Palynostratigraphy of some Pleistocene deposits in the Western Alps: A review

Frédéric Guiter (1) , Valérie Andrieu-Ponel (1) , Jacques-Louis de Beaulieu (1) , Gérard Nicoud (2) , Philippe Ponel (1) , Bernard Blavoux (3) , Emmanuel Gandouin (1)

1 IMEP - Institut Méditerranéen d'Ecologie et de Paléoécologie
2 USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry] - Université Savoie Mont Blanc
3 AU - Avignon Université

In the Alps, interglacial and interstadial deposits are rarely preserved due to the intense erosive effect of glaciers in the valleys. Fortunately, some outcrops and cored sequences located in the field area ranging from Lyon to Evian provided sedimentary profiles datable by palynostratigraphy in a highly documented geomorphological context. An overview of several palynological sequences studied in this large area is proposed, and their position in a general chronostratigraphical pattern is discussed. Particular attention is paid to palynostratigraphical evidence whose relevance is tested with systematic comparisons with long reference European pollen sequences spanning several glacial cycles. Minimum ages are suggested for non-glacial episodes corresponding to the deposits studied. r

Domains: Environmental Sciences

Frédéric Guiter, Valérie Andrieu-Ponel, Jacques-Louis de Beaulieu, Gérard Nicoud, Philippe Ponel, et al.. Palynostratigraphy of some Pleistocene deposits in the Western Alps: A review. Quaternary International, 2008, 190 (1), pp.10-25. ⟨10.1016/j.quaint.2008.05.005⟩. ⟨hal-02959157⟩