Late pliocene–pleistocene record of the garding-2 research drill core, Northwest Germany

A multi-proxy study, including palaeoecological, lithological, geochemical and geochronological methods, has been carried out on the Garding-2 research drill core in the German North Sea coastal area at Garding, in Schleswig-Holstein to investigate the palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic evolution and the Quaternary stratigraphy for a broader correlation of Quaternary sequences of formerly glaciated and non-glaciated areas and with Marine Isotope Stages (MIS). The 240 m long sequence, composed mainly of fine- and coarse-grained fluvial–shallow marine sediments intercalated by muddy–peaty deposits, reveals interglacial–glacial cycles. Based on palynological and lithological findings, the Pliocene- Pleistocene transition lies at 182.87 m below the surface. It is succeeded by Praetiglian deposits and sediments of the Waalian and Bavelian Complex. The termination of the probably second or third Cromerian interglacial is marked by the development of mixed-deciduous forest and the last occurrence of Tsuga at 119.50 m depth. At about 109.45–96.00 m, another pre-Elsterian interglacial period is found and tentatively correlated with the Bilshausen Interglacial. The overlying glacigenic sediments between about 89.00 and 82.00 m are assigned to the Elsterian. An unconformity occurs below 80.29 m, at the base of late Holsteinian deposits, which are succeeded by sediments of the subsequent Fuhne cold period between 79.20 and 73.00 m. These deposits are unconformably overlaid by the Drenthian till at 73.00–71.00 m. A single sample of the late Eemian Interglacial is found at 69.25 m and overlain by the Weichselian glaciofluvial sediments. Middle– late Holocene sediments occur from 20 m depth upwards, following a hiatus that is caused by the early Holocene transgression. Optically stimulated luminescence and radio carbon dating results are in accordance (Zhang et al. 2014) and show that these sediments were deposited between around 8.3 and 1.5 ka.