Constraints on the Late Saalian to early Middle Weichselian ice sheet of Eurasia from field data and rebound modelling

Using glacial rebound models we have inverted observations of crustal rebound and shoreline locations to estimate the ice thickness for the major glaciations over northern Eurasia and to predict the palaeo-topography from late MIS-6 (the Late Saalian at c. 140 kyr BP) to MIS-4e (early Middle Weichselian at c. 64 kyr BP). During the Late Saalian, the ice extended across northern Europe and Russia with a broad dome centred from the Kara Sea to Karelia that reached a maximum thickness of c. 4500 m and ice surface elevation of c. 3500 m above sea level. A secondary dome occurred over Finland with ice thickness and surface elevation of 4000 m and 3000 m, respectively. When ice retreat commenced, and before the onset of the warm phase of the early Eemian, extensive marine flooding occurred from the Atlantic to the Urals and, once the ice retreated from the Urals, to the Taymyr Peninsula. The Baltic-White Sea connection is predicted to have closed at about 129 kyr BP, although large areas of arctic Russia remained submerged until the end of the Eemian. During the stadials (MIS-5d, 5b, 4) the maximum ice was centred over the Kara-Barents Seas with a thickness not exceeding c. 1200 m. Ice-dammed lakes and the elevations of sills are predicted for the major glacial phases and used to test the ice models. Large lakes are predicted for west Siberia at the end of the Saalian and during MIS-5d, 5b and 4, with the lake levels, margin locations and outlets depending inter alia on ice thickness and isostatic adjustment. During the Saalian and MIS-5d, 5b these lakes overflowed through the Turgay pass into the Aral Sea, but during MIS-4 the overflow is predicted to have occurred north of the Urals. West of the Urals the palaeo-lake predictions are strongly controlled by whether the Kara Ice Sheet dammed the White Sea. If it did, then the lake levels are controlled by the topography of the Dvina basin with overflow directed into the Kama-Volga river system. Comparisons of predicted with observed MIS-5b lake levels of Komi Lake favour models in which the White Sea was in contact with the Barents Sea.     

Middle Weichselian glacial event in the central part of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet recorded in the Hitura pit, Ostrobothnia, Finland

The Hitura open pit exposes a sedimentary sequence up to 50 m thick representing Late Saalian to Holocene glacial and non-glacial sediments. The sequence was investigated using sedimentological methods, OSL-dating and pollen and diatom analyses to reconstruct the Middle Weichselian (MWG) glacial event in the central part of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS). The results indicate that the sediment succession represents two entire glacial advance and retreat cycles. The lowermost deposits are Late Saalian esker and delta sediments overlain by sediments that correlate with the early Eemian lacustrine phase. Remnants of the Eemian soil post-dating the lacustrine phase were also observed. The area was ice-free during the entire Early Weichselian (EWG). The first glacial advance recorded in the sediments is related to the MWG. It started 79 kyr ago, deformed underlying sediments and deposited an immature till, including large detached sediment pods containing remains of organic material, soils and fluvial sediments representing allochthonous material from EWG ice-free stadials and interstadials. The glacial deposits are conformably overlain by glaciolacustrine and littoral accumulations, indicating MWG deglaciation between 62 and 55 kyr ago. Based on the fabric measurements from the till unit overlying the MWG sediments, ice advance during the Late Weichselian (LWG) was initially from the west and later from a north-northwesterly direction. The Hitura strata provide the first dating of the MWG deglaciation (55 to 62 kyr ago) from central parts of the SIS. It can be considered as a key site for studying the growth and decay of SIS during the poorly known early parts of the glaciation.     

Late Saalian and Eemian palaeoenvironmental history of the Bol''shoy Lyakhovsky Island (Laptev Sea region, Arctic Siberia)

Palaeoenvironmental records from permafrost sequences complemented by infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and [Formula: See Text]Th/U dates from Bol'shoy Lyakhovsky Island (73°20'N, 141°30'E) document the environmental history in the region for at least the past 200 ka. Pollen spectra and insect fauna indicate that relatively wet grass-sedge tundra habitats dominated during an interstadial c. 200-170 ka BP. Summers were rather warm and wet, while stable isotopes reflect severe winter conditions. The pollen spectra reflect sparser grass-sedge vegetation during a Taz (Late Saalian) stage, c. 170-130 ka BP, with environmental conditions much more severe compared with the previous interstadial. Open Poaceae and Artemisia plant associations dominated vegetation at the beginning of the Kazantsevo (Eemian) c. 130 ka BP. Some shrubs (Alnus fruticosa, Salix, Betula nana) grew in more protected and wetter places as well. The climate was relatively warm during this time, resulting in the melting of Saalian ice wedges. Later, during the interglacial optimum, shrub tundra with Alnus fruticosa and Betula nana s.l. dominated vegetation. Climate was relatively wet and warm. Quantitative pollen-based climate reconstruction suggests that mean July temperatures were 4-5°C higher than the present during the optimum of the Eemian, while late Eemian records indicate significant climate deterioration.     

Late‐glacial to Holocene environmental changes and climate variability: evidence from Voldafjorden,western Norway

Sedimentological, micropalaeontological (benthic foraminifers and dinoflagellate cysts), stable isotope data and AMS ¹⁴C datings on cores and surface samples, in addition to acoustic data, have been obtained from Voldafjorden, western Norway. Based on these data the late glacial and Holocene sedimentological processes and variability in circulation and fjord environments are outlined. Glacial marine sedimentation prevailed in the Voldafjorden between 11.0 kyr and 9.2 kyr BP (radiocarbon years). In the later part of the Allerød period, and for the rest of the Holocene, there was deposition of fine‐grained normal marine sediments in the fjord basin. Turbidite layers, recorded in core material and on acoustic profiles, dated to ca. 2.1, 6.9–7.6, ca. 9.6 and ca. 11.0 kyr BP, interrupted the marine sedimentation. The event dated to between 6.9 and 7.6 kyr BP probably corresponds to a tsunami resulting from large‐scale sliding on the continental margin off Norway (the Storegga Tsunami). During the later part of the Allerød period, Voldafjorden had a strongly stratified water column with cold bottom water and warm surface water, reaching interglacial temperatures during the summer seasons. During the Younger Dryas cold event there was a return to arctic sea‐surface summer temperatures, possibly with year‐round sea‐ice cover, the entire benthic fauna being composed of arctic species. The first strong Holocene warming, observed simultaneously in bottom and sea‐surface temperature proxies, occurred at ca. 10.1 kyr BP. Bottom water proxies indicate two cold periods, possibly with 2°C lowering of temperatures, at ca. 10.0 (PBO 1) and at 9.8 kyr BP (PBO 2). These events may both result from catastrophic outbursts of Baltic glacial lake water. The remainder of the Holocene experienced variability in basin water temperature, indicated by oxygen isotope measurements with an amplitude of ca. 2°C, with cooler periods at ca. 8.4–9.0, 5.6, 5.2, 4.6, 4.2, 3.5, 2.2, 1.2 and 0.4–0.8 kyr BP. Changes in the fjord hydrology through the past 11.3 kyr show a close correspondence, both in amplitude and timing of events, recorded in cores from the Norwegian Sea region and the North Atlantic. These data suggest a close relationship between fjord environments and variability in large‐scale oceanic circulation. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Eemian and Weichselian stratigraphy of the Langelandselv area, Jameson Land, East Greenland

Coastal Jameson Land is characterized by thick Quaternary deposits from the last interglacial/glacial cycle. The successions at the mouth of Langelandselv exhibit a key stratigraphy where sediments from the Langelandselv interglaciation (Eemian) are overlain by three till units interbedded with glacimarine and deltaic interstadial successions. Immediately after the retreat of glaciers after the extensive Scoresby Sund glaciation (Saalian). advection of warm Atlantic surface water surpassed what is known from the Holocene. The two lowermost Weichselian tills, deposited during the Aucellaelv and Jyllandselv stades (Early Weichselian), reflect short-lasting readvances of fjord glaciers. Luminescence dates and correlation with adjacent areas suggest ages of 110–80 ka and 70–60 ka for the Hugin Sø and the Møselv interstades, respectively.     

A continuous Eemian-Early Weichselian sequence containing pollen and marine fossils at Fjøsanger, western Norway

A complete interglacial cycle, named the Fjøsangerian and correlated with the Eemian by means of its pollen stratigraphy, is found in marine sediments just above the present day sea level outside Bergen, western Norway. At the base of the section there are two basal tills of assumed Saalian ( sensu lato ) age in which the mineralogy and geochemistry indicate local provenance. Above occur beds of marine silt, sand and gravel, deposited at water depths of between 10 and 50 m. The terrestrial pollen and the marine foraminifera and molluscs indicate a cold-warm-cold sequence with parallel development of the atmospheric and sea surface temperatures. In both environments the flora/fauna indicate an interglacial climatic optimum at least as warm as that during the Holocene. The high relative sea level during the Eemian (at least 30 m above sea level) requires younger neotectonic uplift. The uppermost marine beds are partly glaciomarine silts, as indicated by their mineralogy, drop stones and fauna, and partly interstadial gravels. The pollen indicates an open vegetation throughout these upper beds, and the correlation of the described interstadial with Early Weichselian interstadials elsewhere is essentially unknown. The section is capped by an Early Weichselian basal till containing redeposited fossils, sediments, and weathering products. Several clastic dikes injected from the glacier sole penetrate the till and the interglacial sediments. Radiocarbon dates on wood and shells gave infinite ages. Amino acid epimerization ratios in molluscs support the inferred Eemian age of the deposit. The Fjøsangerian is correlated with the Eemian and deep sea oxygen isotope stage 5e; other possible correlations are also discussed.     

Late Quaternary ice sheet, lake and sea history of southwest Scandinavia – a synthesis

Based on a large number of new boreholes in northern Denmark, and on the existing data, a revised event‐stratigraphy is presented for southwestern Scandinavia. Five significant Late Saalian to Late Weichselian glacial events, each separated by periods of interglacial or interstadial marine or glaciolacustrine conditions, are identified in northern Denmark. The first glacial event is attributed to the Late Saalian c. 160–140 kyr BP, when the Warthe Ice Sheet advanced from easterly and southeasterly directions through the Baltic depression into Germany and Denmark. This Baltic ice extended as far as northern Denmark, where it probably merged with the Norwegian Channel Ice Stream (NCIS) and contributed to a large discharge of icebergs into the Norwegian Sea. Following the break up, marine conditions were established that persisted from the Late Saalian until the end of the Early Weichselian. The next glaciation occurred c. 65–60 kyr BP, when the Sundsøre ice advanced from the north into Denmark and the North Sea, where the Scandinavian and British Ice Sheets merged. During the subsequent deglaciation, large ice‐dammed lakes formed before the ice disintegrated in the Norwegian Channel, and marine conditions were re‐established. The following Ristinge advance from the Baltic, initiated c. 55 kyr BP, also reached northern Denmark, where it probably merged with the NCIS. The deglaciation, c. 50 kyr BP, was followed by a long period of marine arctic conditions. Around 30 kyr BP, the Scandinavian Ice Sheet expanded from the north into the Norwegian Channel, where it dammed the Kattegat ice lake. Shortly after, c. 29 kyr BP, the Kattegat advance began, and once again the Scandinavian and British Ice Sheets merged in the North Sea. The subsequent retreat to the Norwegian Channel led to the formation of Ribjerg ice lake, which persisted from 27 to 23 kyr BP. The expansion of the last ice sheet started c. 23 kyr BP, when the main advance occurred from north–northeasterly directions into Denmark. An ice‐dammed lake was formed during deglaciation, while the NCIS was still active. During a re‐advance and subsequent retreat c. 19 kyr BP, a number of tunnel‐valley systems were formed in association with ice‐marginal positions. The NCIS finally began to break up in the Norwegian Sea 18.8 kyr BP, and the Younger Yoldia Sea inundated northern Denmark around 18 kyr BP. The extensive amount of new and existing data applied to this synthesis has provided a better understanding of the timing and dynamics of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS) during the last c. 160 kyr. Furthermore, our model contributes to the understanding of the timing of the occasional release of large quantities of meltwater from the southwestern part of the SIS that are likely to enter the North Atlantic and possibly affect the thermohaline circulation.     

Holocene chemical weathering and climatic oscillations in north China: evidence from lacustrine sediments

Holocene lacustrine sediments from two isolated lakes in north China are investigated. Based on palaeoclimatic significance of independent proxies in lake sediments, Holocene chemical weathering, and hence climate change, has been reconstructed for dated sediment cores from Daihai Lake and Aibi Lake. During early to mid-Holocene, higher weathering intensity occurred in the Daihai catchment under warm and humid climate conditions, and this reached a maximum at ∼5 kyr BP. However, synchronous proxy shifts from the two widely separated, isolated lake sediments indicate that there was a cool climate event during the early to mid-Holocene transition. This is characterized by reduced weathering in each catchment, low δ ¹³ C and δ ¹⁸ O of authigenic carbonate, and by lake level fluctuations. These might correspond to a global cooling signal identified in lakes, oceans, mollusc sequences, and polar ice cores, typically centred between ∼8.0 and 8.5 kyr BP. Dry conditions were experienced in Greenland, the North Atlantic and surrounding regions, and in broad monsoonal regions including Daihai at this time. However, recent extensive evidences as well as our data from the Aibi Lake sediments show that cool but wet conditions occurred in the central Eurasian continent at this time. After ∼2.5 kyr BP, a significant shift of independent sediment proxies indicates the beginning of the Neoglaciation with a higher frequency of fluctuations, including both the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and the Little Ice Age (LIA). Our continental records provide new evidence of the Holocene climate variability with global significance and highlight the different spatial nature of the response to oscillations associated with different climate patterns.     

Norwegian sea‐surface palaeoenvironments of marine oxygen‐isotope stage 3: the paradoxical response of dinoflagellate cysts

High‐resolution marine palynological data have been obtained from two very long sediment cores (MD952009 and MD952010) retrieved from the southern Norwegian Sea. The dinoflagellate cyst assemblages show pronounced fluctuations in composition, which correlate strongly with magnetic susceptibility records and also mimic the δ¹⁸O signal of the GISP2 Greenland ice‐core. If focusing on the period from 48 to 30 cal. kyr BP, this correlation suggests a paradoxical response of the sea‐surface environments to the atmospheric conditions over Greenland: when the Greenland δ¹⁸O signal reflects warm interstadial conditions, the Norwegian Sea depicts cold sea‐surface temperatures with quasi‐perennial sea‐ice cover (based on dinoflagellate cysts). In contrast, when the Greenland δ¹⁸O records cold stadial periods, the Norwegian Sea‐surface temperatures are warm (based on dinoflagellate cysts), probably linked to inflow of the North Atlantic Drift. These results, similar in both cores, are contrary to those of previous studies and shed light on a possible decoupling of Norwegian sea surface‐water conditions and atmospheric conditions over Greenland. This decoupling could be linked to an atmosphere–ocean system behaving similar to that which the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing at present, i.e. strongly variable owing to the North Atlantic Oscillation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Late Pleistocene sequence at Margreteberg, southwestern Sweden

At Margreteberg, southwestern Sweden, a comple Pleistocene sequence has been stratigraphically investigated. Strata of clay, silt, sand, peat and solifluction layers are overlain by till-like sediments which are covered by sandy-clayey strata. By means of biostratigraphical analyses (foraminifera, olluscs, wood remains, pollen and diatoms), a reconstruction of the palaeoenvirnmental development has been obtained. Radiocarbon measurements and amiono acis ratios have been carried out in order to date the sediments. The foraminifera in the lowermost clay strata indicate Arctic or boreal-Arctic marine environment during the Late Saalian or Late Elsterian perods The δ¹⁸ Ovalues and molluscs also suggest that the clay was deposited in glaciomarine conditions. Amino acid ratios (D/L=0.25) of Hiatella in the clay imply an age between the Holsteinian and Eemian Interglacials. Teh peat layers contain a pollen flora. Prtedominated by Picea and Pinus, and are pollen analytically dated to the end of the Eemian interglacial. The solofluction sediments most probably were fromed during the first stage (s) of the Early weichselian and may include the initaial phase of the Brorup Interstadial (the Rodebaek interstadial). During this stage(s) aretic-Subarctic conditions previaled reflected by a pollen flora with a predominance of herbs and shrubs. Acidophilous and aerohpilous diatoms indicate oligotrophic shallow wate conditions in an Arctic environment, when almost no leaching of mineral solis occurred. The solofluction sediments also contain reworked interglacial (Eemian) pollen and brackish-Marine diatoms. Radiocarbon dating of the peat, wood and solofluction sediments yieded infinnite ages>40,000B.P.     

Evidence for delayed poleward expansion of North Atlantic surface waters during the last interglacial (MIS 5e)

The Last Interglacial (Marine Isotopic Stage or MIS 5e) surface ocean heat flux from the Rockall Basin (NE Atlantic) towards the Arctic Ocean was reconstructed by analysing dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) assemblages in four sediment cores. Together with records of stable isotopes and ice-rafted detritus, the assemblage data reflect the northward retreat of ice(berg)-laden waters and the gradual development towards interglacial conditions at the transition from the Saalian deglaciation (Termination II) into MIS 5e. At the Rockall Basin, this onset of the Last Interglacial is soon followed by the appearance of the thermophilic dinocyst species Spiniferites mirabilis, with relative abundances higher than those observed at present in the area. North of the Iceland-Scotland Ridge, however, S. mirabilis only appears in significant numbers during late MIS 5e, between ～118 and 116.5 ka. Hence, fully marine Last Interglacial conditions with most intense Atlantic surface water influence occurred during late MIS 5e in the Nordic seas, and consequently also farther north in the Arctic Ocean, and at times when northern hemisphere summer insolation was already significantly decreased. The stratigraphic position of this Late Interglacial optimum is supported by planktic foraminifers and contrasts with the timing of the early Holocene climatic optimum in this area. We interpret the delayed northward expansion of Atlantic waters towards the polar latitudes as a result of the Saalian ice sheet deglaciation and its specific impact on the subsequent water mass evolution in this region.     

Biostratigraphy of Eemian sediments at Mertuanoja, Pohjanmaa (Ostrobothnia), western Finland

The till-covered clay and silt deposits at Mertuanoja, Pohjanmaa (Ostrobothnia), western Finland, have been investigated in great detail. The Eemian interglacial environment is reconstructed here on the basis of pollen, diatom and dinoflagellate analyses. The pollen stratigraphy shows an interglacial vegetational succession reflecting stable climatic conditions typical of the Eemian Stage in the Pohjanmaa area. The initial Betula forests were followed by Pinus-Betula forests with Quercus. The next successional phase was dominated by Betula, Pinus and Alnus; temperate deciduous trees and Corylus also grew in the area. Later, Picea advanced and temperate deciduous trees declined. Some Corylus was, however, still present and thermophilous Osmunda thrived in wet places. The diatom record indicates that the sediments were deposited first in a freshwater basin, then in the Eemian Baltic Sea, and finally in a freshwater basin once more. The presence of dinoflagellates demonstrates that the Eemian Baltic Sea, when at its maximum extent, was connected to the Atlantic Ocean, which brought northern cool-temperate surface waters to Finland as far north as Mertuanoja. Mertuanoja is the first interglacial site at which numerous dinoflagellate cysts were encountered in Finnish Quaternary sediments.     

利用盐沼泥炭重建长江三角洲北部全新世中期海平面

根据对长江三角洲北部海安地区4个钻孔标志性沉积物(潮上带盐沼泥炭、高潮滩沉积)的年龄测定和高程测量,以及沉积物压实沉降量的分析研究,重建了本研究区全新世中期8.1～7.3 cal kyr BP和5.6～5.4 cal kyr BP的相对海平面位置。结果显示,8.1～7.3 cal kyr BP海平面缓慢上升1.46m,上升速率仅为0.2cm/yr, 与三角洲南部全新世早期海平面的快速上升(2cm/yr)形成鲜明对比,验证了冰盖控制下的全球海平面阶段性波动上升模式。对比长江三角洲地区海平面曲线发现,三角洲北部海平面曲线较南部低5～6m,长江三角洲海平面曲线与世界各地海平面曲线也存在明显差异,分析认为主要是由长江口地区的差异性沉降和中国东部边缘海的水均衡作用两个因素引起的。     

Lithological and palynological evidence of late Quaternary depositional environments in the subaqueous Yangtze delta, China

AMS ¹⁴C ages of post-glacial core sediments from the subaqueous Yangtze delta, along with sedimentary structures and distributions of grain size, pollen spores, and dinoflagellate cysts, show an estuarine depositional system from 13 to 8.4 cal ka BP and a deltaic system from 5.9 cal ka BP to the present. The estuarine system consists of intertidal to subtidal flat, estuarine, and estuarine-front facies, characterized by sand–mud couplets and a high sedimentation rate. The deltaic system includes nearshore shelf and prodelta mud featured by lower sedimentation rate, markedly fewer coastal wetland herbaceous pollens, and more dinoflagellate cysts. We explain the extremely high sedimentation rate during 9.2–8.4 cal ka BP at the study site as a result of rapid sea-level rise, high sediment load due to the unstable monsoonal climate, and subaqueous decrease of elevation from inner to outer estuary. A depositional hiatus occurred during 8.2–5.9 cal ka BP, the transition from estuarine to deltaic system, caused possibly by a shortage of sediment supply resulting from delta initiation in paleo-incised Yangtze valley and strong tidal or storm-related reworking in offshore areas. The subsequent development of deltaic system at the study site indicates accelerated progradation of Yangtze delta post-5.9 cal ka BP.     

A dinoflagellate cyst record of Holocene climate and hydrological changes along the southeastern Swedish Baltic coast

A high-resolution, well-dated dinoflagellate cyst record from a lagoon of the southeastern Swedish Baltic Sea reveals climate and hydrological changes during the Holocene. Marine dinoflagellate cysts occurred initially at about 8600 cal yr BP, indicating the onset of the Littorina transgression in the southeastern Swedish lowland associated with global sea level rise, and thus the opening of the Danish straits. Both the species diversity and the total accumulation rates of dinoflagellate cysts continued to increase by 7000 cal yr BP and then decreased progressively. This pattern reveals the first-order change in local sea level as a function of ice-volume-equivalent sea level rise versus isostatic land uplift. Superimposed upon this local sea level trend, well-defined fluctuations of the total accumulation rates of dinoflagellate cysts occurred on quasi-1000- and 500-yr frequency bands particularly between 7500 and 4000 cal yr BP, when the connection between the Baltic basin and the North Atlantic was broader. A close correlation of the total accumulation rates of dinoflagellate cysts with GISP2 ice core sea-salt ions suggests that fluctuations of Baltic surface conditions during the middle Holocene might have been regulated by quasi-periodic variations of the prevailing southwesterly winds, most likely through a system similar to the dipole oscillation of the modern North Atlantic atmosphere.     

Eemian crustal deformation in the eastern Baltic area in the light of the new sites at Peski, Russia and Põhja-Uhtju, Estonia

Several Eemian (Mikulino) marine deposits are known from the northwestern part of Russia and from Estonia. The best-known deposits are situated at Mga, Russia and at Prangli, Estonia. Two new sites with clayey and silty deposits covered by till were studied for pollen and diatoms at Peski, Russia and Põhja-Uhtju, Estonia. At Peski, the deposit representing the Eemian Interglacial is 3.8 m thick at the depth of 13.4–9.6 m above present sea-level. At Põhja-Uhtju, the deposit representing the Eemian is 3.5 m thick at the depth of 47.9–51.4 m below present sea-level. Although Peski is situated at a higher altitude than Põhja-Uhtju at present, the diatom stratigraphy at these sites indicates deeper and more saline conditions in the Peski area than at Põhja-Uhtju during the Eemian. This result is similar to some previous studies, which indicate, that although the Russian deposits (e.g. Peski, Mga) are now at a higher altitude than those in Estonia (Põhja-Uhtju and Prangli), the diatoms in the Russian deposits are indicative of a considerable depth of water during the time of deposition. These deposits suggest that the Eemian shore levels ascend from Estonia eastwards, while the Late Weichselian and Holocene shorelines tilt downwards in the same general direction. The present material from Estonia and northwestern part of Russia shows marked differences between the Eemian and Late Weichselian/Holocene crustal deformations, which probably resulted from different ice loads during the final glaciation phases and probably also from different deglaciation patterns during the Saalian and Late Weichselian.     

Lithostratigraphy of the Late Saalian to Middle Weichselian Skærumhede Group in Vendsyssel, northern Denmark

The Quaternary sedimentary succession in Vendsyssel, northern Denmark, contains a unique, high‐resolution record of the last interglacial and glacial periods. There is still much debate, however, about the timing and ice extent in this southwestern part of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet, particularly during the Middle Weichselian. In this study, a detailed lithostratigraphical subdivision is established for the Late Saalian to Middle Weichselian Skærumhede Group on the basis of numerous, up to 250 m deep, boreholes in Vendsyssel. The sediments mainly consist of marine clays, glaciolacustrine sediments and tills, and the total thickness of the Skærumhede Group is up to 140 m. Marine intervals have been used as stratigraphical marker units to separate the formations indicative of ice‐sheet activity in Vendsyssel, and the timing of the events has been constrained by a large number of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon ages. The Skærumhede Group is subdivided into seven formations and two members, reflecting shifts between marine and terrestrial sedimentation caused by fluctuations of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet and changes in sea level. The lowermost Skærumhede Till Formation was deposited directly on top of the bedrock during the Warthe advance c. 160–140 kyr BP. Above, there are fine‐grained marine sediments, subdivided into the Lower, Middle and Upper Skærumhede Clay Formations. The marine formations are separated by the Brønderslev Formation related to the Sundsøre ice advance from the north c. 65–60 kyr BP, and the Åsted Formation, deposited during the Ristinge advance from an east–southeastern direction c. 55–50 kyr BP. The uppermost formation in the group is the Lønstrup Klint Formation, which is an upwards‐coarsening sequence of mainly glaciolacustrine sediments deposited prior to the Kattegat advance c. 30–29 kyr BP. The new evidence from Vendsyssel has shown that the Skærumhede Group covers a large area, and that it can be used as a regional stratigraphical marker horizon. Furthermore, it contributes to a better understanding of the timing and extent of glacial events during the Late Saalian to Middle Weichselian in southwest Scandinavia.     

Early Holocene drowned lagoonal deposits from the Kattegat, southern Scandinavia

Shallow seismic profiling indicated the presence of a drowned lagoon-barrier system formed during the transgression of the southern Kattegat, and investigations of core material have confirmed this. Studies of plant and animal macrofossils show that the lagoonal sediments contain a mixture of marine, brackish, lacustrine, telmatic and terrestrial taxa, and analyses of foraminifers indicate brackish-water conditions. Low oxygen isotope values obtained on shells of marine molluscs also point to lowered salinity. The lagoonal sediments are situated at depths between 24 and 35 m below present sea level. They are dated to between c. 10.5 cal. ka BP and c. 9.5 cal. ka BP, and reflect a period characterized by a moderate relative sea level rise. The lagoonal sediments are underlain by lateglacial glaciomarine clay and silt, which are separated from the Holocene deposits by an unconformity. The earliest Holocene sediments consist of littoral sand with gravel, stones and shells; these sediments were formed during the transgression of the area before the barrier island-lagoon system was developed. The lagoonal sediments are overlain by mud, which contains animal remains that indicate increasing water depths.     

Late Weichselian to early Holocene litho- and biostratigraphy in the Devil's Hole area,central North Sea,and its relation to glacial isostasy

The 6-m-long British Geological Survey vibrocore 56+01/170 from the Devil's Hole area, central North Sea, comprises glaciomarine and marine sediments of Late Weichselian and Holocene age. Besides the foraminiferal, pollen and AMS ¹⁴C data presented in this study, amino acid and ostracod data exist for the core. The accumulation of the sediment in the core began ca. 15.7 ¹⁴C ka BP on an erosional surface on overconsolidated Saalian sediment. When the lower part of the core (facies 1) accumulated the core area is interpreted to have been around 40 m lower than present. This interpretation is based on two assumptions; first, that the sediment is now ca. 20 m above the global sea level at the time of deposition, and second, that the marine microfaunal content reflects a water depth of about 20 m at that time. Crustal downflexure caused by Late Weichselian glacial loading of the core area is considered as the most plausible explanation of this difference. Glacial overriding would also explain the overconsolidation of the underlying Saalian sediment, the erosional surface on the Saalian sediment and the absence of Weichselian sediment older than ca. 15.7 ka BP at the core site. Indications of a regressional trend, with a minimum age of 12.1 ka BP, support the suggestion that the Devil's Hole area was glaciated during the Weichselian, as the fall in sea-level at that time probably reflects local isostatic rebound.     

Weichselian stratigraphy and palaeoenvironments at Bellsund, western Svalbard

A coastal cliff facing the ocean at the west coast of Spitsbergen has been studied, and seven formations of Weichselian and Holocene age have been identified. A reconstruction of the palaeoenvironment and glacial history shows that most of the sediments cover isotope stage 5. From the base of the section, the formation 1 and 2 tills show a regional glaciation that reached the continental shelf shortly after the Eemian. Formation 3 consists of glacimarine to marine sediments dated to 105,000–90,000 BP. Amino acid diagenesis indicates that they were deposited during a c . 10,000-year period of continuous isostatic depression, which indicates contemporaneous glacial loading in the Barents Sea. Foraminifera and molluscs show influx of Atlantic water masses along the west coast of Svalbard at the same time. Local glaciers advanced during the latter part of this period, probably due to the penetration of moist air masses, and deposited formation 4. A widespread weathering horizon shows that the glacial retreat was succeeded by subaerial conditions during the Middle Weichselian. Formation 5 is a till deposited during the Late Weichselian glacial maximum in this area. The glaciation was dominated by ice streams from a dome over southern Spitsbergen, and the last deglaciation of the outer coast is dated to 13,000 BP. A correlation of the events with other areas on Svalbard is discussed, and at least two periods of glaciation in the Barents Sea during the Weichselian are suggested.