The last 40,000 years of a floodplain area (Tisza, Hungary) comparative case study of¹⁴C and OSL methods

To investigate the environmental history of the Tisza River (Hungary), we applied¹⁴C and OSL dating methods for five parallel, neighboring cores from the flood plain area (Jászság Basin). Four major sedimentary layers were identified: meadow soil on the top (S1); silty-clay (S2); clayey-silt (S3) section; and fine sand (S4).¹⁴C and OSL data were integrated into a synthetic age-depth model using the BACON software package. Formation of the S1 layer (depth: 0-1.0 m) falls in the Holocene, up to 10 kyrs cal BP, with moderate sedimentation rate (100 yr/cm aAR). The S2 layer (1.0-8.0 m depth) represent the entire Last Glacial to Upper Pleniglacial period (19-27 kyrs cal BP), with a much faster sedimentation (20 yr/cm aAr). The S3 section (8.0-17.0 m) represents a longer period (27-45 kyrs cal BP) with similar sedimentation rate (19 yr/cm aAr) as S2. These clayey silt layers fall into the Late Pleistocene/Middle Pleniglacial period, a period of nearly 18 kyrs of sedimentation resulting ∼9 m thick sediment. Our study delivered some new and important details about the surface evolution of the investigated TiszasÜly area. A missing part of about 10 kyrs period (between 10-19 kyrs cal BP) was revealed in the investigated synthetic cores.