Late‐ and postglacial history of the Great Belt, Denmark

Abstract

On the basis of shallow seismic records, vibrocoring, macrofossil analyses and AMS radiocarbon‐dating, five stratigraphical units have been distinguished from the deepest parts of the central Great Belt (Storebælt) in southern Scandinavia. Widespread glacial deposits are followed by two lateglacial units confined to deeply incised channels and separated by an erosional boundary. Lateglacial Unit I dates from the time interval from the last deglaciation to the Allerød; lateglacial Unit II is of Younger Dryas age. Early Holocene deposits show a development from river deposits and lake‐shore deposits to large lake deposits, corresponding to a rising shore level. Lake deposits are found up to 20 m below the sea floor, and the lake extended over some 200–300 km2. The early Holocene freshwater deposits are dated to the time interval c. 10900 to c. 8800 cal. yr BP and the oldest shells of marine molluscs from the Great Belt are dated to c. 8100 cal. yr BP.