DBTG-Danube Basin Tephra Geodatabase

Abstract

Tephrochronology provides an essential tool for linking, dating, and synchronizing geological, palaeoenvironmental, and archaeological records. Over past few decades, tephra was found in many Loess Paleosol Sequences (LPS) in the Danube Basin. The lowland area of the Danube Basin I surrounded by several major volcanic fields, including the nearby Carpathian, western and central European eruptive zones, as well as the more distal, but exceptionally eruptive central and eastern Mediterranean volcanic provinces.Several tephra layers deposited during the Middle and Late Pleistocene were found in the Danube Basin loess. The most prominent tephras are the Bag tephra in loess unit L4 (MIS 10), undefined tephra(s) in the penultimate glacial loess L2 (MIS 6), the Paks tephra in the lower part of loess unit L1 (MIS 4) and Campanian Ignimbrite (CI/Y5) tephra in the last glacial loess L1 (MIS 3), which originated in the Campi Flegrei region of central Italy around 39-40 ka. Moreover, initial rock magnetic investigations and visual inspections indicate the potential occurrence of several additional crypto-tephras, such as in the upper part of the distinct pedocomplex S5 and at the very base of loess L3 unit. These results highlight the important role of tephra layers as reliable correlative marker horizonsat sub-continental scale and as robust chronostratigraphic markers, especially when these are traced back to their sources and independently dated.The idea of DBTG (Danube Basin Tephra Geodatabase) is inspired by increasing number of discovered tephras in numerous LPS investigated in Serbia, Romania and Hungary. Nevertheless, a systematic database allowing for clear and detailed tephra distribution is yet missing. The DBTGwill be presented as a map with the spatial distribution of reported tephras in Danube loess, allowing for a better understanding of its extent of deposition. It will be created via the ArcMap software, and then published and presented as an online map, on ArcMap Online website. Тhe information about tephra (stratigraphic position, mineralogy, origin, relevant literature, etc.) will be stored in the form of attributes of spatial (and nonspatial) tables, which will open by clicking on their location on the map.The DBTG will be an easy way to present the new discoveries in tephrochronology,by simply adding more information to the specific location on the map. This geodatabase will be a useful tool for different study disciplines as it could be used not only for mapping tephra found in LPS, but in every other geologic or geomorphologic setting.

Resources

Bibliography

Radakovic, M., Marcovic, R., Veres, D., Hambach, U., Gavrilov, M., Obreht, I., Zeeden, C., Lehmkuhl, F., Quingzhen, H., Markovic, S. (2018): DBTG-Danube Basin Tephra Geodatabase. INQUA-INTAV International Field Conference and Workshop - Crossing New Frontiers - Tephra Hunt in Transylvania, INTAV, 24.06.-29.06.2018, Moieciu de Sus, Romania