Heavy-mineral derived provenance study of Quaternary sediments of the Mazovian Lowland, Central Poland

Abstract

This study makes an attempt to characterise Quaternary sediments in terms of their heavy minerals (HM) composition. Authors focus on the Mazovian Lowland, Central Poland, where a number of clastic sediments of different age and origin overlap. Five sedimentary settings, covering the Saalian-Holocene (MIS 1-6) time frame, have been studied to reveal whether these sediments have single or multiple source areas and to decipher sediment transformations. In the glacial setting either garnet- or amphibole-dominated sediments occur. This unequivocal mineral combination likely reflects a multi-sourcing resulting from multi-directional ice advance. The HM taken from fan-like forms and aeolian sediments are closely related; these sediments are largely multicyclic and likely derived from pre-existing recycling sediments. Similar mineral suite is also typical for long-lasting aeolian processes and is observed in dune sediments. Ultrastable components are less frequent in the coversand, which points at a shorter-lived aeolian process. Finally, the fluvial setting reveals multi-sourcing largely depending on local geological conditions.