Evolution of Weichselian aeolian strata on a coarse-grained substrate in a rugged piedmont topography: A case study from the foothills of the eastern Sudetes Mts., Czechia

Abstract

The southern margins of the northern European loess belt on the foothills of Eastern Sudetes Mountains are less explored sedimentation zones. This study provides new data about the development of aeolian silty-sandy sediments overlying the glaciofluvial succession on the rugged topography near the village of Kolnovice. The Kolnovice sand quarry (360 × 200 m), which lies at the margin of the upland plateau, is the only active-mined outcrop on the foothills of the Eastern Sudetes and is large enough to study Pleistocene (peri-)glacial sediments. To examine the origin of these sediments, we applied lithofacies analysis (both macro-description of outcrop walls and micromorphological study of thin sections) and surface analysis of quartz grains. Periglacial structures have been identified within the sediments, allowing us to further interpret the post-sedimentary evolution of the sedimentary succession. The studied sediments resulted from colluvial redeposition of aeolian sediments, which was controlled particularly by the topography, glaciofluvial substrate, and climatic conditions. The underlying glaciofluvial sediments are the most crucial source of the studied sediments, although the fine-grained material could have been transported from more distant areas.