Micromorphology of middle Pleistocene palaeosols in northern Italy

Two long-term Pleistocene palaeosol sequences (Oleggio and Mezzomerico) situated in Northern Italy were studied by a wide range of pedological methods. In both palaeosol sequences, six main pedogenic units were identified, representing different stages of soil formation. In the present study, particular emphasis was placed on micromorphological analyses in order to acquire more information about the sequence of pedogenic processes. The micromorphological results reveal more precise information about the complex sequence of soil forming processes that led to the formation of each palaeosol. Furthermore, comparison of the micromorphological feature-sets of the palaeosols, which occur in the same pedogenic units, provided an opportunity to refine a recently established pedostratigraphy. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.