The Last Glacial Maximum in the North Sea Basin: micromorphological evidence of extensive glaciation

Despite a long history of investigation, critical issues regarding the last glacial cycle northwest Europe remain Unresolved. One of these refers to the extent, timing and dynamics of Devensian/Weichselian glaciation of the North Sea Basin, and whether the British and ice sheets were confluent at any time during this period. This has been the result of the lack of detailed sedimentological data required to reconstruct processes and environment of recovered through coring. This study presents the results of seismic, sedimentological and phological evidence used to reconstruct the depositional processes of regionally extensive Units across the North Sea Basin. Thin section micromorphology is Used here to provide an means of discriminating between subglacial and glacimarine sediments from cored samples deriving process-based interpretations from sediment cores. Oil the basis of micromorphology, critical formations from the basin have been reinterpreted, with consequent stratigraphic implications. Within the current stratigraphic Understanding of the North Sea Basin, a complex reconstruction suggested, with a minimum of three major glacial episodes inferred. Oil at least two occasions the Weichselian/Devensian, the British and Scandinavian ice sheets were confluent in the central North Sea. Whilst micromorphology can provide much greater confidence in the interpretation of Late Quaternary offshore stratigraphic sequences, it is noted that a much better geochronology is required to resolve key stratigraphic issues between the onshore and offshore stratigraphic records. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Soils, Ltd.