Late Weichselian to early Holocene litho‐ and biostratigraphy in the Devil's Hole area, central North Sea, and its relation to glacial isostasy

Abstract

AbstractThe 6‐m‐long British Geological Survey vibrocore 56+01/170 from the Devil's Hole area, central North Sea, comprises glaciomarine and marine sediments of Late Weichselian and Holocene age. Besides the foraminiferal, pollen and AMS 14C data presented in this study, amino acid and ostracod data exist for the core.The accumulation of the sediment in the core began ca. 15.7 14C ka BP on an erosional surface on overconsolidated Saalian sediment. When the lower part of the core (facies 1) accumulated the core area is interpreted to have been around 40 m lower than present. This interpretation is based on two assumptions; first, that the sediment is now ca. 20 m above the global sea level at the time of deposition, and second, that the marine microfaunal content reflects a water depth of about 20 m at that time. Crustal downflexure caused by Late Weichselian glacial loading of the core area is considered as the most plausible explanation of this difference. Glacial overriding would also explain the overconsolidation of the underlying Saalian sediment, the erosional surface on the Saalian sediment and the absence of Weichselian sediment older than ca. 15.7 ka BP at the core site.Indications of a regressional trend, with a minimum age of 12.1 ka BP, support the suggestion that the Devil's Hole area was glaciated during the Weichselian, as the fall in sea‐level at that time probably reflects local isostatic rebound.