The Pollen Sequence of Les Échets (France)
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Document generated on 09/26/2021 8:39 a.m. Géographie physique et Quaternaire The Pollen Sequence of Les Échets (France): A New Element for the Chronology of the Upper Pleistocene La séquence pollinique des Échets (France): une nouvelle donnée pour la chronologie du Pleistocene supérieur Pollen Sequenz von Les Échets, Frankreich: En neues Element für die Chronologie des oberen Pleistozän Jacques-Louis de Beaulieu and Maurice Reille Volume 38, Number 1, 1984 Article abstract Les Échets mire (near Lyon, France) is one of the very few European sites URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/032531ar showing an almost continuous record from the glaciation that preceded the DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/032531ar Eemian up to now. The pollen diagram can easily be correlated with those from Grande Pile (Vosges). On the basis of a comparison between the two See table of contents sequences, the age of three clearly temperate post-Eemian episodes (Saint-Germain Ia, Ic and Il at Grande Pile) is discussed. The authors correlate these episodes with the Early Würm Interstadials of Amersfoort, Brorup and Publisher(s) Odderade described in Northern Europe and accept the chronology of Grande Pile that dates Saint-Germain I and Saint-Germain Il between ca 115 000 and Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal 70 000 BP, thus making them equivalents of deep sea isotopic stages 5c and 5a. This leads to refute the 14C chronology admitted up to now that places the Early ISSN Würm between 75 000 and 55 000 BP. Considering the predominant temperate episodes during this period, the authors propose to use the term "Pre-Würm" 0705-7199 (print) instead of "Early Würm". During the Middle Würm, three not well-marked 1492-143X (digital) interstadials can be recognized. No interstadial is found during the late Pleni-Würm. Explore this journal Cite this article de Beaulieu, J.-L. & Reille, M. (1984). The Pollen Sequence of Les Échets (France): A New Element for the Chronology of the Upper Pleistocene. Géographie physique et Quaternaire, 38(1), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.7202/032531ar Tous droits réservés © Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal, 1984 This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ Géographie physique et Quaternaire, 1984, vol. XXXVIII, n° 1, p. 3-9, 2 fig. THE POLLEN SEQUENCE OF LES ÉCHETS (FRANCE): A NEW ELEMENT FOR THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE UPPER PLEISTOCENE Jacques-Louis de BEAULIEU and Maurice REILLE, Laboratoire de botanique historique et palynologie, ERA CNRS n° 404, Faculté des sciences et techniques Saint-Jérôme, université d'Aix-Marseille, 13397 Marseille cedex 13, France. ABSTRACT Les Échets mire (near Lyon, RÉSUME La séquence pollinique des ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Pollen Sequenz France) is one of the very few European sites Échets (France): une nouvelle donnée pour von Les Échets, Frankreich: En neues Elé showing an almost continuous record from la chronologie du Pleistocene supérieur. Le ment fur die Chronologie des oberen Pleis- the glaciation that preceded the Eemian up marais des Échets (près de Lyon, France) tozàn. Das Moor von Les Échets (in der to now. The pollen diagram can easily be constitue l'un des rares sites européens qui Nàhe von Lyon, Frankreich) ist eines der correlated with those from Grande Pile présente un remplissage à peu près continu wenigen europàischen Gelànde, das ein fast (Vosges). On the basis of a comparison depuis la glaciation qui a précédé l'Éémien kontinuierliches Zeugnis ablegt von der dem between the two sequences, the age of three jusqu'à nos jours. Le diagramme pollinique Eemian vorausgehenden Eiszeit bis heute. clearly temperate post-Eemian episodes peut aisément être mis en corrélation avec Das Pollendiagramm kann sehr leicht mit (Saint-Germain Ia, Ic and Il at Grande Pile) ceux de La Grande Pile (Vosges). À partir denen von Grande Pile (Vogesen) in Zusam- is discussed. The authors correlate these de comparaisons entre ces deux séquences, menhang gebracht werden. Ausgehend von episodes with the Early Wùrm Interstadials la position chronostratigraphique des trois dem Vergleich zwischen diesen zwei of Amersfoort, Brorup and Odderade de épisodes très nettement tempérés post- Sequenzen wird das Alter von drei auf das scribed in Northern Europe and accept the éémiens (Saint-Germain la, Ic et II à La Grande Eemian folgenden und eindeutig gemàpigten chronology of Grande Pile that dates Saint- Pile) est discutée. Les auteurs mettent en Stadien diskutiert (Saint-Germain la, Ic und Germain I and Saint-Germain Il between ca corrélation ces épisodes avec les interstades Il in Grande Pile). Die Autoren setzen dièse 115 000 and 70 000 BP, thus making them du Wùrm ancien, Amersfoort, Brorup et Episoden in Beziehung zu den Interstadialen equivalents of deep sea isotopic stages 5c Odderade, décrits en Europe du Nord et von Amersfoort, Brerup und Odderade, die and 5a. This leads to refute the '4C chronology acceptent la chronologie de La Grande Pile in Nord Europa beschrieben werden und admitted up to now that places the Early Wùrm qui situe Saint-Germain I et II entre environ akzeptieren die Chronologie von Grande Pile, between 75 000 and 55 000 BP. Considering 115 000 et 70 000 BP et qui en font les équi die Saint-Germain I und Saint-Germain II the predominant temperate episodes during valents des étages isotopiques océaniques zwischen etwa 115 000 und 70 000 v.u.Z. this period, the authors propose to use the 5c et 5a. Ceci implique que la chronologie datiert, und sie so zu Àquivalenten der iso- term "Pre-Wùrm" instead of "Early Wùrm". '4C admise jusqu'ici et plaçant le Wùrm ancien topischen Tiefsee-Stadien 5c und 5a macht. During the Middle Wùrm, three not well- entre environ 75 000 et 55 000 BP est tota Das fùhrt zu einer Ablehnung der '4C Chron marked interstadials can be recognized. No lement erronée. Compte tenu de la prépon ologie, die bisher galt, und das frùhe Wùrm interstadial is found during the late Pleni- dérance des épisodes tempérés durant cette zwischen 75 000 und 55 000 v.u.Z. ansetzte. Wùrm. période, les auteurs proposent le rempla Unter Beachtung der dominierenden gemàs- cement de la dénomination "Wùrm ancien" sigten Episoden wàhrend dieser Zeit schlagen par celle de "Pré-Wùrm ". Durant le Wùrm die Autoren vor, den Terminus "Prâ-Wùrm" moyen, trois interstades de faible amplitude an Stelle von "Frùhes Wùrm" zu benutzen. ont été reconnus aux Échets, alors qu'aucune Wàhrend des Mittel-Wùrms kônnen drei nicht variation climatique positive n'est décelable gut voneinander abgegrenzte Interstadiaie durant le Pléni-Wùrm final. erkannt werden. Wàhrend des spàteren Pleni- Wùrms kann kein Interstadial festgestellt werden. 4 J.-L de BEAULIEU et M. REILLE INTRODUCTION thin sections contain a great number of events, whereas other thicker sections (especially in the upper part) show more In the 1970's there was consensus on the main divisions homogeneous pollen spectra. of the Upper Pleistocene in Europe: after the Eemian inter glacial, the Early Wurm (Between ca 70 000 and 55 000 BP) was characterized by an alternation of cold periods and three THE LOCAL VEGETATIONAL HISTORY interstadials [Amersfoort (ZAGWIJN, 1961 ) ; Brorup (ANDER The diagram is divided into zones (letters) which cor SEN, 1961); Odderade (AVERDIECK, 1967)] marked in stra respond to the main climatic events, and subdivided in sub- totypes by a sparse woodland with Betula, Pinus, Picea (in zones which are local pollen zones (numbers). particular Picea omorikoides); the Wurm Pleniglacial was marked by much colder climatic conditions, relatively humid ZONE A represents the end of glacial period with a at first, then more arid; the Stielfried B lnterstadial (FINK, vegetation essentially dominated by herbaceous — especially 1956) around 30 000 - 35 000 BP was the only clear warming. steppic — formations; A2 reflects a late glacial period marked by increases of Juniperus and Betula. In 1975 and 1978, G. WOILLARD published pollen analyses from Grande Pile, the only West-European lacustrine Zone A is overlain by three layers of black organic mud sequence showing a continuous record since the glaciation (gyttja) divided by silt beds; they are characterized by forest that preceded the Eemian. These analyses showed two "In cycles all of them including a phase with Carpinus (zones B, terglacials" after the Eemian: Saint-Germain I and Saint-Ger D and F). main II, characterized by phases of forest development of ZONE B partly corresponds to the lowest gyttja layer; deciduous trees, in particular Carpinus; the first interglacial the important role of Abies and the presence of Hedera, was divided by a median cold phase (Saint-Germain Ib) with Buxus and Taxus indicate the Eemian. a boreal Pinus and Betula forest. ZONE C presents pollen spectra including a high per Following B. FRENZEL's concepts (1973, 1976, 1980) centage both of N.A.P., especially steppe species, and of according to which the North-European Eemian is anterior to mesophilous trees (Carpinus and Abies). It is very unlikely the Alpine Riss glaciation, and therefore to the Riss-Wùrm that a natural vegetation could yield such a pollen assemblage. Interglacial, Woillard put forward the hypothesis that Saint- Considering that the thermophilous pollen grains lie in silty Germain I and Il represent events not yet described and layers with rebedded gyttja fragments from underlying levels, correspond to an interval between the Eemian and the Early they certainly come from the preceding interglacial.