Wurm Glaciation Research Articles

Establishing the Age and Geo Morphological Significance of Sorted Stone-Stripes in the Rhinog Mountains, North Wales

The large sorted stone-stripes of the Rhinog Mountains, North Wales post-date the last major glaciation of this area which occurred penecontemporaneously with the Main Wurm glaciation of Continental Europe. Ice from the northern Irish Sea basin, Scotland and the English Lake District, however, readvanced to a position some 25 km NW of the Rhinog Mountains sometime after 16,830 years B.P. The sorted stone-stripes of the Rhinog Mountains and other periglacial fossil forms, developed in the Main Wiirm glacial drifts of the Cardigan Bay lowlands, were most probably formed during the latter readvance. Their formation, however, was not associated with large scale solifluction.

Age and Insect Fauna of the Dimlington Silts, East Yorkshire

THE Dimlington Silts are a series of laminated silts and sands, exposed near the foot of Dimlington Cliff (TA 391217). They occupy hollows on the surface of the Saale (Basement) till, and are overlain by the Weichsel (Drab) till and have been interpreted1 not as interglacial deposits but as interstadial deposits of the Wurm (Weichsel) glaciation, with the overlying Drab, Purple and Hessle tills belonging to the Main Wurm (that is, Upper Pleniglacial2).

Latest Quaternary Deposits in Osaka Bay

The sonic survey by “SPARKER” revealed the following facts concerning the relations between the submarine topography and the youngest deposits in Osaka Bay.1) The unconsolidated deposits of Osaka Bay are divisible into A and B layers (Fig. 2). B is infered to be the latest Pleistocene sediments deposited in the stage when the sea level retarded at 20m below the present level about 10, 000 years ago. This stage may be identified with the Allerod oscillation. A is the Holocene sediments formed by the quick transgression occurred in the next stage.2) Submarine flat planes are classified as follows.a) -10m; wave-cut terrace formed at the present sea level.b) -10∼-20m; depositional surface of A.c) -40∼-50m; approximate depositional surface of B.Generalized profile of Osaka Bay shown in Fig. 5 indicates the relations between the change of sea level and the deposition of A and B.3) The surface of the base of the unconsolidated sediments is contoured in Fig. 3, on which a system of buried river channels can be recognized. It is named Paleo-Osaka River, which may have been entrenched in the regression stage of maximum phase of Wurm Ice Age. The dotted lines in Fig. 3 express the subsiding movement of Osaka Bay since that age.4) Akashi and Kitan straits have their origin in the Paleo-Osaka River system, but their sea caldrons reaching more than -100m have been formed by the submarine erosion after the deposition of B.

THE BURIED TOPOGRAPHY ALONG THE SOUTHERN COAST OF HOKKAIDO

In this paper, the author, discusses the buried valleys and buried terraces along the southern coast of Hokkaido, from Kushiro Plain to Yufutsu Plain. Along the coast of Okhotsk Sea, northeastern Hokkaido, the elevations of the three marine terraces are uniform, extending over so many kilometers. These elevations are respectively 80m, 40m and 20m above sea level, and corelated to C-terrace, T-terrace, and K-terrace by Dr. Y. Sakaguchi of Tokyo University. Along the off-shore, there are three vast expanding submerged flat surfaces below sea level. The first is covered by coarse and fine sands and extends 60m below sea level; the second, exposed rocks or covered by a thin mud layer, extends 100m below sea level; the third covered by mud extends 140m below sea level. Among these, the second submerged surface (the author's X-surface) is thought to be a wave-cut platform formed in accordance with the completion of buried valleys. The author assumes that along the coast, ecstatic movement has prevailed heavily over the crustal movement, that is, along the coast three marine terraces were formed through the changes of sea level caused mainly by glacial ecstasy. Considering the elevations of the terraces and the submerged flat surfaces along this coast as the datum surface, the author surveyed the elevations of terraces, buried terraces and submerged surfaces which coincide with C, T and K terrace or X-surf ace along the southern coast of Hokkaido, and made clear the character of the crustal movement from C era to X era. In the Yufutsu and Mukawa regions, the western part of the investigated area, the crustal movement was calm through C-T and T-K periods; however, the movement was active by the introduction of remarkable subsidence of the land side through K-X period. In the remaining regions, the crustal movement was calm through C-T period ; but, the movement was active as evidenced by the uplift of the land side through T-K period and by the subsidence of the land side through K-X period. But the effect of the crustal movement on the remaining regions had been cancelled generally through entire C-X period. These buried valleys are commonly characterized by the change of sediments, namely a coarse-fine-coarse formation; and most of the changing depths of sediments coincides with the depths of the buried terraces. The author has explained this phenomenon as follows. The K-terrace (buried terrace in the investigated area) was formed during the period of the semi-interglacial age which occured during the sea-level subsidence in the Wurm glacial stage. In other words, the terrace was formed before the maximum sea level subsidence. Therefore, the sea level during the rise of sea level in the post-glacial stage, stagnated accidently resulting in the resemblance to K-terrace levels.

The So-called Gottweig Interstadial of the Wurm Glaciation

Previous articleNext article No AccessResearch ReportsThe So-called Gottweig Interstadial of the Wurm GlaciationHugo GrossHugo Gross Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Current Anthropology Volume 7, Number 2Apr., 1966 Sponsored by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/200704 Views: 2Total views on this site Copyright 1966 The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological ResearchPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Evolution of Coastal Barriers in Japan during the Holocene

The coastal barriers in Japan are of three different types, formed at three different times (Fig. 4). 1) The oldest barriers, named as “Tsugaru-type”, form an extensive marine terrace having originated as ancient bar and lagoon, probably during the Shimosueyoshi (Riss-Wurm interglacial) stage. 2) “Akita-type” of the ancient barriers are believed to have been formed during some transgressional (interstadial) phases in Wurm stage. The top of the deposits is separated from the succeeding Holocene soft sediments. 3) The youngest barriers, called as “Kanazawa-type”, are of the Holocene transgression. All of those types is often developed along a same stretch of coastal area, where the ancient barriers are partly incised with numerous valleys, buried by the Holocene shallow marine, lagoon or fluviatile deposits.Based on the sedimentological analyses of subsurface data, it is generally established that the environment of deposition in the Japanese coastal area is changed from fresh or brackish to marine water during the early Holocene, in spite of the growth of sand spits or bars. Along the flanks of relatively large delta and fluvial fan, however, marine transgression was prevented its effect by the large supply of sediments.During the late Holocene, three series of beach ridges built by a prograding shoreline are developed on the coastal barriers. The environment in the landward area is generally changed from marine to brackish or fresh water. The cause is attributed to the intermittent emergences of shoreline. It is remarkable that these emergences can be recognized even on the relatively sinking coasts in Japan.

Latest Quaternary Deposits of the North-western Part of Osaka Plain

The research on the process of the development of the alluvium forming coastal plain can be effectively combined with the studies of the adjoining submarine sediments. Fortunately the opportunity to make such an effective work has been offered by the sonic method survey of Osaka Bay in 1962. In this paper, part 1, the writers intend to describe and discuss about the latest Quaternary deposits of Amagasaki area, the western part of Osaka coastal plain north of Osaka Bay.Fig. 2 is the panel diagram showing the final result of compilation of many subsurface data from boring cores. A prominent gravel bed which is named Itami gravel spreads over the whole area. The younger marine and fluvial deposits covering the Itami gravel are treated in this paper. They are so-called “alluvial deposits” and are divided into two parts, the Upper and the Lower, based on the cycle of sedimentation.The base of the “alluvial deposits” is mapped in Fig. 5. The Itami gravel had been entrenched by older rivers which almost coincide in distribution with the present river system and the older channels were buried by the deposition of the “alluvium”. The older river system can be traced to buried channels detected on the surface of the basement of the “alluvial deposits” in Osaka Bay.A line of the buried wave-cut cliff or slope can be recognized somewhat to the north of the present shore line, about 20m below the present sea-level. The cliff is inferred to show the shore line when the Lower part of the “alluvial deposits” was formed.The writers have established the following processes of sedimentation of the “alluvial deposits” of the area.1) Large-scale regression and the deep entrenchment of rivers on the surface of the Itami gravel, Considering the extension of the river channels to the basement of the “alluvial deposits” in Osaka Bay, this inner bay must have been dried up completely at that time. This stage may be identified with the maximum phase of the Wurm Ice Age.2) Starting of transgression, The Lower part of the “alluvial deposits” was formed burying the river floors of the older river system.3) Retardation of transgression. The sea-level retarded at about 20m below the present sea-level. This stage is inferred to be identified with the Allerod oscillation, according to a chronological datum of 14C obtained from the lowest horizon of the Upper part or the top of the Lower part of the “alluvial deposits” in Osaka.4) Rapid re-transgression. The Upper part of the “alluvial deposits” was formed. Wavecut cliffs at the highest sea-level have been preserved about 5m above the present sea-level.The processes stated above almost coincide with those traced in and around Tokyo Bay (HATORI & others, 1962). This fact indicates that the formation of the “alluvial deposits” is closely related to the ecstatic changes of sea-level.

Zur Pollenanalyse von Lössen: Untersuchungen der Lößprofile von Oberfellabrunn und Stillfried (Niederösterreich)

Abstract. A method for pollenanalytical investigations of loesses is described. If several sources of error are duely taken into consideration, this method is successful in the reconstruction of the vegetation history of those phases of pleniglacial times, during which the thick loess layers were accumulated. The method can be employed in pollenanalytical investigations of weathered and unweathered loesses, with the exception of redeposited loesses. It can be shown that the famous sequence of fossil soils at Oberfellabrunn, known as the soils of the Fellabrunner Komplex („Stillfried A), which is sometimes held to be the equivalent of the Gottweig Interstadial, must be divided into the brown loamy soil at the base of the sequence, which was formed during the Eemian Interglacial, and into the younger humic layers, which developed during the Interstadials of Amersfoort and Brorup. The amelioration of climate during the B-Interstadial (perhaps equivalent of the Paudorf Interstadial?) was strong enough to enable local subalpine conifer forests and riverine broad-leaved forests to spread along the rivers and other suitable places within the still dominant steppe formations on the drier loess plateaus. The loess layers of the Riss and Wurm glaciations have been accumulated within the eastern Dart of Niederosterreich in different steppe communities, which can be described at best as belonging to the Gramineae steppe formation, rich in herbaceous plants. Sometimes there occurred plants of recent tundra-communities in the loess steppe: but real tundras did not exist at that time in Niederosterreich. This holds true most of all for the last period of loess accumulation after the Stillfried B-Interstadial. When being compared with pollen spectra of surface samples of recent tundra, steppe and semidesert plant communities, it becomes evident, that the open vegetation, thriving during the last glaciation in vast regions of Northern Eurasia cannot be described in terms of modern plant associations.

Paleosols in Hokkaido

Hokkaido is divided to three soil regions, that is, the northern, cetnral and southern regions as shown in Fig. 1. But the brown forest soils with leached top horizon are widely distributed in the southern soil region where the occurrence of the podzolic soils could not be expected under the recent bio-climatic conditions. The sequence of the ultimate pH through the profiles of these soils is not only different from that of the podzol but also from the typical brown forest soils. But seeing that the values tend to rise towards the bottom horizons, it may be quite reasonable tosuppose that these soils passed through the podzolization. They might have been regenerated from the former podzolic soils which were formed in the Wurm glacial stage, to the equivalent of the brown forest soils, under the warmer climate during post-glacial stage.On the other hand, there are red coloured soils on the coastal terraces and gentle slopes at mountain foot especially in northern Hokkaido. The profile characteristics of these soils are quite similar to those of the subtropical red soils. But they could hardly be expected to be formed under the present sub-boreal bio-climatic conditions in this region. According to the modes of occurrence of these soils with special references to the topography of the coastal terraces, they should be regarded as the relict red soils which were formed during a warmer stage in the Pleistocene, probably in the Riss-Wurm interglacial stage. It is quite interesting from pedogenetical point of view that such discordant paleosols as them are well preserved in situ even in the present sub-boreal bio-climatic conditions.

Late Pleistocene Tephrochronology of Kyushu Region, Japan

In the Late Pleistocene of Kyushu, the San'in and Aso-Kirishima volcanic series began to erupt on the Tsukushi type andesites.The former are characterized by the pyroclastic flow of hornblende-biotite andesite, connected with forming the graben, the latter are pumiceous flow including welded tuff, connected with forming the caldera.These volcanic activities are divided into three stages; older, middle and younger.Pyroclastic deposits of the older stage are interbedded with lacustrine deposits and dark gray coloured solid Loam bed (Older Loam). They form higher terraces.In the middle stage, a great volume of pyroclastic flow erupted out from the effusive center, which was depressed and formed a graben or a caldera at a slightly later period. Particularly, Aso and Aira pyroclastic flows covered extensive areas. Their volumes are estimated to be 175.2 and 154.8km3 by T. Matsumoto, (1952), and they form middle terraces. Therefore, they are the best tephrochronological key beds. On the other hand, 14C dates measured by K. Kigoshi show the Wurm glacial stage as follows; black humic clay at the base of Aira pumice fall (Fig. 1, 2): 22, 000±850 yr B. P. (Kigoshi and Endo, 1963), charcoal including in the base of Aso pyroclastic flow: 33, 000 +3, 000 -2, 200 yr B. P. (unpublished).In the younger stage, the central cones began to act a violent explosive eruption by which ejecta was thrown out. The ash, scoria and pumice wafted by wind covered the extensive areas and formed the Younger Loam (Fig. 4). Some of these activities continued to the Recent and supplied the essential part of the Black Volcanic Ash Formation.The Younger Loam Formation is divided into three beds; upper, middle and lower parts (Fig. 3). The lower bed overlies the gravel bed which covers the pyloclastic flow, or lies upon the flow immediately. The upper two beds cover the lower terrace and contain palaeolithic tools.The Black Volcanic Ash contains ceramics of the Jomon, Yayoi and later cultures, by which the chronological division of Ash beds may be classified.

ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELVES AROUND THE JAPANESE ISLANDS

1 It is difficult to explain the uniformity of the depth of shelf margin, in some various geological provinces, with the uniformity of the amount of the crustal movement in the Pleistocene Age. 2 The continental shelves around the Japanese Island are divided into two terraces which related to glacial eustasy during the late Pleistocene Ice Age. 3 During that time, the Japan Sea have continued lagoonal cond-ition, and the delta developed at the river mouth. These deltas consist of the continental shelves of the Japan Sea. Contrary, the Pacific side of the Japanese Islands, in many areas, the continental shelves are consisted of basal rocks which are exposed by marine erosion. 4 The time of shelf forming was between Elephas namadicies naumanni Makiyama and Mammonteus primiganius prinigenius Blumenbach, namely it was early Wurm Ice Age.

GEOMORPHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA ALONG THE UPPER STREAM OF THE JOGANJI RIVER

The writer has surveyed the glacial topography of the Tateyama Range in the northwestern part of the Hida Mountains, the lava plateau of Tateyama Volcano (Fig. 1) and the river terraces (Fig. 2) along the upper stream of the Joganji River. The results may be summarized as follows. (1) The gravel beds of Awasuno and Ashikuraji terraces (Fig. 3) were deposited After Midagahara lava plateau had been formed (Table 1) and the western side of the crater wall had been almost destroyed -by breakdown and erosion. (2) The explosion of the Mikurigaike took place after Midagahara lava plateau had been formed, was an event in the latter half of Tateyarns ice age (=Hida ice age) which may be correlated to Wurm ice age. (3) In the gravel beds of Chigaki and Yokoe terraces (Fig. 4) huge boulders can be found, while in those of higher and older ones of Awasuno and Ashikuraji they can't. Comparing the gradient of the present river-flow with those terraces, it may be said that those gravel beds were deposited by the increse of the river-water. The writer has concluded, therefore, it was probably at ice age or its melt-water stage that these gravel beds were deposited. Basing upon the facts as stated above, the writer has mad the chronologi-cal table of the geomorphological development of the area treated (Table 2).

Rock-Fragment Slopes Caused by past Frost Action in the Jura Mountains (Ain), France

Partially cemented slopes composed of coarse angular limestone fragments and exhibiting a loose openwork texture are described from a portion of the valley of the Ain River in the southern Jura Mountains of France. These slopes are no longer forming but are undergoing erosion by slope wash, creep, and minor sliding. Intense frost action during one or more substages of the last or Wurm glaciation is considered to have been the dominant process in their development.

Antarctica and Glacial Ages

IN his interesting article on “Antarctica and Glacial Ages” 1, Prof. MacBride states: “If we add the breadth of the ice-shelf to the length of the Beardmore Glacier, we arrive at a total extent of ice-floe of about five hundred miles, and this is considerably longer than any glacier the existence of which we have evidence in the Pleistocene Glacial Age.” But, as is well known, rocks of Scandinavian origin are found in the Pleistocene glacial tills of the north-east coast of Norfolk, and there seems very good reason to believe that these erratics were brought into East Anglia by ice originating in Scandinavia. Thus this Pleistocene ice-flow cannot have been much less than 500 miles long, and may have been considerably more. Again, on p. 98, Prof. MacBride claims—after enumerating the Penckian glaciations, that “The most interesting thing about these periods is that the bones and tools of the oldest indubitably human race are found in the inter-glacial interval between the Wurm and the Reiss periods”. Further, on p. 99, he mentions “the interglacial period between the Reiss and the Wurm glaciations—the time indeed when Neanderthal man flourished”. I imagine that Prof. MacBride is referring to the inter-glacial epoch (whether it is correctly assigned to that of the Reiss-Wurm is another matter) when Late Acheulean man existed, and at the close of which the Neanderthal people lived in Western Europe and made the classic Mousterian implements. Is it to these races and implements that Prof. MacBride would confine the term “indubitably human”?

The German Outwash Terraces and the Astronomical Theory of the Ice Age

THE revision of the astronomical theory of the Ice Age, usually associated with the names of Adhemar and Croll, and its recasting in a form which seems to show considerable correspondence with the observed facts of geology,1 has led Prof. Soergel to attempt an interpretation, in terms of this theory, of the complex terrace system of certain German rivers. The Koppen-Wegener curves for the secular variation in summer sunshine for latitudes 55°–65° show four well-marked double minima, corresponding to the four ice ages of the Alps, Gunz, Mindel, Riss and Wiirm, and three intervening periods of variable but on the whole warmer conditions, supposed to be identical with the interglacial periods. The double character of the minima and the excessive length of the middle interglacial period give some grounds for confidence, for it will be remembered that Penck established on geological evidence a double maximum for the Wurm Ice Age and proved that the Mindel-Riss Interglacial Period was several times as long as those which preceded and followed it. Die Gliederung und absolute Zeitrechnung des Eiszeitalters. Von Prof. Dr. W. Soergel. (Fortschritte der Geologie und Palaontologie, Heft 13.) Pp. vi + 125–251 + 3 Tafeln. (Berlin: Gebruder Borntraeger, 1925.) 8.25 gold marks.