ALBERT

Description: The Mellendorf and Brelingen hills are part of the large chain of contorted endmoraines (Drenthe stadial) which can be followed from the Netherlands to the region north of Braunschweig. The clay occurrences near Mellendorf, parts of them well-known for a long time, are blocks or overthrusts transported there by glacial movements. The dip of the tilted beds and the strike of clay occurrences indicate glacial thrusts from ENE, from W, TOW and from N. The dip of tilted sands and gravels in the Brelingen hills, however, points to a direction of ice motion from N to S. Micropalaeontological investigations in the clays of the Mellendorf and Brelingen hills have revealed the existence of foraminifera of Lower Cretaceous age, beginning with the Hauterivian, and a few of them also of the Upper Cretaceous. The proved thrust directions point to regions where the respective old beds of the Lower Cretaceous are exposed. Accordingly the length of transport must have been about 7—8 km. The slightly undulating country around Mellendorf is covered by a sheet of till. After the contortion, the ice advanced over the Mellendorf hills in a southern direction. The Brelingen hills, showing very recent relief and without a covering till, are younger and belong to a later recessional phase; the ice did not override them. The investigations demonstrate that three, perhaps even four, glacial thrusts of the Drenthe stadial took part in the genesis of this region.

Description: The Mid-Würmian "interstadial W I/II" plays a prominent part in the literature dealing with Pleistocene archaeology since 1931. This is not the case in the geological literature. Numerous strata dated by C14 measurement and sedimentanalysis, respectively, to be of Mid-Würmian age (between ca. 50000 and 30000 B.P.) in various Upper Pleistocene sequences are for the most part interstadial; ca. ten Würmian loess sequences dated by terrace morphology contain a Mid-Würmian considerable loam zone and a very weak vounger loam zone. These facts prove the reality of an interpleniglazial Mid-Würm between the two cold peaks of Early Würm and Young Würm. The interpleniglacial climate of Middle Würm was on the average rather a cool temperate one interrupted by warmer and colder oscillations. Within the Alps and in northern Europe the expansion of the Würmian and Weichselian ice-masses was stopped, they stagnated, their fronts oscillated more or less widely. At the close of the Middle Würm, the Würmian ice overflowed the northern Alpine passes and the Weichselian ice the Baltic basin, both as far as the Young Endmoraine girdle (Young Würm). In Central Europe Middle Würm divides the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic periods. To the Middle Würm has often been ascribed heretofore the well known loam stratum within the loess of Göttweig (Lower Austria), and with this loam has been correlated the basal loam zone of the triple Stillfried A complex of fossil soils displayed by loess sections of particularly arid regions (CSSR and eastern Lower Austria). Recent studies (the latest by palynology) of this loam have proved it to be of Riß/Würm Interglacial age. Till now, this correlation has not yet been demonstrated for the loam stratum of the type locality of Göttweig (also not datable by terrace morphology!). Therefore the term "Göttweig Interstadial" must be replaced by another name: Würmian Interpleniglacial.

Description: Das Skelett von Combe Capelle wurde bisher in das „Untere Aurignacien" (Périgordien I der neuen Nomenklatur) datiert. Diese Datierung erscheint jedoch zweifelhaft. Die alten Grabungsmethoden waren nicht exakt genug, um mit ihnen zu endgültigen stratigraphischen Schlußfolgerungen zu kommen. Die Bestattung wurde auf dem felsigen Untergrund entdeckt, leicht eingetieft in eine Strate Moustériens und „Unteren Aurignaciens". Aber es ist nicht erwiesen, daß der Tote auch zeitlich im „Unteren Aurignacien" bestattet wurde. Vielmehr scheint es, als handle es sich um ein Grab aus dem „Mittleren Aurignacien" (dem „Aurignacien typique" neuer Nomenklatur) oder sogar aus dem „Oberen Aurignacien" (dem Gravettien neuer Nomenklatur), das nachträglich in die genannten Schichten eingesenkt worden ist. Es ist wahrscheinlich, daß der Mann von Combe Capelle nicht den ältesten Menschenfund des jüngeren Paläolithikums schlechthin darstellt und daß er selber nicht auf französischem Boden bodenständig war.

Description: Für eine pedologische Grundgliederung des Quartärs bietet sich eine Dreiteilung an. Durch die interglazialen Böden zwischen typisch kaltklimatischen Ablagerungen glazigener, fluvioglazialer und vor allem periglazialer Fazies wird das Quartär vom Günz ab bis zum Postglazial stratigraphisch erfaßt. Davor liegt ein Abschnitt, der pedologisch durch Riesenböden und geologisch wie geomorphologisch z. T. durch mächtige Talverschüttungen gekennzeichnet ist. Ein ältester Quartärabschnitt zeichnet sich durch Reliktböden aus. Während noch beim mittleren Abschnitt einige Aussagen über die kühleren Zwischenphasen gemacht werden können, ist es beim ältesten Abschnitt bislang nicht möglich gewesen, die zugehörigen Kaltzeiten (i. e. S.) direkt zu erfassen.

Description: The eolian sediments of the "Würm" following above the last interglacial soil Parabraunerde and pseudogleyed Parabraunerde respectively) can be divided — by characteristic soil horizons — into three sections (old, middle and young Würm). Typical for the old Würm are humic zones, for the middle Würm — besides several "Naßböden" browncoloured (weathered) zones of decalcification with a thickness of up to 1,1 m, and for the young Würm several weakly developed thin browneoloured weathering zones and "Naßböden" (wet soils). The most significant key horizon of the young Würm is the Kärlich tuff layer which recently was also encountered in Northern Hessen. Finally, the division scheme estabilished in Hessen is compared with the Würm-loess divisions in other countries of Europe.

Description: Elster-glacial loess has been found below the Holstein Interglacial clay of the brick-works Kerrl at Northeim. This formation is now rather well exposed. Up to the present, there has not been safe evidence of loess of such a high age. A brief description of this new outcrop which is of significance for the Interglacial as well, is therefore presented.

Description: A frost-kettle is described as situated in the eastern part of the town of Bielefeld and reaching about 3 m into green and red marl, which had been moved episodically during the Würm glaciation. The frost-kettle was filled with yellow sand and glacial rubble as well as 4 layers of brown sand with small particles of clay (2.5 cm thick), inserted at regular intervals into the yellow sand. The brown layers showed a frost-upheaval of 5.5 cm in the centre due to hydration in a cold stadium of the last glaciation. While the yellow sand was washed into the cleft during the summer thawing periods, the clay particles of the brown layers consisting of weathered marl were blown into it after the soil had been dried. As loess-loam lies above a stone-layer showing no frost-dynamic modifications, the frost-kettle must have been formed during the second phase of the Würm glaciation, i. e. the high-glacial period.

Description: The existence of "earth-cones" (Erdkegel) in the region of the lower Blies valley has already been mentioned by G. Selzer (1959). By examining the variations of the soil profile the author succeeded in reconstructing the soilmovements resulting in the formation of the earth-cones without being forced to observe these movements themselves. — The article contains observations concerning the special distribution, the shape and the vegetation cover of the earth-cones, which are very frequent in the lower Blies region (Bliesgau). These observations permit to draw further conclusions as to the conditions under which these earth-cones are formed.

Description: From the waterworks of Bensberg east of Cologne and a gravel-pit near Efferen west of Cologne, there have been described layers of clay and fine-sand, containing fossils with humus layers from a depth of about 16 to 18, 20 meters below the surface of the Lower Middle-Terrace of the Rhine (i.e.: about 58 m above sea-level). These sediments enable us to separate stratigraphically in the sand-gravel-sequences the overlying from the underlying stratum one. Heavy mineral analysis shows, that the underlying series belongs to the Middle Middle-Terrace of the Rhine (of Late-Mindel-age). The distribution of this terrace within the Lower-Rhine-Basin thus cannot be limited only to some narrow channels („Channel-Gravel"), but is supposed to be developped over the whole breadth of the valley, like in the Middle-Rhine-Valley, yet here buried under sediments of the Lower Middle-Terrace. The palynologic investigation of the humus layers within the clay and flnesand-layers of the waterworks of Bensberg shows a flora indicating a late-interglacial age by their high percentage of Abies-Alnus-Picea-values. According to the stratigraphical findings they can only be attached to the Mindel/Riß-interglacial Krefeld-Beds. The investigations carried out led to a critical examination of the existing attempts of difTeren-ciating the Middle-Pleistocene beds in the Lower-Rhine Basin. The Kempen and Neuwerk Beds have to be separated from the Krefeld Beds, according to both the stratigraphic and the floristic and faunistic findings, and must be attached to the Gerdau-Interstadial, the first one probably belonging to a late and the latter (much more probably) to a middle part of this Drenthe/Warthe-Interstadial. The authors try to give a climatic-chronologic table of all Middle Pleistocene beds in the Lower-Rhine-Basin.

Description: Certain periglacial phenomena (ice-wedges, cryoturbations, patterned ground, pingos) are critically investigated with respect to their outer appearance as well as to the causes of their formation, but especially how far they might be used as indicators of an old permafrost. The results for Central and Western Europe have been mapped according to our actual status of knowledge. The attempts hitherto made to reconstruct the climate of the Quaternary glacial periods, have been thoroughly checked. A new calculation of the maximum diminution of Pleistocene temperature gives a value of 15—16° C (bottom temperature) in Central and Western Europe. For the Younger Dryas we still have to expect a temperature depression of 11—12° C. Both values have been found by comparing mean annual temperatures in the border-zone of permafrost at the high-glacial time and during the Younger Dryas with the actual temperatures. This is true on the premise that the active permafrost area can be limited by the — 2° C annual isotherme, both under actual as well as under glacial climatic conditions.

Description: The depression values of the summer temperature and also of the mean annual temperature in Western Siberia during the last glaciation, have been deduced. This calculation has been based on the different position of the boreal boundaries of the tundra and the continental deciduous forests during the ice ages and at the present time. According to these calculations the following depressions of summer temperature have been obtained: 5-8° C near the arctic circle and 2-4° C in the latitude of 50° North, in comparison with the 10-12° C depression in Central Europe. Afterwards it has been discussed whether or not these relatively small depressions can be explained exclusively on the basis of the higher continentality of the central part of Eurasia in comparison with the western or eastern part of this continent. As this seems to be impossible, it is necessary to look for other facts that could be related to this problem. In the opinion of the author the relative stability of climatic conditions in Western Siberia during the whole Quaternary could be easily explained by the change between the meridional-circulation (low-index-type), prevailing during the glacial periods, and the reinforced zonal-circulation (high-index-type) during the interglacial and postglacial periods.

Description: While making new geological maps of some parts of the Weser river area, the Holocene of this river and his affluents has been mapped. The flood loam („Hochflut- or Auelehm") could be divided into at least three different formations. The sedimentation of the oldest flood loam begins in each area at different times, but usually it is at work in the second half of the Atlanticum, and ends at the beginning of the Subatlanticum. Two younger flood loams may, on the other side, be principally put into the time about 0 and after 1.000 A.D. The author proposes new technical ideas for the geological mapping of the Holocene of river valleys. He thinks that only after having mapped some more parts of the Weser valley, it will become possible to get an idea about the cause and the significance of the repeated flood loam sedimentation.

Description: Proposals for the time-stratigraphic subdivision of the Holocene in Europe. The progress in geochronology (varve-counting, dendrochronology, C 14-dating, etc.) makes an accurate delimination of the sub-units of the Holocene possible. A standard division should be compiled. We propose to fix chronologically (e.g. by C 14) the boundaries of sections found through biostratigraphic methods, and to reexamine chronologically the local lithostratigraphic-biostratigraphic divisions of Europe and to add these to the reference scheme. For a standard subdivision, a part of southern Jutland is proposed because here, the dating of the beginning of each biostratigraphic (forest historical) section is possible. This scheme might then be linked with the events of the marine facies-region. The boundaries of the pollen zones should here be reexamined by chronological methods. The names of the sub-sections of the Holocene should in the future be applied as follows: a) to time-units coinciding in time with the sections of the standard-subdivision, b) to sub-units of the Holocene which are based on local litho- or biostratigraphic differences. For the standard-subdivision, it is proposed to determine the boundaries as follows (each in the pollen diagrams of reference area): Beginning of the Young Holocene - beginning of the pollen zone of the Sub-Atlanticum; Beginning of the Middle Holocene - beginning of the pollen zone of the Atlanticum; Beginning of the Old Holocene - beginning of the pollen zone of the Pre-Boreal. New stage-notions should be substituted for the Blytt-Sernander nomenclature.

Description: Furrows in slope direction are observed at the south east slope of Hohes Venn/ Eifel. These furrows are bordered at both sides and at the lower end (down the slope) by a rampart 2 m high. The microrelief forms are believed to be residual forms of extended pingos. The ob'ong pingo ice blocks resulted from water moving downwards in the top soil. This water crystallized little by little at the ice block in this way causing the ice block to grow towards the water, i. e. upwards the slope. We consider it fairly unprobable that the pingo ice block might have slid down and thereby ploughed up the earth rampart. Based on the good conservation of the form and the pollenanalytical studies (by A. W. Rehagen) the age of this pingolike form was placed into Younger Würm (Wisconsin).

Description: The discussion deals with the opinion of Ganss (1953) according to which the altitude of a lacustrine-clay deposit found by him, 870 metres above sea-level, is proof for an enormous interglacial filling-up (350 metres in thickness) of the Berchtesgaden basin (Berchtesgaden Alps, Upper Bavaria). This view of Ganss necessarily includes — in accordance with interglacial morphology — similar immense accumulations in the neighbouring Salzach valley and in the Reichenhall basin. The fact, however, that there are no remainders of such enormous gravel beds, is contrary to the Ganss interpretation. The local lacustrine-clay occurrence is to be considered as a deposit of a small cirque lake within the former cirque expanse of the "Resten".

Description: Late and postglazial profiles of the prealpine belt from periglacial and glaci-fluvial valleys are described. The time of sedimentation can be fixed by the radio carbon method and by pollen analysis. In this manner we can prove several accumulation phases in the Late- and Postglazial. They are found in stages II, III, and IV as defined by Brunnacker (1960, P. 86), and/or in the pollen zones III, V, and VIII. Some localities indicate a new accumulation phase about 6600 years B. P. in the pollen zone VI. These young accumulations in our valleys extend to several meters. For reconstruction of the river work and the history of the climate in the Holocene it is very important to examine the young valley sedimentation with all possibilities of quaternary sciences.

Description: The Murg profile shows a loamy ground moraine as the lowermost Pleistocene layer over gneis. The moraine originated during the furthest thrust of the Alpine glaciers in the direction of the Black Forest, and has been placed since 1909 (according to the work of Penck and Brückner) in the Riss glacial stage. Overlying the moraine are pollenbearing peat bog and pond deposits. The pollen indicate, in the deepest layers, a plant community that might still be possible under present climatic conditions. In the higher layers, the trees having affinities to warm conditions disappear. The composite diagram (pollen spectrum) indicates the end phase of an interglacial stage. Over these sediments lie 6—10 m of loess and loess-loam deposits. A thick loam layer, averaging 2.50 m in width, which contains more or less distinct soil horizons, lies between aeolian loess, which always represents a cold period. It can thus be proved that at least a part of these substrata originated in place. Since this loam horizon also represents a warm phase, the deposits of two warm periods overlie the Riss moraine in the Murg profile. Remains of elephants, giant stags, and bison permit comparison of the Murg stratigraphic sequence with a portion of the profile at Achenheim near Strassburg. Hereby is shown that merely the warm period, between the moraine formation and the lowest loess at Murg, can correspond to layers at Achenheim which have yielded the last ancient elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus Falc.). These are approximately of the same age as the travertine at Ehringsdorf The pollen-bearing sectionat Murg might then probably be included in the time of formation of the upper travertine at Ehringsdorf.

Description: Closer investigations of soil profiles developed out of high flood loams of the Lower Terrace revealed that their classification as „Parabraunerde" (grey-brown podsolic soils) is not correct. It was found that they consist of layered sediments, and having been exposed to strong hydromorphic influences they show an alteration to terrestrial soils. For that great soil group the name "Altvega" is proposed. Synsedimentary clay depositions and structure formations in those soils reduce the indicative value of the clay migration.

Description: The spots as described above and represented by some pictures are caused by post-sedimentary destruction of humus in the rhizosphere. They are to be found in humic material of any stratigraphical position whatever within the upper pleistocene and holocene, which is to say that they are not limited to special types of soil.

Description: The tracks shown in this paper are found in varved clavs of Pleistocene age at Malkwitz near Malente/Holstein (N-Germany) (fig. 1-4). They appear only in summer-layers of these varved clays. The tracks of fig. 1 (1-4), (8), (9) will be made by animals (e. g. insects or larvae), but those of fig. 1 (5-7) are probablv produced inorganically (twigs etc.. driven through shallow water). In comparison with these marks fig. 5 shows tracks, which are described by other authors from different places in Central-Europe. It is verv difficult to find the organisme responsible for these marks, because nobody has found anv fossil hitherto, which could have made the marks when it lived in these little perlglaclal lakes. On the other hand these lakes are situated in a climatic zone giving an environment with extreme conditions. It is possible that the originators of these tracks have not lived permanently in the lakes. This would be a form of life such as that of insect larvae. The form and construction of these marks is dependent on the animal, its anatomy, its way of life etc., but also on the region in which it lives. The grade of compaction, the water content of the sediment and other physical and chemical conditions are also very important.

Description: Sowohl im Tal des Regen nächst seiner Einmündung in die Donau bei Regensburg wie im unteren Maintal bei Marktheidenfeld sind mächtige altquartäre Talverschüttungen aufgeschlossen. Sie lassen sich jeweils in eine ältere Akkumulationsphase, eine nachfolgende Auephase und in eine abschließende jüngere Akkumulationsphase aufgliedern. Einer im Maintal nachfolgenden Erosionsperiode entspricht bei Regensburg ein extremer Pseudogley. Darüber folgen Gehängeablagerungen und schließlich Löß unterschiedlicher Fazies mit drei zwischengeschalteten interglazialen Parabraunerden. Damit liegt in beiden Talsystemen die große Verschüttungsperiode vor der viertletzten Eiszeit. Auch die der Jüngeren Steppenzeit zugeordnete Säugetierfauna von Randersacker gehört in die (jüngere?) Verschüttungsphase. Die Ursache der offensichtlich nicht allein auf das untere Main-und Neckartal beschränkten Talverschüttung wird in einer allgemeinen Hebungstendenz der Mittelgebirge vor der Günzeiszeit vermutet.

Description: Mississippi and Rhine are both the main drainage systems of the Pleistocene glaciations. Both they have developed big deltas, which are situated in steadily subsiding areas. The mighty Pleistocene succession of the Mississippi Delta, more than 1200 m thick, consists of several cycles. Each begins with a sandy base and ends with silt and clay. They interfinger with marine Gulf-sediments. Each cycle corresponds to the time-span from a glacial maximum to an interglacial. But the terraces which further upstream rise over the alluvial plain of the Mississippi, correspond only to the sandy base of the deltaic accumulations. This can be shown in the Rhine mouth area. So the terraces above the mouth area are glacial, not interglacial, in age.

Description: During a special mapping in the tidal flat of Eastern Frisia the question arose as to how the soils in this area could most suitably be classified and represented on maps (grain size mixtµres). The grouping suggested in this paper is done according to chemical and physical properties of these recent tidal flat sediments. Simultaneously conformity with the soil definitions of the marsh mapping by the „Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Bodenforschung" was tried to be reached. Based on the soil analysis, the most outstanding qualities of tidal flat sediments found here and their relations are being discussed. Furthermore the boundary values for the classification are investigated.

Description: As new observations and C14-determinations, especially in the surrounding of the big inlandices, show, the evolution of the Last Glaciation took place in the same manner in Europe as in North America. A first great ice advance (with minor oscillations) which lasted from about 70 000 to about 50 000 Years B. P., was followed first by a great interstadial (Göttweig, Talbot) and then by a middle part with a changing climatic character, viz. with warmer times („interstadials") and colder ones (with formation of loess etc.). This part lasted from the end of the Göttweig-Interstadial (about 43 000) to about 25 000 Y.B.P. In the third part of the Last Glaciation a new great advance of the ice took place, which led to the maximum extension. Then the ice receded with some minor readvances. About 10 000 Y.B.P. the temperature rose strongly and brought the Last Glaciation to an end (though some big ice relicts still existed). The three parts of the Last Glaciation should be named: Old, Middle and Young Würm (Old, Middle, Young or Lower, Middle, Upper Wisconsin).

Description: In the Middle and Lower Rhine Valley the age of loess deposits is recognized by their relation to the Lower Middle Terrace of the Mosel and Rhine Rivers. Nearly all loess is regarded to be Würm-loess, which is separated by several soil zones. In the lower part of the Würm-period climatic changes are clearly indicated by thickly and well developed soil zones („Parabraunerde"). Later on soil zones become generally thin and less distinct („Naßböden"). In this later period, at some places, one soil zone is typical („kalkhaltige Braunerde"). In the profile of Metternich this horizon included artifacts (Gravettian).

Description: The drumlin section recently discovered near Hörmating in the Upper Bavarian area of the Würm Glaciation and evaluated with regard to stratigraphy, paleoclimatology, and chronology by E. Ebers (in this annual) can closely be correlated with the typical loess section of eastern Lower Austria, particularly with its Fellabrunn (Göttweig) fossil soil complex as described and interpreted by F. Brandtner. The Göttweig loamificaton developed during the Hörmating Interstadial from c. 47000 (or 48000) until the close marked by a thin peat layer 45300±1000 C-14 years old. As some findings are suggestive of at least one cold oscillation, the term „Göttweig Interstadial Complex" appears to be correcter. This period interrupted the glacial climate of the Würm Glaciation from c. 47000 (or 48000) until c. 30000 B. P. The northern alpine Piedmont Glaciation was initiated by an advance-gravel later on weathered on the surface probably during the Paudorf Interstadial and advanced entirely (or almost entirely) during the Main Würm Stage from the (Swiss) Aare to the Salzach rivers, after several Lower Würm gravel masses had poured out of the Alps valleys during the Early Würm Stage. This Lower Würm gravel was capped by a weathered (decalcified) stratum 2-3 metres in thickness and can contain up to three interstadial Schieferkohle (Pleistocene lignite) beds intercalated, the lowermost overlying a Schieferkohle stratum deposited during the Riss-Würm Interglacial at some sites.

Description: In this report the most important results of 5 new Swiss papers on glacial and periglacial landforms of the „Schweizer Mittelland" are published and discussed. These very good studies show the first geomorphological maps (1 : 25 000) of the „Mittelland" and for the first time they analyse periglacial forms in this region. A reiterated and radical change of accumulation and erosion is rejected within the melt-water-valleys during the Würm-glaciation. The thick accumulation of pebbles is recognized as „Vorstoßschotter". Nowhere it has been noticed that fluvio-glacial pebbles interfinger with end-moraines. The highest of the lower terraces is the built-up-level of the fluvioglacial accumulation of the Würm-time. For that reason the Würm-time seems to be undissected in the Hochrhein- and Aare-valley. This opinion is opposite to J. Hug, L. Erb, D. Kimball, F. E. Zeuner and R. Huber. The reviewer points out that real cut-terraces are only existing in relatively short parts of the valleys (C. Troll's „Trompetentälchen"). But for the rest you can find as a rule an erosional disconformity on every wider inset terraces-level, because there are secondary pebbles of about 5—8 m thickness interbedded in the older main accumulation of the Würm-time. The question whether there are floors running throughout the valley below the main terrace-level in the Hochrhein valley, cannot be answered by individual and relatively small sections of a melt-water-valley; least of all in the Hochrhein valley above the mouth of the Aare. For the development of deeper situated lower-terraces was controlled by the later advance of the Rhone-glacier at a time, when the other Swiss glaciers were receding. The reviewer substantially agrees with the Swiss scheme of periglacial forms and the classification of the Riss-time.

Description: The most important soils of Scandinavia are compared with those of Germany. In Scandinavia the formation of soil can be traced back from the presence (at the Svartisen) until some 10 000 years ago, and this may be based as well on wet as on dry soils. A special feature in Skandinavia is a very soft Brown Earth. Very much the same soil can be found in Germany, but only on lateglacial sediments of the late Dryas-age. Both are of almost the same age. They are alike in their character of sediment and content of carbonate. Therefore this type may probably be considered as the first important formation of soils under wood on sandy grounds in Germany.

Description: In the lower Blies valley the author discovered a periglacial mudflow consisting of white marl and fragments of limestone, surmounted by 25-30 cm river-sand belonging to a Riß-terrace. The surface of these deposits was covered by fossil ice-wedges. The changes in the phyto-sociological structure of the vegetation cover permitted to fix the exact extension of the periglacial mudflow.

Description: A method for pollenanalytical investigations of loesses is described. If several sources of error are duely taken into consideration, this method is successful in the reconstruction of the vegetation history of those phases of pleniglacial times, during which the thick loess layers were accumulated. The method can be employed in pollenanalytical investigations of weathered and unweathered loesses, with the exception of redeposited loesses. It can be shown that the famous sequence of fossil soils at Oberfellabrunn, known as the soils of the "Fellabrunner Komplex" („Stillfried A"), which is sometimes held to be the equivalent of the "Göttweig Interstadial", must be divided into the brown loamy soil at the base of the sequence, which was formed during the Eemian Interglacial, and into the younger humic layers, which developed during the Interstadials of Amersfoort and Brørup. The amelioration of climate during the "Stillfried B-Interstadial" (perhaps equivalent of the "Paudorf Interstadial"?) was strong enough to enable local subalpine conifer forests and riverine broad-leaved forests to spread along the rivers and other suitable places within the still dominant steppe formations on the drier loess plateaus. The loess layers of the Riss and Würm glaciations have been accumulated within the eastern Dart of Niederösterreich in different steppe communities, which can be described at best as belonging to the Gramineae steppe formation, rich in herbaceous plants. Sometimes there occurred plants of recent tundra-communities in the loess steppe: but real tundras did not exist at that time in Niederösterreich. This holds true most of all for the last period of loess accumulation after the Stillfried B-Interstadial. When being compared with pollen spectra of surface samples of recent tundra, steppe and semidesert plant communities, it becomes evident, that the open vegetation, thriving during the last glaciation in vast regions of Northern Eurasia cannot be described in terms of modern plant associations.

Description: Several new gravel pits have been opened near Rosenheim in the formerly glaciated foreland of the Alps in Bavaria. Some new observations could be made in the centre of the Inn-Piedmont Glaciation area. There has been no „Stephanskirchen Stage" during the retreat of the Würm glacier. Instead of endmoraines, near Stephanskirchen, Laufen gravel deposits covered by boulder clay of Main Würm Glaciation are found. Some Inn drumlins, not so well shaped and streamlined as elsewhere, contain cores made up from different Laufen Interstadial deposits, especially from this same Laufen gravel. There is developed one outstanding „Middle Wurm" (Woldstedt 1958) profile in a drumlin near Hörmating (Ostermünchen-station on the line Munich—Salzburg). In the southern end of this drumlin and in its Laufen gravel core is to be seen a lacustrine intercalation with a small peat layer very much compressed and dated Gro 45 300 ± 1000 years B.P. In the northern end of the Hörmating drumlin on the same level, there is a thoroughly weathered decalcified gravel zone developed, representing Göttweig Interstadial interval. The beginning of this Göttweig weathering can be fixed by now (44 000—42 000 years before today). Göttweig Interstadial is identic with Laufen Interstadial of A. Penck. There is another weathered zone (Paudorf Interstadial?) on the top of the gravel layer and beneath the covering boulder clay, this latter belonging to Main Würm Glaciation.

Description: Apart from the Silver-Bluff-beach which is said to belong to the postglacial climatic optimum, there are on the Atlantic coast of USA at least three higher old beaches: the Pamlico beach in about 25 feet, the Wicomico beach in about 100 feet, and the Okefenokee beach in ±150 feet. Connected with the Pamlico beach is the marine Pamlico or Cap May formation. The Gardiners Clay of Long Island and the southern New England States seems to be the northern continuation. All these formations belong to the Sangamon Interglacial and are the equivalent of the European Eem deposits. The age of the higher beaches (Wicomico, Okefenokee) is still incertain. The Wicomico beach could be an equivalent of the Tyrrhenian I in Europe. Equivalents of the Okefenokee beach (about 45 m) have been found in Western Europe (e.g. in Portugal); but we don't know, whether they belong to the Günz/Mindel- or the Mindel/Riß-Interglacial.

Description: The steep slope to the NW of the Schwäbische Alb, the Albtrauf, is covered with thick layers consisting of limestone pebbles and cobbles. Because of the difference in grain size and in the percentage of loam, sand and silt mixed in, we can distinguish several different types of rubble: the pieces of the mountain screes, the „coarse rubble" an the „fine rubble". The „coarse rubble" and the „fine rubble" came into being during the Würm-glaciation. At the same time, they were transported by solifluction and spread all over the Albtrauf. The mountain screes are supposed to have been formed only in the postglacial area. The formation of the „fine rubble" did not appear before the time, where the ice reached its greatest extent. At some places, the „fine rubble“ arose „in situ" from formerly „coarse rubble". This has been proved by many profiles and by the extent and depth of the cryoturbated involutions found there.

Description: Based on field-work and previous publications an attempt is made to outline the distribution of loess in Northern Italy. Five interstadial soils are described. In the Dora Ripária region W of Torino two Würm loesses overly the soliflually eroded plastosol of the Last Inter-glacial. The lower one weathered to a „sol brun lessivé", the upper to an extremely acid „sol lessivé". Also the loess on the Riss moraines of the Dora Báltea glacier was deposited in two phases of the Würm period. The (interstadial and recent) soils developed therefrom, are both extreme pseudogleys, the first of which is rich in former frost wedges. The Mindel gravels of the river Ticino are covered by both Riss and Würm loesses. The extremely pseudogleyed Riss loess has by far more and bigger frost wedges than the older Würm loess, which is weathered into a moderately pseudogleyed braunerde. Two soliflual loesses covering Riss moraines are described from the western Garda region; the lower weathered into a „sol lessivé", the upper into a „sol brun lessivé". E of the lake of Garda an interstadial black earth was found, which had been washed into a valley and then covered by Würm moraines. Finally the developmental climate and the stratigraphic position of the described fossil soils are discussed.