Radiocarbon dating of organic material from the upper yedoma horizons of the Pleistocene polygonal ice wedge complexes of Siberia and North America

Radiocarbon age of the youngest parts of the yedoma strata in the reference sections of the Pleistocene polygonal ice wedge complexes are given. At the turn of the Pleistocene and Holocene - 10 thousand radiocarbon years ago - a radical restructuring of the geocryological situation took place, which led to a change in the most typical geocryological formations. Accumulation of the Late Pleistocene syncryogenic formation “yedoma” had been completed, and intense accumulation of Holocene syncryogenic formation began on the vast areas of North Eurasia and North America. Cryolithologic indicators have been the most reliable criteria for the Pleistocene–Holocene differentiation in permafrost. Yedoma sediments with large syngenetic ice wedges and massive ice in salty ground have been the cryolithologic indicators specific exclusively for the Late Pleistocene. Cryolithologic indicators of Holocene are Holocene ice wedges, palsas and pingos. They have not been found in the Pleistocene.