New findings of the Campanian Ignimbrite ash within slope deposits of the Treska valley (former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)

Giovanni Zanchetta (1,2,3), Monica Bini (1), Ilaria Isola (2), Eleonora Regattieri (4,5), Adriano Ribolini (1), Ivica Milevski (6) & Roberto Sulpizio (7,8)
(1) Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, University of Pisa. Via S. Maria, 53, 56126, Pisa, Italy. Corrisponding author e-mail: zanchetta@dst.unipi.it.
(2) Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Via della Faggiola, 32, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
(3) IGG – CNR, Via Moruzzi, 1, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
(4) IGAG-CNR, CNR, Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo, Rome, Italy.
(5) Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 49a, Cologne, Germany.
(6) Istitute of Geography, University of Skopje, Gazi Baba bb 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
(7) Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e Geoambientali, University of Bari, via Orabona, 4, 470125, Bari, Italy.
(8) IDPA-CNR, via M. Bianco, 9, Milan, Italy.

In this paper, we describe the first finding of the Campanian Ignimbrite tephra layer in a subaerial succession in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The tephra is interbedded within slope deposits mixed with colluvial loess. The identification of this fundamental stratigraphic marker is based on major elements. The investigated succession is correlated to lacustrine records from Ohrid and Prespa lakes, several archives of the central and eastern Mediterranean, and mainland Ukraine and Russia. Field observations and correlation with lacustrine records (i.e. pollen) indicate that accumulation of the volcanic ash occurred in a dry environment characterized by low vegetation cover and important wind activity, which promoted loess deposition. The recognition of the Campanian Ignimbrite tephra allows the correlation of the loess sediments to the H4 event, as defined in the North Atlantic event climatic stratigraphy.

Campanian Ignimbrite, Slope deposits, loess, Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).