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The chronostratigraphy of a quaternary sequence at the distal part of the nile littoral cell, Haifa Bay, Israel
Author(s) -
AvnaimKatav Simona,
AlmogiLabin Ahuva,
Sandler Amir,
Sivan Dorit,
Porat Naomi,
Matmon Ari
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of quaternary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.142
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1099-1417
pISSN - 0267-8179
DOI - 10.1002/jqs.2537
Subject(s) - interglacial , geology , chronostratigraphy , magnetostratigraphy , marine transgression , glacial period , paleontology , quaternary , sea level , paleomagnetism , sequence (biology) , bay , diachronous , sedimentary rock , oceanography , tectonics , structural basin , biology , genetics
Abstract The current detailed chronostratigraphic framework of the last 1 Ma of an eastern Mediterranean sequence (Haifa Bay, Israel) aims to examine the relative roles of sea‐level changes, climate and tectonics. Seven continuous marine cores, up to ∼120 m long, were recovered from shallow water depths. The cores were dated by optically stimulated luminescence, 14 C, magnetostratigraphy, 230 Th/ 234 U, 26 Al/ 10 Be, occurrence of index fossils and correlated to the global sea‐level curve and Marine Isotope Stages (MIS). The sedimentary sequence accumulated during the last ca. 1.0 Ma consists of 21 transgression–regression units with hiatuses between them. Five marine/terrestrial cycles, which occur in the lower part of the sequence, are attributed to the Jaramillo subchron and the Brunhes–Matuyama boundary, and correspond to MIS 29–21. The top ∼50 m includes three sedimentary cycles deposited in the last ca. 400 ka. The regressive phases during this interval correspond to Glacial MIS 8, 6 and 2, while the transgressions correspond to Interglacial MIS 11, 7, 5 and 1. Thus, for the first time, this study documents the longest Quaternary succession dated so far in a key area of the Levant, sensitive to global history of sea‐level changes and glacial/interglacial fluctuations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.