PERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES Permafrost Periglac. Process. 12: 379 – 387 (2001) DOI: 10.1002/ppp.402 The Radar Signatures and Age of Periglacial Slope Deposits, Central Highlands of Germany J. V¨ olkel, 1L M. Leopold 1 and M. C. Roberts 2 1 Institute of Geography, Subdepartment of Landscape Ecology & Soil Sciences, University of Regensburg, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany 2 Department of Geography & Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada ABSTRACT Determining the age of periglacial slope deposits (head) in the Central Highlands (Mittelgebirge) of Germany is a research challenge because of the lack of dateable organics and the contentious role of the Laacher See Tephra (LST) as a dating indicator. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) and cores were used to establish the subsurface stratigraphic relationships between the peat deposits of two bogs (Totenauer Moor, Bayerischer Wald and Schwarzes Moor, Rh¨ on) and underlying head deposits in order to provide minimum ages for the head. Radiocarbon dates were obtained from peat bogs overlying the head in the Bavarian Forest, while in the Rh¨ on (Schwarzes Moor) LST was found bedded in the peat above the head indicating that the latter therefore, is older than Aller¨ od. Radar profiles show that the head is a stratigraphically continuous, not interbedded, unit beneath the peat. The lowest peat at Totenauer Moor, immediately above the Upper Head, was dated at 11,550 š 260 yr BP thus establishing the minimum age of the Upper Head as being older than B¨ olling and perhaps even Older Dryas, but not Younger Dryas. The LST shards were not deposited contemporaneously with the head but were incorporated by bioturbation and mass movements. This study demonstrated the utility of GPR as a tool for imaging head deposits. Copyright  2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. R ´ ESUM ´ E D´ eterminer l’ˆ age des s´ ediments de pente p´ eriglaciaires dans les montagnes centrales (Mittelgebirge) d’Allemagne est un v´ eritable d´ efi pour la recherche, ´ etant donn´ e le manque d’organismes datables et le rˆ ole contest´ e de la Laacher See Tephra (LST) comme indicateur d’ˆ age. Pour ´ etablir les relations stratigraphiques souterraines entre les s´ ediments de tourbe pr´ esents dans deux mar´ ecages (Totenauer Moor, Forˆ et bavaroise et Schwarzes Moor, R¨ ohn) et les s´ ediments de la couche situ´ ee en dessous, dans le but de d´ eterminer les ˆ ages minimums de cette couche, on a utilis´ e un radar p´ en´ etrant le sol (GPR, Ground Penetrating Radar) et des carottes. Les images radar montrent que la couche sous- jacente forme stratigraphiquement une unit´ e continue, non interstratifi´ ee, en dessous de la tourbe. La couche de tourbe la plus basse du Totenauer Moor, qui se trouve directement au-dessus de la couche sous-jacente, a ´ et´ e dat´ ee ` a 11,550 š 260 yr BP, ce qui permet d’´ etablir que l’ˆ age minimum de la couche sous-jacente est plus ancien que le B ¨ olling et peut-ˆ etre mˆ eme que l’Older Dryas, mais pas plus que le Younger Dryas. Les s´ ediments de LST n’ont pas ´ et´ e d´ epos´ es en mˆ eme temps que la couche sup´ erieure mais ont ´ et´ e incorpor´ es par bioturbation et par les mouvements de masse. Cette ´ etude *Correspondence to: Professor J. V¨ olkel, Institute of Geography, University of Regensburg, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany. Received 11 June 2001 Revised 22 September 2001 Copyright  2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Accepted 25 September 2001