Paleosol Archives in Sandy Massifs of the Forest Zone of Northern Eurasia

This paper presents a review of current concepts regarding paleosol archives in the ancient aeolian landscapes within the subboreal zone of Northern Eurasia. The geological and geomorphological conditions of sandy massifs, their chronology and lithostratigraphic structure, as well as natural and anthropogenic factors affecting the dynamics of aeolian processes during the Late Pleistocene and the Holocene are considered. Six groups of paleosol archives are specified according to their genesis, age, and informational capacity— Late Pleistocene horizons of the Usselo and Finow types; Holocene paleosols, their series and regional variants; cultural layers and anthropogenic soils; soils of peripheral zones of sandy massifs; and relics of Holocene rubification. Despite regional variability, pedogenesis on aeolian sandy substrates has a number of universal features, particularly under periglacial conditions. Young soils of stabilized dunes predominantly follow the Al–Fe-humus evolutionary trend, with podzolization being more strongly expressed during wetter phases of the second half of the Holocene. The application of modern absolute dating techniques, remote sensing, and geochemical methods significantly enhances the interpretative potential of paleosol archives in aeolian environments.