Helena Alexanderson

The Velika Vrbica loess-palaeosol sequence, situated on the south-western bank of the Danube River in northeastern Serbia, represents one of the key Quaternary records in the lower Danube basin, covering the MIS 5-MIS 1 period. Previous investigations of the upper 500 cm established a high-resolution chronology and revealed unexpected patterns of dust accumulation during interstadial phases. In this study, we extend the analysis to the full ∼12 m thickness of the sequence, spanning from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 to the Holocene, with emphasis on refining the geochronological framework and testing the performance of different luminescence signals. A comprehensive set of quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and K-feldspar post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (pIRIR290) ages, complemented by linear modulated OSL (LM-OSL) analyses, provides a robust chronology. Bayesian age-depth modelling constrains the timing of key stratigraphic units, including the S1 palaeosol (MIS 5), the overlying L1 loess (MIS 4–2) with its interstadial palaeosol (L1SS1), and the Holocene soil (S0). Quartz and K-feldspar ages display systematic differences: younger deposits show feldspar overestimation consistent with incomplete bleaching, whereas older horizons (MIS 5–4) yield excellent agreement between the two signals. LM-OSL results confirm that the fast component dominates most of the profile, supporting the reliability of equivalent dose determinations across multiple stratigraphic units. The resulting chronology demonstrates that the Velika Vrbica site preserves a continuous record of loess accumulation and pedogenesis over the last ∼130 ka. These findings not only refine the temporal framework for south-eastern European loess but also provide an important evaluation of the applicability and limitations of quartz and K-feldspar luminescence signals in establishing long-term chronologies.