Palaeomagnetic evidence for early Pleistocene in the central and northern North Sea

Abstract

The palaeomagnetic evidence presented here refutes the earlier hypothesis that most of the Quaternary succession in the central North Sea area is of Middle to Upper Weichselian age. A study of the Quaternary seismic-stratigraphy has been tied to 11 cored boreholes which are being examined for their physical properties and faunal content. Initial palaeomagnetic studies show a major reversely magnetized zone which can be correlated from borehole to borehole and with the seismic stratigraphy. This reversely magnetized zone is thought to represent the Matuyama Epoch which ended ∼790,000 yr BP; consequently this suggests the presence of early Pleistocene strata in the central and northern North Sea.