Frost activity and ice segregation in a palaeosol of the Ligurian Alps (Beigua Massif, Italy) : evidence of past permafrost?

This research is a part of a broader paleopedological investigation aimed at characterising and verifying the extent of the permafrost zone during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the Ligurian Alps. The paper presents the results of a micromorphological study of a palaeosol located at an elevation of 650 m a.s.l., near a blockstream deposit on Beigua Massif in northwestern Italy. We examined a profile exposing sandy sediments characterised by macroscopic structures that are clearly cryogenic in origin. These features were interpreted with their micromorphological characteristics, and we found that during the LGM, this unglaciated area of the Ligurian Alps was characterised by a periglacial environment with discontinuous permafrost even at low elevations.