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A Late Pleistocene lacustrine transgression in the Fehmarn Belt, southwestern Baltic Sea

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Abstract

In order to reconstruct the late Pleistocene seismic stratigraphy, 550 km of high-density 3.5 kHz sub-bottom seismic-reflection profiles were recorded within a 70 km2 area in the narrow offshore border zone between Germany and Denmark. A depositional unit 3 was analysed for its seismic facies association, and in the central study area mound, oblique, channel, reflection-free, shingled, hummocky, broken and parallel associations occurred. The rims of the association shows mound, oblique, hummocky and minor parallel seismic facies. Stratigraphic control was available from 32 coring sites. In the central study area, unit 3 represents rhythmic layers of silt with fine sand and clay in an overall fining-upward 3 to 5-m-thick sequence. At the rim of the basin, the unit comprises fine sand, silt and rhythmic layers of silt with clay and fine sand. Unit 3 is proposed as having formed during the transgression of a lake, partly in contact with the Baltic Ice Lake, some time between 10.8–10.0 14C ka BP. After 10.0 14C  ka BP the water body stagnated when contact with the Baltic Basin was cut off. Analysis of base level of the subunits implies tectonic activity resulting in subsidence of the central study area which could possibly have influenced the transgressive development.

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Acknowledgements

The data were placed at our disposal by The Danish Ministry of Transport and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. The Danish Forest and Nature Agency supported the project. An earlier version of the manuscript benefited from constructive comments by Wolfram Lemke, Warnemünde. We are also very grateful for the constructive reviews by Geoffrey Corner, Tromsö, and Nils Axel Mörner, Stockholm.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jægersborggade 2, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Bernhard Novak

  2. GeoBiosphere Science Centre, Quaternary Sciences, University of Lund, Sölveg. 12, 22362, Lund, Sweden

    Svante Björck

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  1. Bernhard Novak
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  2. Svante Björck
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Correspondence to Bernhard Novak.

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Novak, B., Björck, S. A Late Pleistocene lacustrine transgression in the Fehmarn Belt, southwestern Baltic Sea. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 93, 634–644 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-004-0429-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-004-0429-0

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