Quaternary Science Reviews 22 (2003) 999–1010 Luminescence chronology of the Upper Pleistocene loess record at Kurtak in M iddle Siberia Anja Zander a, *, Manfred Frechen b , Valentina Zykina c , Wolfgang Boenigk d a Philipps-Universit . at Marburg, FB Geographie, Deutschhausstr. 10, Marburg D-35037, Germany b Leibniz Institute for Applied Geosciences (GGA), Section 3, Geochronology and Isotope Hydrology, Stilleweg 2, Hannover D-30655, Germany c United Institute of Geology, Geophysics and Mineralogy, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (UIGGM SB RAS), Universitetsky pr. 3, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia d Universit . at zu K . oln, Geologisches Institut, Abt. Quart . argeologie, Z . ulpicher Str. 49a, Koln 50674, Germany Abstract The loess/palaeosol sequence of Kurtak, situated at the western bank of the upper Yenisei in Middle Siberia, represents one of the best developed Middle and Upper Pleistocene sediment records in Yenisei Siberia. More than 40 m thick loess and loess-like sediments intercalated by at least four pedocomplexes are exposed at a steep erosional slope at the bank of the Krasnoyarsk Water Reservoir. Infrared optically stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and thermoluminescence (TL) dating techniques have been applied on 38 fine grain samples from the upper 23m of the profile, representing the penultimate and last interglacial– glacial cycle. The IRSL and TL age estimates are in good agreement with the geological estimates up to the last interglacial soil horizon (oxygen isotope substage (OIS) 5e). The luminescence ages show that the lowermost truncated palaeosol of kastanosjem- type is likely to have formed during the penultimate interglacial upon subaerial deposits. Three weak reddish brown palaeosols intercalated by reworked loess-like sediments correlate with early Upper Pleistocene interstadials (OIS5dion of -a), and a succession of humic horizons alternated by cryoturbation processes (Kurtak pedocomplex) is linked with OIS 3. Thick loess deposits between the pedocomplexes show now significant age increase with depth, indicating high accumulation rates at around 23ka (OIS 2) and 60 ka (OIS 4). r 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The loess record in Middle Siberia provides an excellent high-resolution archive of climate and envir- onmental change. Well-distinguished loess/palaeosol sequences, alluvial and fluvial sediments are exposed along the western bank of the river Yenisei, covering the time period of the Middle and Upper Pleistocene (Zykina, 1999; Zykina et al., 2000). According to Arkhipov (1998), Zykina (1999) and Frechen et al. (submitted), the Kazanzevo interglacial pedocomplex is correlated with the last interglacial equivalent of oxygen isotope substage (OIS) 5e. This correlation is based on litho-biostratigraphic evidence, earlier electron spin resonance (ESR) and thermolumi- nescence (TL) dating. However, these earlier TL and ESR dating results, as cited recently in Arkhipov et al. (1995) and Arkhipov (1998), are not regarded as valid. Three loess sections near the city of Krasnoyarsk were studied recently by Frechen and Yamskikh (1999) to test the suitability of the sediment for luminescence dating and to set up a preliminary chronological frame for Upper Pleistocene loess and loess derivatives in this area. In West and Middle Siberia, the last glaciation, defined as ‘‘Zyriansk’’, is subdivided into the Sukhoy Log pedocomplex (Sucholoski interstadial), the Chany loess (Ermakovo glaciation), the Kurtak pedocomplex (Karginian Interstadial) and the Trifonovo loess (Sartan glaciation), which are likely to represent the equivalents of oxygen isotope stages 5d-a, 4, 3 and 2, respectively. The Sukhoy Log pedocomplex and the Chany loess correspond to the Ermakovo glaciation in Siberia. During the Ermakovo and Sartan glaciation, the drainage of the river Yenisei was dammed by northern inland ice and large proglacial lakes formed in front of these barriers (Arkhipov, 1998). Loess-like sediments and clay-rich loam alternating with clay and sand deposits were accumulated during these periods. *Corresponding author. E-mail address: zander@mailer.uni-marburg.de (A. Zander). 0277-3791/03/$-see front matter r 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S0277-3791(03)00034-9