The Tarnawce I profile, which occurs in the marginal eastern part of the Polish Westem Carpathians, contains loesses representing three last glacial cycles. In this paper we report the results of pollen analysis of the Eemian-Early Glacial pedocomplex and of the Lower plcni-Visrulian loesses with an interstadiał paleosol. The pollen spectra of22 samples were determined. The pollen diagram was divided into 7 local pollen assemblage zones (L PAZ). Interglacial climatic optimum was recorded with the Eemian type of vegetation in the T-4 zone. The coldest conditions occurred during the accumulation of loess, which separates the interglacial and interstadiał soils.

The site at Orłowo Cliff was used to analyse the stratigraphic position and palaeogeographic interpretations of the properties and depositional conditions of two basal tills from the Late Pleistocene. A multi-proxy approach involved lithofacies, petrographic analysis of the fine gravel fraction, analyses of indicator erratics and till fabric. TL dating of intra-moraine deposits was used to determine depositional time frames of tills. The sediment profile at Orłowo Cliff shows a distinct reduction in number of Pleistocene units. Obtained dating results suggest the presence of Middle and Late Pleistocene fluvial units. The main issue discussed is the stratigraphic position of the older till (Unit O-4). It can be assumed that this till was deposited probably during the Middle Weichselian (MIS4). At Orłowo Horn the till of Unit O-4 reveals incorporation of the erratic material derived from an older till in the surrounded area (according to petrographic composition – probably from MIS 8). The younger till (Unit O-6) was deposited in the Late Weichselian (MIS 2). Moreover, the till of Unit O-6 is characterised by a significant shift towards the south-west in terms of the erratic origin in Unit O-4.

The aim of this study was to delimit lacustrine deposits underlaying present peatlands. On this basis, the location of water bodies in late Pleistocene and early Holocene was recognized. The lakes’ occurrence was presented on the background of geomorphological conditions. Lacustrine deposits occur mainly in depressions of the northern part of the Knyszyńska Forest. They are placed in upper parts of the Czapielówka River, Jałówka River, middle Sokołda River and upper Kumiałka River catchments. The thickness of gyttja varies between 0.4 and 2.5 m. These are detrital, calcareous and clay-calcareous gyttjas. Lacustrine sediments fill the bottoms of various meltout depressions. The origin of these depressions, as well as the whole glacial relief of the terrain, is often linked to deglaciation of the Warta ice sheet. However, kame deposits in the Janów village are younger than Warta glaciation. Moreover, the catchment relief of the upper Kumiałka River is similar to the relief which originates from Vistulian glaciation. Besides, there are boulder deposits directly under the lacustrine deposits. These three facts indicate a younger age of the melt-out depressions in the upper Kumiałka River catchment.

The Vistulian decline was a period of rapid environmental events. The authors correlated ages of the last Scandinavian Ice Sheet limits in northern Poland with ages of prominent events adapting the conditions of periglacial environment of Central Poland in response to the Late Vistulian climate warming. Ages from previous thematic geological and palaeogeographical studies were collected. The approach used indicates that despite methodological uncertainties and sometimes inconsistency of ages, it is especially helpful in timing of first warming signals (ca. 19–18 cal ka BP) and establishing of environmentally bipartite 3 millennia of the Oldest Dryas in the extraglacial zone. Abrupt warming at the onset of the Bølling-Allerød is well registered in biotic and abiotic archives available from Central Poland and remains in agreement with the large recession of the southern ice sheet margin.