European Middle Pleistocene loess chronostratigraphy: Some considerations based on evidence from the Wels site, Austria

A combination of site logging, luminescence dating and comparison with different long and continuous records of past environmental conditions is used to elaborate an age model for the Wels loess/palaeosol site, Austria. According to this model, Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 is reflected in the development of three red forest soils (luvisols) at this particular site. This is contrary to previous assumptions that suggested the development of such soils in the region at 100 ka cyclicity. If these results are correct, this may question some previous conclusions regarding the general loess stratigraphy in many parts of Europe.