Signature of the last shelf-centered glaciation at a key section in the Pechora basin,Arctic Russia

The Vastiansky Kon' is the largest exposure of Quaternary deposits in the Pechora lowland, northern Russia. Morphologically the site belongs to the so-called Markhida Moraine; a complex, east–west trending zone of ice-marginal landforms deposited by the Kara Sea Ice Sheet during the last glaciation. The site exhibits a succession of sediments more than 100 m thick that, according to previous studies, covers the interval from the end of the Elsterian to the beginning of the Holocene. Unfortunately both the strong glaciotectonic deformation of the sedimentary succession and few absolute dates have made the chronological interpretation of the section difficult. The present paper reviews previous studies of the site published in Russian, and presents the results of a reinvestigation focusing on the post-Eemian stratigraphy. A marine Eemian clay more than 8 m thick is overlain erosionally by 20 m of fluvial deposits of Late Eemain or Early Weichselian age. The fluvial succession is overlain by a till and a marine clay, which, according to one interpretation, may represent an Early or Middle Weichselian advance of the Kara Ice Sheet followed by a transgression. The clay shows a transition into 15 m of estuarine and fluvial sediments overlain by more than 12 m of tundra–floodplain deposits. The whole succession has been upthrusted glaciotectonically by the last ice advance, which deposited a more than 12 m thick till on top of the section. Based on a number of subtill radiocarbon age-estimates from the site, in the range 25–32 ka BP, the youngest ice advance is considered to be of late Weichselian age, although a Middle Weichselian age cannot be excluded. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sedimentation and Iithostratigraphy of the North Sea Drift and Lowestoft Till Formations in the Coastal cliffs of northeast Norfolk,England

The most complete terrestrial sequence of Anglian (Elsterian) glacial sediments in western Europe was investigated in northeast Norfolk, England in order to reconstruct the evolution of the contemporary palaeoenvironments. Lithostratigraphically the glacial sediments in the northeast Norfolk coastal cliffs can be divided into the Northn Sea Drift and Lowestoft Till Formations. Three of the diamicton members of the North Sea Drift Formation (Happisburgh, Walcott and Cromer Diamictons) were deposited as lodgement and/or subglacial deformation till by grounded ice, but one, the Mundesley Diamicton, is waterlain and was deposited in an extensive glacial lake. Sands and fine sediments interbedded between the diamictons represent deltaic sands and glaciolacustrine sediments derived not solely from the melting ice in the north but also from extra-marginal rivers in the south. The Lowestoft Till Formation is not well preserved in the cliffs but includes lodgement till (Marly Drift till) and, most probably, associated meltwater deposits. Extensive glaciotectonism in the northern part of the area is shown to relate to oscillating ice that deposited the Cromer Diamicton and also partially to the ice sheet that deposited the Marly Drift till. It is suggested that during the Anglian Stage the present day northeast Norfolk coast was situated on the northwestern margin of an extensive glaciolacustrine basin. This basin was dammed by the Scandinavian ice sheet in the north and northeast. Because the grounding line of this ice sheet oscillated in space and time, part of the North Sea Drift diamictons were deposited directly by this ice. However, during ice retreat phases glaciolacustrine deposition comprised waterlain diamicton, sands and fines. When the Scandinavian ice sheet was situated in northernmost Norfolk, the British ice sheet (responsible for depositing the Marly Drift facies) entered the area from the west. This ice sheet partially deformed the North Sea Drift Formation sediments in the northern part of the area but not in the south, where the British ice sheet apparently terminated in water. The interplay of these two ice sheets on the northern and western margins of the glacial lake is thought to be the major determining factor for the accumulation of thick glacial deposits in this area during the Anglian glaciation.     

Elsterian‐Holsteinian deposits at Kås Hoved,northern Denmark: sediments,foraminifera, ostracods,and stable isotopes

The coastal cliff section at Kås Hoved in northern Denmark represents one of the largest exposures of marine interglacial deposits in Europe. High‐resolution analyses of sediments, foraminifera, ostracods, and stable isotopes (oxygen and carbon) in glacial‐interglacial marine sediments from this section, as well as from two adjacent boreholes, are the basis for an interpretation of marine environmental and climatic change through the Late Elsterian‐Holsteinian glacial‐interglacial cycle. The overlying glacial deposits show two ice advances during the Saalian and Weichselian glaciations. The assemblages in the initial glacier‐proximal part of the marine Late Elsterian succession reveal fluctuations in the inflow of sediment‐loaded meltwater to the area. This is followed by faunal indication of glacier‐distal, open marine conditions, coinciding with a gradual climatic change from arctic to subarctic environments. Continuous marine sedimentation during the glacial‐interglacial transition is presumably a result of a large‐scale isostatic subsidence caused by the preceding extended Elsterian glaciation. The similarity of the climatic signature of the interglacial Holsteinian and Holocene assemblages in this region indicates that the Atlantic Ocean circulation was similar during these two interglacials, whereas Eemian interglacial assemblages indicate a comparatively high water temperature associated with an enhanced North Atlantic Current. The foraminiferal zones are correlated with other Elsterian‐Holsteinian sites in Denmark, as well as those in the type area for the Holsteinian interglacial in northern Germany and the southern North Sea. Correlation of the NW European Holsteinian succession with the marine isotope stages MIS 7, 9 or 11 is still unresolved.     

A revised stratigraphical framework for the Quaternary deposits of the German North Sea sector: a geological‐geotechnical approach

Using extensive data sets from three separate areas in the German North Sea sector, consisting of seismic grids, cores and in‐situ cone penetration tests (CPT), we have established a revised stratigraphical framework for the mid to late Quaternary deposits of the German North Sea sector. This framework consists of four regional unconformities and 15 other local unconformities derived from seismic profiles. Using these unconformities, along with lithological and geotechnical data, it was possible to define and correlate 14 major units and 21 subunits within the framework. The Quaternary cover in the area is characterized by a variety of environmental settings ranging from glacial terrestrial and fluvial to lacustrine as well as brackish and marine environments with associated erosion, reworking and deposition. The complexity of Quaternary deposits within the area is explained by its history of repeated ice advances interrupted by marine transgressions and exposed periglacial landscapes. Within the framework, eight buried tunnel valleys and two shallow buried river valleys are identified from seismic profiles with four phases of tunnel valley generation inferred. These phases of tunnel valley generation are associated with the Elsterian (three) and Saalian (one) glacial stages. Infill of these tunnel valleys consists of glaciofluvial sands, thick sequences of marine and lacustrine fine‐grained sediments and some reworked till remnants. Elsewhere, extensive tabular units have formed consisting of marine and fluvial sediments. We compare this new stratigraphy with previous stratigraphies for the German North Sea sector, attribute informal stratigraphical names and offer preliminary correlations with established stratigraphies from other sectors of the North Sea.     

The sediment infill of subglacial meltwater channels on the West Antarctic continental shelf

Subglacial meltwater plays a significant yet poorly understood role in the dynamics of the Antarctic ice sheets. Here we present new swath bathymetry from the western Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica, showing meltwater channels eroded into acoustic basement. Their morphological characteristics and size are consistent with incision by subglacial meltwater. To understand how and when these channels formed we have investigated the infill of three channels. Diamictons deposited beneath or proximal to an expanded grounded West Antarctic Ice Sheet are present in two of the channels and these are overlain by glaciomarine sediments deposited after deglaciation. The sediment core from the third channel recovered a turbidite sequence also deposited after the last deglaciation. The presence of deformation till at one core site and the absence of typical meltwater deposits (e.g., sorted sands and gravels) in all three cores suggest that channel incision pre-dates overriding by fast flowing grounded ice during the last glacial period. Given the overall scale of the channels and their incision into bedrock, it is likely that the channels formed over multiple glaciations, possibly since the Miocene, and have been reoccupied on several occasions. This also implies that the channels have survived numerous advances and retreats of grounded ice.     

A refined understanding of the paleoenvironmental history recorded at the Okanagan Centre section,an MIS 4 stratotype,south‐central British Columbia,Canada

The Okanagan Centre section is the stratotype for marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 4 sediments (Okanagan Centre Drift) in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Previous work suggested that these sediments record two glacial and two interglacial cycles. This study reports on detailed sedimentological and geochronological investigations of lithostratigraphic units comprising the Okanagan Centre sequence, revealing successive deposition of subaqueous and subaerial outwash, a subglacial till and glaciolacustrine sediments during MIS 4. A limiting optical age of 113 ± 8 ka defines the base of this sequence. Sedimentological, paleopedological, optical dating and tephrochronological data from sediments near the middle of the sequence reveal soil development (MIS 3) in eolian sediments deposited on a river terrace overlying a deglaciated surface. Within these sediments, identification of Mt. St. Helens set C tephra suggest sedimentation between 50 and 35k ¹⁴C a BP. Optical dating corroborates the tephrochronology and suggests that this surface formed after ～52 ± 7 ka. The record of MIS 2 glaciation is restricted to deglaciation, and overlies MIS 3 sediments above an unconformity possibly related to regional subglacial meltwater erosion. Eolian sediments containing Mt Mazama set O tephra (～7.62k cal a BP) cap the sequence.     

Some last glaciation drift deposits near Pontypridd,South Wales

Drift deposits exposed in a large open cut are described. The basal member of the sequence consists of bedded sandy gravels, and these are overlain by a grey silty sand containing abundant striated pebbles and boulders. The uppermost deposit consists of a brown poorly sorted drift containing silty and sandy lenses. Analysis of the texture, index properties and densities of the sediments, together with the shape, lithology and fabric of the contained pebbles suggests that the basal gravels were deposited by subglacial meltwater, the grey drift is a lodgement till, and the uppermost brown rubbly drift was formed by solifluction of the till, with the addition of frost shattered sandstone from the hilltop above. It is suggested that the glacigenic sediments are of Devensian age, and the solifluction layer Late Devensian.     

Stratigraphy and sedimentology of Devensian (Dimlington Stadial) glacial deposits,east Yorkshire,England

The stratigraphy and sedimentology of the glacial deposits exposed along the coast of east Yorkshire are reviewed. Critical sections at Filey Brigg, Barmston and Skipsea are examined to reassess the stratigraphy of Devensian Dimlington Stadial glacial deposits in the light of recent developments in glacial sedimentology. Sedimentary and glaciotectonic structures studied in the field and by using scanning electron microscopy are emphasised. Two hypotheses are considered for the genesis of the interbedded diamictons and stratified sediments. The first involves the deposition of lodgement till and/or deformation till followed by meltout till, which was overridden to produce more deformation till, reflecting periods of ice stagnation punctuated by glacier thickening. The second hypothesis, which is favoured on the basis of field evidence and micromorphology, involves the vertical accretion of a deforming till layer associated with cavity/channel or tunnel valley fills, beneath active ice. At Barmston the upper part of the diamicton contains elongate pendant structures containing gravels, indicating that the diamicton was saturated and able to flow. The diamictons, therefore, represent a complex sequence of tills deposited and deformed by active ice during the Dimlington Stadial. Previously published stratigraphical schemes involving classifications of multiple tills in east Yorkshire should be simplified and it is more appropriate to assign these to a single formation, the Skipsea Till Formation. Rhythmic glaciolacustrine and proglacial glaciofluvial sediments overlie the tills at Barmston and Skipsea. These were deposited in sag basins during deglaciation as the tills settled and deformed under thickening sediment and as buried ice melted out. Extensive sands and gravels cap the succession and were deposited on a sandur during the later stages of deglaciation.     

Glacial retreat sedimentation in the Smalfjord Formation, Late Precambrian, North Norway

Tillites, conglomerates and sandstones occurring in the basal part of the Smalfjord Formation along the Varangerfjord, East Finnmark, North Norway are believed to have formed during the retreat of a glacier. At Kvalnes, on the south side of the fjord, the following sequence, up to 20 m thick, is found: (1) massive monomict tillite interpreted as a subglacial till, (2) massive polymict tillite with lenticular intercalations of stratified sandstone and tillite, interpreted as supraglacial/proglacial drift, (3) polymict conglomerate interstratified with laminated sandstones, interpreted as braided stream deposits. The last named interfingers laterally and is overlain by marine sandstones. At Bigganjargga, near the head of the fjord, a lens of tillite about 3 m thick rests on a striated pavement and is overlain by sandstones and shales. Part of the tillite, containing irregular patches of slightly winnowed tillite, is interpreted as a melt-out till, while a marginal part consisting of inclined tillite beds is interpreted as a series of flow till deposits. The lens is believed to be an oblique section through what was originally an ice-cored moraine ridge. During a subsequent transgression, the moraine was partially eroded, a lag conglomerate was formed, and overlying marine sediments were deposited. Bedded flow tills formed in a supraglacial/proglacial environment may be preserved where the extent of current reworking is very low (such as an isolated end moraine). Stratified conglomerate and sandstone, intimately intercalated with tillite, is to be expected at a glacier margin where glacial meltwater is locally and occasionally abundant, and glacier ablation permits downslope flowage of mobilized supraglacial fluid till.     

The pre-weichselian glaciations of North-West Europe

In North-West Europe no evidence has been found for glaciations older than the Elsterian. The Elsterian seems to consist of at least two separate ice advances with a minor interval in between. During the Elsterian in the area south of the Baltic Sea over 400 m deep channels were cut into the underlying substratum by a combination of glacial erosion and meltwater activity. The channels were active until the Late Elsterian and were subsequently filled with meltwater deposits and glaciolacustrine silt and clay. During the Saalian no comparative channels were being formed. Three different ice advances can be distinguished within the Saalian, the stratigraphical correlation of which is to be discussed. No convincing evidence was found for any interglacial within the Saalian sequence. There are good reasons to assume that the ice advances were only separated from each other by minor ice-free intervals.     

Middle Pleistocene lacustrine deposits in eastern Essex,England and their palaeogeographical implications

Investigations in quarry exposures in the Asheldham Gravel and related deposits of southeast Essex are described. Section logging, mapping and borehole investigations are supported by clast lithological, heavy and clay mineralogical determinations. The sediments are derived from reworking of local Thames basin materials, fine sediment being predominantly from the London Clay. The sequence is shown to represent an aggradation that began as the fluvial infilling of the River Medway valley. The River Thames, diverted into this valley by glaciation further west, overwhelmed the Medway, reworking the deposits. The valley was subsequently drowned and fine laminated lake sediment was initially deposited. This was during a period when the valley was drowned by the glacial lake ponded in the southern North Sea basin by the Anglian/Elsterian ice sheet. Progradation by a braid-delta complex advanced along the valley and subsequently fluvial deposition returned. Valley widening and straightening accompanied the delta progradation. The deposits were dissected by deep fluvial valleys infilled by Hoxnian interglacial sediments. The Asheldham Gravel is therefore placed in the Anglian/Elsterian Stage.     

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.     

Glacial deposits at Wylfa Head,Anglesey, North Wales: Evidence for Late Devensian deposition in a non-marine environment

The nature and origin of glacial sediments at Wylfa Head are described, and their significance with regard to sedimentary environments during Late Devensian deglaciation of the Irish Sea Basin is discussed. Recent models of deglaciation under glaciomarine conditions are challenged. The Quaternary sequence at Wylfa consists of eroded and glaciotectonically deformed bedrock, locally derived lodgement till, calcareous silt-rich lodgement till containing northern erratics, discontinuous units of orange-brown silty sand of possible aeolian origin, and grey laminated freshwater silts filling a small kettle hole. The till units thicken to the south where the surface is drumlinised. It is concluded that the landforms and deposits result from a warm-based Irish Sea glacier, which moved towards the southwest. Spatial variation in basal water pressure resulted from localised drainage through zones of more heavily jointed bedrock. Rapid glacial erosion occurred in areas where subglacial water pressure was relatively high, while deposition of the resulting basal sediment took place where water pressures were reduced. The glacier also carried basal calcareous silty till onshore, which was deposited by lodgement processes. None of the deposits at Wylfa are interpreted as glaciomarine in origin, and there is no evidence at this site for an isostatically induced marine transgression prior to deglaciation.     

Late Pleistocene stratigraphy and depositional environments of the Fynselv area, Jameson Land, East Greenland

Deposits of Late Pleistocene age were investigated near the Fynselv river on the southwestern coast of Jameson Land. East Greenland. The deposits are of fluvial, deltaic shallow marine and glacigenic origin. Four stratigraphic units are recorded. Unit I consists of deltaic and shallow marine deposits reflecting a relative sea level of at least 20 m above the present. Elevated fluvial deposits represent the subaerial part of the depositional system. The system existed during full interglacial and subarctic conditions as indicated by remains or flora and Fauna and unit I is correlated with the Langelandselv interglaciation (isotopic substage 5e). Unit II consists of a till deposited by a glacier in the Scoresby Sund Fjord during the beginning of the Early Weichselian referred to as the Aucellaelv stade. The glacier probably melted in a marine environment. Unit III represents a marine delta system during the Hugin Sø interstade. and reveals a relative sea level of at least 62 m above the present. Unit IV consists of till and kame deposits assumed to be deposited by a glacier in the Scoresby Sund Fjord during the Flakkerhuk stade. probably a Late Weichselian glacier advance.     

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.     

Patterns of preglacial sedimentation and glaciotectonic deformation within early Middle Pleistocene sediments at Sidestrand, north Norfolk, UK

Middle Pleistocene preglacial and glacial sediments are described from Sidestrand in north Norfolk, UK. The sequence consists of estuarine and fluvial deposits of the Wroxham Crag and Cromer Forest-bed formations that were deposited by, and adjacent to, a major river system that drained northern and central England during the ‘Cromerian Complex’. These preglacial sediments were subsequently overridden and partially tectonised during a glaciation that deposited till of the Happisburgh Formation associated with the first lowland glaciation of eastern England. Detailed examination of the stratigraphy and structural evolution of the sequence reveals that glaciotectonic rafts of Sidestrand Unio Bed material, a regionally important biostratigraphic marker horizon, have been remobilised and partially mixed with other lithologies whilst being transported and emplaced further up-sequence by glaciotetconic processes. Caution should therefore be exercised when examining this deposit for biostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental purposes to ensure that sampling is from in situ material.     

Seismic stratigraphy of the Quaternary and its substratum in southeastern Kattegat, Scandinavia

Based on c. 1500 km reflection seismic profiles, the Quaternary formations and their pre-Quaternary substratum in the southeastern Kattegat are described and a geological interpretation is suggested. The major volume of Quaternary deposits is found in a broad north-northwest south-southeast trending topographic depression. The substratum consists of Upper Cretaceous limestone in the region north of the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone, and inside this zone older Mesozoic sedimentary rocks and Precambrian crystalline rocks are found. The Quaternary is divided into four seismic units. No direct stratigraphic control is available, but the units are assumed to represent a period ranging from Late Saalian to Holocene. The oldest unit (unit 3) is composed of deposits of supposed Late Saalian to Middle Weichselian age. This unit was severely eroded probably by the Late Weichselian ice sheets in a zone extending 40–50 km from the Swedish coast. Unit 2 represents the Late Weichselian till deposits. North and east of the island of Anholt unit 3 is cut by a system of channels eroded by glacial meltwater. By the erosion a relief up to c. 100 m was formed. After the recession of the Late Weichselian ice, an up to 100 m thick sequence of water-lain sediments (unit 1) was deposited in the erosional basin and channels. Holocene deposits (unit 0) of considerable thickness have only been identified in the channels in the northern part of the area.     

A depositional model for stratigraphic complexes and facies superimposition in lodgement tills

A typical stratigraphy below a streamlined till plain in Northumberland, England, consists of cross-cutting lodgement till units, within and between which occur repeated shoestring interbeds of ‘cut and fill’ channels. Till units have erosional lower contacts; in certain cases marked changes in erratic content and local ice flow direction are evident from one till unit to another. These lodgement till complexes have hitherto been described by ‘tripartite’ schemes of lower grey till (s) and upper reddened till (s) identified with respect to ‘middle’ fluvial horizons; regional correlation proceeding on the basis of matching ‘middle’ horizons, with the whole sequence commonly interpreted as evidence for multiple glaciation. Data indicates, by way of contrast, that these lodgement till complexes were deposited during a single phase of subglacial deposition. Till deposition was not continuous but was interrupted by erosional episodes. Changes in the mix of bedrock lithologies transported by the glacier down a single flow line or by lateral displacement of basal ice flow units within the glacier result in till units of different facies to be emplaced when deposition recommences, a process referred to as ‘unconformable facies superimposition’. Subglacial meltwater flow was also a characteristic of the glacier bed; channeled glaciofluvial sediment bodies are found as ribbon-like inclusions in the till and appear to have been deposited rapidly. These so-called ‘middle’ fluvial horizons occur repeatedly in section, their lateral extent at any given exposure being dependent upon the orientation of the exposure with respect to former ice flow direction. These lenses act as internal drainage blankets and have accelerated postglacial soil formation in the drier climate of eastern Britain accounting for the reddened colour of upper till(s). It is suggested that this model of subglacial deposition can be employed in other areas of northern England characterized by subglacial (lodgement till plain) terrains.     

An east–west‐trending Quaternary tunnel valley in the south‐eastern North Sea and its seismic–sedimentological interpretation

A combination of a dense reflection seismic grid and up to 50‐m‐long records from sediment cores and cone penetration tests was used to study the geometry and infill lithology of an E–W‐trending buried tunnel valley in the south‐eastern North Sea. In relation to previously known primarily N–S‐trending tunnel valleys in this area, the geometry and infill of this 38‐km‐long and up to 3‐km‐wide valley is comparable, but its E–W orientation is exceptional. The vertical cross‐section geometry may result from subglacial sediment erosion of advancing ice streams and secondary incision by large episodic meltwater discharges with high flow rates. The infill is composed of meltwater sands and reworked till remnants on the valley flanks that are overlain by late Elsterian rhythmic, laminated, lacustrine fine‐grained sediments towards the centre of the valley. A depression in the valley centre is filled with sediments most likely from the Holsteinian transgression and a subsequent post‐Holsteinian lacustrine quiet‐water setting. The exceptional axis orientation of this tunnel valley points to a regional N–S‐oriented ice front during the late Elsterian. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late Quaternary glacial history of the central west coast of Jameson Land, East Greenland

The Late Quaternary ( c . 130,000–10,000 BP) glacial history of the central west coast of Jameson Land, East Greenland, is reconstructed through glacial stratigraphical studies. Seven major sedimentary units are described and defined. They represent two interglacial events (where one is the Holocene). one interstadial event and two glacial events. The older interglacial event comprises marine and fluvial sediments, and is correlated to the Langelandselv interglacial, corresponding to oxygen isotope sub-stage 5e. It is followed by an Early Weichselian major glaciation during the Aucellaelv stade, and subsequently by an Early Weichselian interstadial marine and deltaic event (the Hugin Sø interstade). Sediments relating to the Middle Weichselian have not been recognized in the area. The Hugin Sø interstade deposits have been overrun by a Late Weichselian ice advance, during the Flakkerhuk stade, when the glacier, which probably was a thin, low gradient fjord glacier in Scoresby Sund, draped older sediments and landforms with a thin till. Subsequent to the final deglaciation, some time before 10,000BP, the sea reached the marine limit around 70 m a.s.l., and early Holocene marine, fluvial and littoral sediments were deposited in the coastal areas.