Open AccessEvidence of ameliorated Middle Weichselian climate and sub‐arctic environment in the western Baltic region: coring lake sediments at Klintholm, Møn, Denmark
Author(s) -
HoumarkNielsen Michael,
Bennike Ole,
Lemdahl Geoffrey,
Lüthgens Christopher
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
boreas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1502-3885
pISSN - 0300-9483
DOI - 10.1111/bor.12159
Subject(s) - coring , geology , arctic , radiocarbon dating , permafrost , stadial , quaternary , fauna , deposition (geology) , sediment , holocene , oceanography , paleontology , peat , structural basin , thermoluminescence dating , ecological succession , physical geography , archaeology , ecology , geography , mechanical engineering , drilling , engineering , biology
Coring through glaciotectonically stacked Quaternary sediments situated below sea level on the island of Møn, Denmark, recovered a succession of interstadial sediments of Middle Weichselian age. Plant and animal remains including insects found in laminated sand and mud indicate deposition in a lake surrounded by dwarf shrubs, herbs, mosses and rare trees. The insect fauna indicates a mean July temperature of 8–12 °C, suggesting an arctic to sub‐arctic environment, while winter temperatures around −8 to −22 °C suggest periglacial conditions with permafrost. Luminescence dating of sediment samples gave ages from 48–29 ka, and radiocarbon dating indicates deposition of plant fragments between 45 and 36 ka BP . The fossil assemblage from Møn shows close resemblance to those from other sites with similar ages found in the vicinity of the western Baltic Basin.