Secondary carbonates in loess-paleosoil sequences: a general review

The literature dealing with secondary carbonates in loess-paleosoil sequences is in many cases ambiguous, which means that different concepts are used for the same features, whereas certain concepts referring to different types are used as collective nouns. The aim of this study is to give a review on this nomenclature and to draw comparision between the various types and concepts. As a main guiding principle the article of Becze-Deak et al. (1997) is used, because it has formulated a proposition of a nomenclature which would be worthwhile to adopt. The terms and concepts introduced by their work are exact, referring to certain separated secondary carbonates and are of decisive importance with a view to paleoenvironmental reconstruction. The research of secondary carbonates in loess-paleosoil sequences is of great importance, through providing detailed information on the paleoenvironment, especially on the former moisture conditions (including leaching processes). Secondary carbonates originate from the vertical, horizontal or in situ resettlement of carbonates during pedogenesis in the soil-sedimentary environment. Among others, calcified root cells, hypocoatings and needle-fiber calcite are classified into the microscale category, while concretions (e.g. loess dolls) belong to the macroscale types.