The last interglacial-glacial cycle: state of affairs of correlation between data obtained from the land and from the ocean

Abstract

An attempt is made to evaluate the state of affairs of correlation of deep sea curves, long palynological sequences in terrestrial deposits and the stratigraphical sequence in NW Europe. There seems to be little doubt about the correlation within the reach of normal 14C dating (approximately covering the last 50,000 years), corresponding with oxygen isotope stages 1, 2 and, at least partly, with 3. If the indirect dating of the temperature minimum of stage 4 as approx. 70,000 B.P. is correct, a correlation with the Lower Pleniglacial becomes less probable and a correlation with one of the cold phases in the Early Weichselian much more likely. In that case, at least as the Macedonian region is concerned, a correlation of stage 4 with the dry phase between the Drama and Elevtheroupolis intervals seems to be the most probable.