Lithostratigraphy of the Late Saalian to Middle Weichselian Skærumhede Group in Vendsyssel, northern Denmark

• Published in: Boreas
• Main Authors: LARSEN, NICOLAJ KROG, KROHN, CHARLOTTE FOG, KRONBORG, CHRISTIAN, NIELSEN, OLE BJØRSLEV, KNUDSEN, KAREN LUISE
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2009
• Subjects: Kattegat; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2009.00102.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1502-3885.2009.00102.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2009.00102.x

The Quaternary sedimentary succession in Vendsyssel, northern Denmark, contains a unique, high‐resolution record of the last interglacial and glacial periods. There is still much debate, however, about the timing and ice extent in this southwestern part of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet, particularly during the Middle Weichselian. In this study, a detailed lithostratigraphical subdivision is established for the Late Saalian to Middle Weichselian Skærumhede Group on the basis of numerous, up to 250 m deep, boreholes in Vendsyssel. The sediments mainly consist of marine clays, glaciolacustrine sediments and tills, and the total thickness of the Skærumhede Group is up to 140 m. Marine intervals have been used as stratigraphical marker units to separate the formations indicative of ice‐sheet activity in Vendsyssel, and the timing of the events has been constrained by a large number of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon ages. The Skærumhede Group is subdivided into seven formations and two members, reflecting shifts between marine and terrestrial sedimentation caused by fluctuations of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet and changes in sea level. The lowermost Skærumhede Till Formation was deposited directly on top of the bedrock during the Warthe advance c . 160–140 kyr BP. Above, there are fine‐grained marine sediments, subdivided into the Lower, Middle and Upper Skærumhede Clay Formations. The marine formations are separated by the Brønderslev Formation related to the Sundsøre ice advance from the north c . 65–60 kyr BP, and the Åsted Formation, deposited during the Ristinge advance from an east–southeastern direction c . 55–50 kyr BP. The uppermost formation in the group is the Lønstrup Klint Formation, which is an upwards‐coarsening sequence of mainly glaciolacustrine sediments deposited prior to the Kattegat advance c . 30–29 kyr BP. The new evidence from Vendsyssel has shown that the Skærumhede Group covers a large area, and that it can be used as a regional stratigraphical marker horizon. Furthermore, ...