Stable isotope stratigraphy of the early Quaternary of borehole Noordwijk, southern North Sea

Abstract

Between 2.58 Ma and 2.4 Ma, most of the present onshore sector of the Netherlands was an epicontinental sea. Previous studies suggest the occurrence of multiple cold and warm phases in shallow marine successions of the Maassluis Formation in conjunction with the first prominent Northern Hemisphere ice sheet expansions. Nevertheless, correlation with deep marine isotope stages is tentative and relies on relative dating as absolute dating techniques are difficult to apply. Here, we present for the first time an early Quaternary, high-resolution benthic stable isotope record from the onshore sector of the Netherlands, taken from borehole Noordwijk. We tune our record to MIS 100–94 using the characteristic δ18O signature and complementary biostratigraphic data. This new high resolution isotope chronology is providing important insights on stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental development of the southern North Sea area during the early Quaternary.