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Late Pleistocene palaeoenvironments and the last deglaciation on the Kola Peninsula, Russia

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Abstract

Key geological sections on the southern part of the Kola Peninsula were investigated to reveal the evolution of the Late Pleistocene palaeoenvironments and the history of the last deglaciation of the area. Methods used were conventional sedimentological techniques, including palaeocurrent analysis and geomorphological observations. Optically stimulated luminescence dating was used to determine the age of sand-rich sediment units exposed in sections. The results indicate that the Eemian (MIS 5e) marine environment in the onshore coastal areas gradually changed into a glaciolacustrine environment. The first ice advance into the western part of the study area took place already during the Early Weichselian (MIS 5b?). After deglaciation, glaciolacustrine conditions were re-established in the area. Only one younger until is observed in the area; it cannot be excluded that this stems from a Middle Weichselian (MIS 4) glaciation over the area, though it is more probable that it is from the last Scandinavian ice sheet advance over the area during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The southern and central coastal areas of the Kola Peninsula deglaciated between 16,000 and 12,000 years ago. The most prominent end moraine ridges, the Keiva II and Keiva I end moraines were formed in an interlobate zone between ice mass in the interior of the Kola Peninsula and the White Sea ice lobe during the Younger Dryas.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank numerous field assistants and Russian colleagues who worked with MS, JPL and NP for three field seasons on the Kola Peninsula. We also thank Drs. Per Möller and Anders Schomacker for thorough reviews that markedly improved the quality of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geoscience Research Unit, Oulu Mining School, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland

    J. P. Lunkka & E. Kaparulina

  2. Geological Survey of Finaland, Kokkola Office, P.O. Box 97, 67101, Kokkola, Finland

    N. Putkinen

  3. Mikonkatu 22 D46, 00100, Helsinki, Finland

    M. Saarnisto

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Lunkka, J.P., Kaparulina, E., Putkinen, N. et al. Late Pleistocene palaeoenvironments and the last deglaciation on the Kola Peninsula, Russia. Arktos 4, 1–18 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41063-018-0053-z

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