D. Wolf et al. 
yentiduena, KR Mo 
| 
Paraiso 
Ay 
% 
3° 2 nn 
A 
A #7* 
N 
Fa(dyFeit) X (10* mg") 
31502502 1 5 10 501m 
Villarubia 
SU EA, K600%ma 
3U 30 Y 
al 
1 
Figure 10. (color online) Correlation of Fuentiduena, Paraiso, and Villarubia sections based on: stratigraphic findings, the ratio between ped- 
agenic and total iron, chemical proxy of alteration (CPA; lower scale), and mass-specific magnetic susceptibility. CPA is based on the ratio 
between aluminum and sodium (Bugele et al.. 2011). SU = stratigraphic unit; sample sites indicated by vellow circles. 
conditions must have taken place during their development 
(Becze-Deäk et al., 1997). Regarding PS-2, in the upper 
part, depletion pedofeatures dominate, while the lower part 
is characterized by a strong accumulation of calcite that indi- 
cates local redistribution of carbonate as a result of soil for- 
mation. PS-3 shows both carbonate dissolution (depletion 
hypocoatings) in its upper part and accumulation (calcitic 
infillings) in its lower part, and therefore can be integrated 
into the same kind of pedogenesis. 
Second, the lower part of SU-7 is mainly characterized by 
strong bioturbation and the common appearance of com- 
pound calcitic hypocoatings and depletion infillings 
(CH-DI, Table 1) that most probably indicate the decalcifica- 
tion of channel infillings and subsequent precipitation of 
micrite as hypocoating in the adjacent matrix (Kemp, 
1995). This means that the redistribution of carbonate was 
restricted to larger biogenic voids facilitating preferential 
flow of percolating water. 
Third, the uppermost part of the sequences comprising the 
upper SU-7 and SU-8 including PS-4 and PS-5 shows a 
strong decline of the intensity of soil formation processes. 
The matrix contains large amounts of micrite, and pedofea- 
tures characterizing carbonate redistribution processes rarely 
appear or are absent. From this it follows that these palaeo 
surfaces were characterized by only short exposure times or 
lacking soil formation (e.g., due to the absence of percolating 
water), respectively. 
The lower part of the Parafso sequence (SU-4 to SU-6, base 
of SU-7) contains accumulations of gypsum appearing as 
infillings and void coatings. The crystals are predominantly 
:abular or lenticular shaped and poorly sorted (silt to sand 
sized). Because the gypsum crystals were accumulated in 
pores, they are regarded as pedogenic (see Poch et al., 
2010: Boixadera et al.. 2015). 
Stratigraphic correlation of loess sections along the 
ıpper Tagus River 
Each loess section was logged independently using litho- and 
pedo-stratigraphic characterization. A comparison of the sec- 
ons revealed differences in the presence or absence and lith- 
alogical character of specific units. As noted previously, 
SU-3 shows evidence of fluvial accumulation processes in 
;ections Fuentiduena, A3, and Villamanrique located near 
he river, while no such sediments were found in the more ele- 
vated sections. Moreover, sections in footslope positions near 
the river show incorporation of rounded pebbles in the lower 
parts (e.g., SU-4). In the Villamanrique section, the whole 
sequence is more or less characterized by the presence of peb- 
ales and rounded gravel, and covered by a gravelly channel 
deposit on top (Fig. 5E). This illustrates that the same strati- 
graphic unit may show quite different properties according 
its position along slopes, footslopes, or within tributary 
depth contours (Fig. 8). This same relationship may account 
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