Świerczyna show strong similarities to records from other sites in Europe. This confirms that oxbows and valley mire ecosystems respond to rapid climate change during the YD and Early Holocene. This study therefore brings new insights into the effects of climate changes on river environments, especially during the YD. We also discuss the limitations of water depth, temperature and precipitation reconstructions inferred from the studied biotic assemblages.
A reconstruction of the palaeohydrological conditions of a flood-plain: a multi-proxy study from the Grabia River valley mire, central Poland
Boreas, 2015
ABSTRACT This study investigated the Grabia River valley mire in central Poland to reconstruct it... more ABSTRACT This study investigated the Grabia River valley mire in central Poland to reconstruct its palaeoenvironmental conditions from the Younger Dryas to the present. We analysed sedimentological, biological and geochemical data from the palaeo-oxbow lake and valley mire to identify the principal hydrological trends, especially episodes of high water level. During the Lateglacial and Holocene, the Grabia River had a meandering channel, and its hydraulic parameters and the channel dimensions changed in response to climatic oscillations and vegetation development. We identified phases of high flood intensity and high groundwater level that correlate with regional and supraregional climatic events. The frequency and timing of palaeohydroclimatic oscillations show strong similarities to records from other sites in Poland and the rest of Europe. We show that various analytical methods, namely, pollen, plant macrofossils, Cladocera, Chironomidae, sedimentological, geochemical and radiocarbon data, can be effective tools for reconstructing past hydroclimatic changes in palaeo-oxbow lakes and investigating the effects of past climate changes on river environments. The high sensitivity of the biota, especially Cladocera, to changes in water level permits the reconstruction of palaeoecological changes, especially flood episodes that occurred in the river valley. In particular, the increase in the proportion of sediment-associated Cladocera and pelagic taxa was closely correlated with floods. Through comparisons with the palaeobiological data, geochemical data allowed the identification of humid phases within the fen associated with a rising groundwater table, direct fluvial activity (floods) and alluvial deposition. We also discuss the limitations of palaeohydrological reconstructions based on these proxies, especially on fossil aquatic invertebrates.
Unique Features of Interglacial Deposits (MIS 11, Eastern Poland): Comparison of Palaeobotanical and Geological Data
STRATI 2013, 2014
This paper describes a unique succession of alluvial deposits from the Holsteinian Interglacial i... more This paper describes a unique succession of alluvial deposits from the Holsteinian Interglacial in eastern Poland. The succession was studied in terms of sedimentology, palaeobotany, and thermoluminescence (TL) geochronology. The interglacial alluvial succession includes two facies of a meandering river: point bar and oxbow. TL ages of point bar deposits and palaeobotanical analysis of oxbow lake deposits allow us to associate the deposits with the initial phases (preoptimum period) of the Holsteinian Interglacial. Specific palaeoenvironmental conditions did not favour the formation of a complete interglacial biogenic–clastic succession as it was deposited in the shallow oxbow lake, which underwent rapid eutrophication.
SEPM Journal of Sedimentary Research, 1995
Specific erosional and depositional processes in a pleistocene subglacial tunnel in the wielkopolska region, poland
Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 2012
Abstract The Pleistocene Cieśle succession accumulated in a subglacial tunnel and shows three sed... more Abstract The Pleistocene Cieśle succession accumulated in a subglacial tunnel and shows three sedimentological units: (1) trough cross‐stratified sand with granules deposited in deep channels up to 5.4 m, (2) trough stratified and massive gravels deposited in a very deep channel up to 6.2 m eroded by a catastrophic hyperconcentrated flow, and (3) a massive diamicton, interpreted as a basal till of melt‐out type. We focus on angular and deformed sandy clasts that occur in the second unit. It appears that thermal erosion, short transport in a sediment‐laden current and sudden sedimentation were responsible for the oversized sandy clasts that occur in the gravel glaciofluvial deposits. The deposits are characterized by large‐scale erosional scours, massive structure, and fluid‐escape deformations. This combination of features can be used as a key tool for the interpretation of hyperconcentrated‐flow conditions beneath Pleistocene ice sheets.
Fluwioglacjalne struktury sedymentacyjne w Bełchatowie
Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae, 1980
Fluvioglacial depositional structures in Belchatow, Central Poland In the brown coal bearing depo... more Fluvioglacial depositional structures in Belchatow, Central Poland In the brown coal bearing deposits in Belchatow, Central Poland, numerous erosional washouts have been observed. These occur within a series of fine-,grained Pleistocene fluvioglacial sands (Fig. 1) and have dimensions of up to 7 m in length, 3.5 m width, and 1.8 m in depth, and are infilled with well-sorted, finegrained sands. In the upcurrent direction of the washouts inclined parallel-laminated sets are found to occur, — the so-called a -member (Fig. 4A; Pl. 1, Fig. 1; Pl. II, Fig. 2). These are derived from the avalanche-like sedimentation of material transported to the edge of the washout by migrating ripples. In the downcurrent direction, this type of lamination grades into small-scale trough cross lamination — the b -member, and climbing-ripple cross lamination, named the с -member. (Fig. 4A; Pl. 1, Fig. 1). In the с -member the following sequences have been observed; Horizontally, in the direction of flow, A—...
Poligeneza cykliczności osadów glacilimnicznych
Geological Quarterly, 2015
Holsteinian flu vial de pos its in the Samica River val ley in east ern Po land have been stud ie... more Holsteinian flu vial de pos its in the Samica River val ley in east ern Po land have been stud ied, in an ap prox i mately 12 m thick suc ces sion fill ing palaeochannels and com pris ing sandy chan nel fa cies suc ceeded by a pack age of gyttja, peat and silt depos ited in an ox bow lake. Chan nel belts in clud ing palaeochannel fills cut into outwash sands and are over lain by diamictic sands re worked by gelifluction un der periglacial con di tions. Sedimentological and palynological in ves ti ga tions in com bi nation al lowed the rec og ni tion of gla cial and inter gla cial de pos its. The chan nel belt was formed by a typ i cal sand-bed, me ander ing river with de po si tion con trolled by abun dant point bars. The sed i men tary evo lu tion of the Samica val ley is in ter preted in the con text of the gla cial-inter gla cial cy cle. Val ley-scale ero sion and change of river style from braided to me an der ing occurred co evally with the de cay of an ice sheet (deglaciation) and the main phase of me an der ing river sed i men ta tion is at tributed to the lat est Elsterian and early Holsteinian. The next part of the inter gla cial, from pi o neer stage to es tab lished tem per ate con di tions, is re corded in a biogenic ox bow-lake fill. The suc ces sion stud ied has been com pared with pub lished data on the Eu ro pean flu vial de pos its of Mid dle Pleis to cene interglacials. It is pointed out here that river chan nel pat terns in West ern and East ern Eu rope dif fered. Based on this ob ser va tion, some gen eral hy poth e ses re gard ing con ti nen tal-scale clima tic dis tinct ness are put for ward.
Late Weichselian and Holocene record of the paleoenvironmental changes in a small river valley in Central Poland
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2016
Abstract: The developmental history, from the Oldest Dryas to the Late Holocene, of a paleolake a... more Abstract: The developmental history, from the Oldest Dryas to the Late Holocene, of a paleolake and mire located in a river valley in Central Poland was studied using high-resolution records of pollen, macrofossils, Cladocera, sedimentology, and geochemistry from a 14 C dated sediment core. We inferred temperature and water level dynamics using cladocerans and palynological and geochemical methods were employed to investigate natural fluvial activity, particularly for these elements that are difficult to find through sedimentological methods. Our research demonstrates how climate fluctuation in the Late Glacial and Holocene periods influenced the development of a paleolake and mire in a small river valley and shows the importance of long-term research to establish hydroclimatic conditions in biogenic sediments. We propose that water level fluctuations were important in modifying biotic assemblages. The results of our multiproxy analysis clearly suggest that the main driver of changes in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, as well as in geomorphological processes in the valley, was climate: reconstructed temperatures generally follow the known trends, showing an increase at the beginning of the Bolling, Allerod, and Holocene and a decrease at the beginning of the Oldest and Younger Dryas. Similarly, periods of water level increase are synchronous with climatic changes. However, the local environmental forces were a significant factors affecting biotic diversity in the studied time span. Fish predation, macrophyte structure, pH, and calcium content partly influence the results of the cladoceran-based water depth reconstruction in particular. Interestingly, the cladoceran-inferred summer temperature reconstruction for Pawlowa appear realistic. Although the temperature trends can be considered reliable, our results indicate the important role of local factors which control the species composition of the subfossil assemblages.
Prospects and limitations of heavy mineral analyses to discriminate preglacial/glacial transitions in Pleistocene sedimentary successions
Geologos
The present study revolves around the identification of the stratigraphical boundary between Plei... more The present study revolves around the identification of the stratigraphical boundary between Pleistocene formations that formed prior to the first advance of the Scandinavian ice sheet (Early Pleistocene, i.e., the so-called preglacial) and the overlying, glacially derived deposits (Middle Pleistocene). In particular, it focuses on variation in heavy mineral assemblages, which are an important tool for stratigraphers. The Neogene basement, described here, was most often the source of material that was redeposited by Early Pleistocene rivers. The geological structure and Early Pleistocene palaeogeographical scenarios for various Polish regions are discussed. Moreover, comparisons with other European preglacial formations are carried out. The mineral spectrum of Lower Pleistocene deposits is largely dependent of rocks of the Neogene and Mesozoic basement. If the incision of ancient catchments was into terrigenous rocks, the stratigraphical boundary between preglacial and glacial forma...
Sedimentary Facies, Processes and Paleochannel Pattern of an Anastomosing River System: An Example from the Upper Neogene of Central Poland
Journal of Sedimentary Research
Na obszarze nadbużańskiego Podlasia (w pasie granicznym z Białorusią) linia maksymalnego zasięgu ... more Na obszarze nadbużańskiego Podlasia (w pasie granicznym z Białorusią) linia maksymalnego zasięgu lądolodu Warty była różnie kreślona (fig. 1A). Jego nasunięcie po Mielnik przyjmował Zaborski (1927), a na nieco większy (po okolice Niemirowa), wskazywali Rühle i Mojski (1968). Znacznie większy zasięg lądolodu (po Łęgi lub okolice Janowa Podlaskiego) kreślili Lindner (1988) oraz Marks i Pavlovskaya (2006), a największy (po Terespol) wyznaczała Nowak (1973).
Z nowszych szczegółowych badań geologicznych Nitychoruka i in. (2006) wynika, że czoło lądolodu Warty w swym maksymalnym rozprzestrzenieniu sięgnęło po linię Mielnik – Niemirów. Tej koncepcji zdają się przeczyć zbieżne wyniki analizy porównawczej składu narzutniaków przewodnich najmłodszej serii glin lodowcowych w stanowiskach Mielnik i Neple, zlokalizowanych w obrębie form marginalnych położonych na linii najmniejszego (stanowisko Mielnik) i zapleczu największego rozprzestrzenienia lądolodu Warty (stanowisko Neple) – Czubla i in. (2010). Sugerują one transgresję lądolodu w formie lobu Bugu po Neple, czyli dalej na południe.
W stanowisku Mielnik prezentujemy wyniki badań osadów moreny czołowej – formy zaliczanej do moren końcowych lądolodu Warty (Nitychoruk i in. 2006), w obrębie której przeprowadzona była analiza petrograficzna składu narzutniaków przewodnich z najmłodszego poziomu glin lodowcowych (Czubla i in. 2010).