Pleistocene interglacials and glaciations of northeastern Poland compared to neighbouring areas

Abstract

The Pleistocene stratigraphy of northeastern Poland is based mainly on palynological analyses of organic lake sediments and their palaeomagnetic dating, as well as on the lithological–petrographical analyses of tills and intervening deposits. These data were collected from the most recent boreholes drilled for the detailed geological map of Poland, on a scale of 1:50 000. In northeastern Poland there are eight to eleven glacial beds. Based on geological and lithological–petrographical evidence, they are presumably represented by tills of eight glaciations—the Narevian (Menapian), Nidanian (Glacial A—Cromer Complex), Sanian 1 (Elsterian 1), Sanian 2 (Elsterian 2), Liviecian (Fuhne), Odranian or Krznanian (Drenthe), Wartanian (Warthe) and Vistulian (Weichselian). Substantial palynological evidence exists for organic sediments of the Augustovian (Bavelian Complex or Cromerian I), Mazovian (Holsteinian) and Eemian (Eemian) interglacials. The age determination of the Zbójnian (Dömnitz) Interglacial on organic sediments in the Raczki Wielkie borehole near Olecko is based on TL dating and incomplete palynological analysis only. The other interglacials known from central and southern Poland, the Małopolanian (Cromer Complex—II or III Interglacial), Ferdynandovian (Voigtstedt) and Lubavian (Kärlich) have no palynological evidence in northeastern Poland, or its geological position and age (Losy profile near Lubawa) are under discussion. The Ferdynandovian (Voigtstedt) and Lubavian (Kärlich) interglacials are presumably mostly represented by lake and fluvial facies.