TY - JOUR

T1 - Middle Pleistocene interglacial peat deposits from Northern Germany investigated by 230Th/U and palynology

T2 - Case studies from Wedel and Schöningen

AU - Sierralta, Melanie

AU - Urban, Brigitte

AU - Linke, Gerhard

AU - Frechen, Manfred

PY - 2017/11/1

Y1 - 2017/11/1

N2 - Interstadial and interglacial deposits including peat layers are widespread in Northern Europe and enable us to reconstruct the past climate and vegetation history. Such reconstructions require a reliable and precise chronological framework. Uranium series dating, sedimentological and palynological investigations were performed on a peat deposit at Wedel in Schleswig-Holstein. Previous palynological studies suggested a Middle Pleistocene age for these interglacial deposits. The sediment sequence including a fen peat of 130 cm thickness at a depth of 14-15 m below surface was drilled and cored. Palynological results correlate well to the late Holsteinian Interglacial, but the radiometric age determination failed due to U-series open system behaviour. Comparison of results obtained at Wedel with those from Holsteinian Interglacial deposits in Northern Germany reveals the weakness of numerical age determinations. Furthermore, a brief discussion on radiometric data available of the Middle Pleistocene Reinsdorf Interglacial peat deposits at Schöningen is given, as the laboratory has performed further quality assurance processes. A spike calibration led to new calculations on isotope activities, resulting in higher values shifted by 5-7 % and corrections on published data of the same order. The age of the Reinsdorf Interglacial peat deposit 13 II-2c5 cannot be maintained as the assigned errors inhibit the calculation of reasonable mean ages nearby the methodological age limits.

AB - Interstadial and interglacial deposits including peat layers are widespread in Northern Europe and enable us to reconstruct the past climate and vegetation history. Such reconstructions require a reliable and precise chronological framework. Uranium series dating, sedimentological and palynological investigations were performed on a peat deposit at Wedel in Schleswig-Holstein. Previous palynological studies suggested a Middle Pleistocene age for these interglacial deposits. The sediment sequence including a fen peat of 130 cm thickness at a depth of 14-15 m below surface was drilled and cored. Palynological results correlate well to the late Holsteinian Interglacial, but the radiometric age determination failed due to U-series open system behaviour. Comparison of results obtained at Wedel with those from Holsteinian Interglacial deposits in Northern Germany reveals the weakness of numerical age determinations. Furthermore, a brief discussion on radiometric data available of the Middle Pleistocene Reinsdorf Interglacial peat deposits at Schöningen is given, as the laboratory has performed further quality assurance processes. A spike calibration led to new calculations on isotope activities, resulting in higher values shifted by 5-7 % and corrections on published data of the same order. The age of the Reinsdorf Interglacial peat deposit 13 II-2c5 cannot be maintained as the assigned errors inhibit the calculation of reasonable mean ages nearby the methodological age limits.

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - wedel

KW - peat

KW - schöningen

KW - interglacial

KW - holsteinian

KW - 230 th/u dating

KW - palynology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85034626715&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1127/zdgg/2017/0065

DO - 10.1127/zdgg/2017/0065

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 168

SP - 373

EP - 387

JO - Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften

JF - Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften

SN - 1860-1804

IS - 3

ER -