- Email: [email protected]
Holsteinian Interglacial=Marine Isotope Stage 11?
ARTICLE IN PRESS
Quaternary Science Reviews 25 (2006) 2678–2681
Viewpoint
Holsteinian Interglacial ¼ Marine Isotope Stage 11? J. Nitychoruka,, K. Bin´kaa, H. Ruppertb, J. Schneiderb a
Institute of Geology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland Geowissenschaftliches Zentrum der Universitaet Goettingen (GZG), Goettingen, Germany
b
Received 10 March 2006; accepted 8 July 2006
Abstract The problem of correllating the Holsteinian Interglacial with the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) is still disputed. Generally, a view persists that this interglacial should be linked with MIS 11, although this approach has many adversaries. Palynologic and geochemical data from well preserved fossil lake deposits from the Holsteinian Interglacial in eastern Poland have enabled their correlation with MIS 11. r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Quaternary Science Reviews, vol. 24 (2005) contains on pp. 631–644 a paper by J. Nitychoruk, K. Bin´ka, J. Hoefs, H. Ruppert and J. Schneider ‘‘Climate reconstruction for the Holsteinian Interglacial in eastern Poland and its comparison with isotopic data from Marine Isotope Stage 11’’. In this paper, the authors compare the isotopic curves obtained from fossil lake deposits in eastern Poland with isotopic curves obtained for the ODP 980 core from the North Atlantic Ocean. The comparison included palynology, geochemistry, TL dating and dating of the larger part of the Holsteinian Interglacial based on counting annual laminae within the deposit. In effect, it was shown that the warm interval known in Europe as the Holsteinian Interglacial corresponds to Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS 11) of the North Atlantic. The same volume of Quaternary Science Reviews (vol. 24 (2005), pp 1861–1872) contains a paper by M. A. Geyh and H. Mu¨ller ‘‘Numerical 230Th/U dating and palynological review of the Holsteinian/Hoxnian Interglacial’’. In their paper, based on 230Th/U dating and age reinterpretation of pollen successions from Germany and Great Britain, the authors considered the Holsteinian/Hoxnian Interglacial to be younger than the Rhumian Interglacial, and to represent Marine Isotope Stage 9 (MIS 9). The inconsistencies presented in both papers refer to some of the mostly discussed issues in Quaternary Corresponding author. Tel.: +48 22 822 58 84; fax: +48 22 554 00 01.
E-mail address: [email protected] (J. Nitychoruk). 0277-3791/$ - see front matter r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2006.07.004
stratigraphy; therefore, it seems of interest to present to the readers of Quaternary Science Reviews a discussion about some problems of correlating the Holsteinian Interglacial with the MISs. We are in agreement with the Global chronostratigraphical correlation table (see Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS), 2004 and Gibbard et al., 2005) constructed for the Quaternary of North West Europe, that the discussed Holsteinian Interglacial can be correlated with MIS 11, and that the Eemian Interglacial corresponds to MIS 5e. Some problems exist with the identification of continental equivalents of MIS 7 and MIS 9 and determination of their palaeoclimatic signature. Surprisingly, no reliable polleniferous sites with interglacial deposits have been found between the Holsteinian Interglacial (MIS 11) and the Eemian Interglacial (MIS 5e) in the Central European Lowlands. In western Europe, pollen sequences, which are invoked as potential parallels of the warm MIS 9 and MIS 7 stages, are usually based on fluvial/estuarine deposits. They were accumulated in a very dynamic environment, with high possibility of redeposition (cf Thomas, 2001) and they are not a good source of pollen record. It seems that only long high-resolution lacustrine deposits provide the most complete pollen sequences for the reconstruction of palaeoclimate. A more meaningful example is the review of ‘‘Hoxne’’ type sites arranged for England (Thomas, 2001). Almost all fluvial and estuarine sites are attributed to MIS 9 or MIS 7. They represent fragmentary and difficult to
ARTICLE IN PRESS J. Nitychoruk et al. / Quaternary Science Reviews 25 (2006) 2678–2681
interpret pollen sequences and the only reliable polleniferous deposits are connected with the infill of kettle holes of the Anglian (MIS 11) till sheet. It is very striking that apart from these fluviatile/estuarine sites attributed to the MIS 9 or MIS 7 stages, no lacustrine and bog sites representing warm phases between MIS 11 and MIS 5 were found. Thus, we can say that the resulting sub-divisions have almost no evidence in pollen data. Attempts of correlating various continental deposits with MIS 7 and 9 are in part speculative and often based only on the analysis of geological data (cf Ber, 2005) or/and mammalian and molluscan biostratigraphy of terrace deposits (Schreve, 2001; Bridgland, 2000). The best evidence in northwest Europe for the correlation of the Hoxnian Interglacial with MIS 11 comes from the combination of lithostratigraphy and biostratgraphy (Bridgland, 2000; Schreve, 2001; Thomas, 2001; Bridgland et al., 2004). There is no doubt that the systems of terraces (Bridgland, 2000) with mammalian/molluscan record can be correlated with MIS 11–MIS 5 stages. The main problems are, however, palaeoclimatic conclusions arising from the presence of such fauna in terraces correlated with MIS 9 and MIS 7. Are we justified when we attribute this faunal record to interglacial units? Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions based only on mammalian and molluscan faunas give, as a rule, less valuable conclusions about the course of climate, in comparison with high-resolution lacustrine sites. On the basis of faunal record we can say what occurred in specific periods (e.g. interglacial or interstadial), rather than tracing and reconstructing climatic change. It is not excluded that molluscan and mammalian fauna found in terraces attributed to MIS 9 and MIS 7 may represent a somewhat colder period with a boreal signature or short temperate periods rather than the ‘classic’ interglacial. One of the strategic areas for resolving stratigraphic issues in the Quaternary is the Massif Central in France, where long sequences of lake deposits have been found and well correlated with tephra horizons (Reille et al., 2000). After authors the sequence shows that the Eemian (Ribains) Interglacial is preceded by three undoubtedly ‘classic’ interglacial units—La Bouchet, Landos and Praclaux, of which the lowermost one (Praclaux) is correlated with the Holsteinian Interglacial and MIS 11. Pollen analyses demonstrate similarities to the studied interglacial successions from Western Europe. According to Reille et al. (2000) these interglacials correspond to MIS 5, 7, 9 and 11, respectively. This view is commonly accepted. However, Geyh and Mu¨ller (2005) have questioned correlation of the Pracleaux Interglacial with MIS 11. According to them, re-analysis of the Massif Central successions has shown that the Praclaux Interglacial (after Reille et al., 2000) is older than the Holsteinian Interglacial, corresponding with the Rhumian Interglacial in Germany, whereas the Holsteinian Interglacial itself is correlated with the Landos Interglacial—MIS 9.
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Despite variation in the development and dominance of some plant types, the Holsteinian Interglacial in Europe has several commonly occurring characteristic features. One of these, as correctly assumed by Geyh and Mu¨ller (2005) is the presence of a mid-interglacial cooling after the Taxus phase, expressed in some European successions which are characterized by continental climate, pine dominance and increased NAP values. This signature is typical of successions in Germany (Mu¨ller, 1974), England (West, 1956; Turner, 1970; Thomas, 2001) and Poland (Bin´ka and Nitychoruk, 1995, 1996). Thus, obviously, such cooling can be found also in other European sequences that are, without stratigraphic gaps, and represent deep-water deposits. In turn, the temperate stages of the Praclaux succession from the Quercus phase until the end of the Abies-Fagus phase comprise 1.15 m of strata (Reille et al., 2000). It is obvious that even with dense sampling, as in the discussed case, the recognition of such a short—several hundred years long (after Mu¨ller, 1974)—mid-interglacial cooling is unlikely. This problem is compounded by bioturbation of bottom-dwelling organisms. According to Geyh and Mu¨ller (2005), the mid-interglacial cooling missing in the Praclaux succession is present in the Landos Interglacial (Reille et al., 2000), which in turn is linked with MIS 9. This view is, however, controversial. The only visible potential evidence of the cooling (between 32.60— and 32.56 m—Landos Interglacial, Reille et al., 2000) is the decrease in the content of Taxus pollen, but without any changes in the curve of other thermophilous trees. The grass curve, supposed to confirm the cooling, displays only one peak, which may be of local nature. Such behaviour is not exceptional in a shallow basin, and is additionally supported by a high content of Apiaceae pollen. More convincing evidence for correlating the successions of the Holsteinian Interglacial of Europe with the Praclaux sequence is the presence of Pterocarya grains. In the European successions, Pterocarya pollen appears always quite late, by the end of the Abies period, similarly as in the Praclaux succession. In the Landos Interglacial Pterocarya pollen does not occur (Reille et al., 2000). Some additional features of the Praclaux Interglacial point to its link with the Holsteinian Interglacial of Central and Eastern Europe. They include the short and abundant Taxus phase linked with the large transgression of the Holsteinian Sea. This phase, however, is completely different from that of the Landos Interglacial (Reille et al., 2000). Other similarities refer to the cool interval after the Holsteinian Interglacial. In pollen successions from the Massif Central, three distinct events with a high content of Juniperus have been observed. They are identical with those preserved in the Osso´wka succession in eastern Poland (Krupin´ski, 1995; Nitychoruk et al., 2005). In conclusion, it seems most probable that the Praclaux Interglacial should be linked with the Holsteinian Interglacial and MIS 11, as assumed by Reille et al. (2000). Similar conclusions can be drawn for the fossil lake deposits from the Mazovian ¼ Holsteinian Interglacial in
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eastern Poland (Nitychoruk, 1994, 2000; Nitychoruk et al., 2005), where over a dozen detailed pollen successions have been worked out (i.e. three detailed pollen successions at Ossowka—Krupin´ski, 1995; Nitychoruk et al., 2005; Woskrzenice and Kali"o´w—Bin´ka and Nitychoruk, 1995, 1996). Interglacial palaeolake sediments was preceded by glacial sediments of the South-Polish glaciation (Elsterian, Anglian), correlated with MIS 12 (cf Lee et al., 2004). The Osso´wka profile has the most complete pollen diagram of all successions studied in Poland for this interglacial and is unique in Europe. In this profile, the carbonate lake deposits above the interglacial deposits point to a cool glacial climate interval encompassing several thousand years (35 m core section). Our studies have shown (Nitychoruk, 2000; Nitychoruk et al., 2005) that the Holsteinian Interglacial was particularly long. Our age estimate is based on counting annual layers preserved in cores from fossil lake deposits (Nitychoruk, 2000). The duration of the interglacial climatic optimum preserved in Osso´wka (Oss 1/96) in a 20-m core section has been calculated to be around 25,000 yr. Close to that site (OS. 1/90 and OS. 2/90), the identical interval preserved in two 13-m core has been estimated at 17,300 yr (Krupin´ski, 1995). Similarly, Mu¨ller (1974) and Mu¨ller and Ho¨fle (1994) estimated the extent of the same interval between 14,000–16,000 yr. The range of an interglacial period, based on counting annual layers, depends mainly on the state of preservation of the lake deposits. Sedimentary or erosional gaps in the sequence are often not marked by lithological change. At the Osso´wka site, the same interglacial section of the core lasted 25,000 yr in the longer core and 17,300 yr in the shorter core mens that the determination of the duration of interglacials by estimating the time interval only on the basis of annual layers should be done very carefully. According to Mu¨ller (1992) and Bittman and Mu¨ller (1996), the duration of the Rhumian Interglacial at Bilshausen, correlated by Geyh and Mu¨ller (2005) with MIS 11, was about 25,000 yr. This is approximately the duration of the Mazovian ¼ Holsteinian Interglacial in Osso´wka (Oss 1/96), which is also correlated with MIS 11 (Nitychoruk et al., 2005) and could also be the duration of the Hoxnian Interglacial at Marks Tey in England, which is about. 420,000 yr (Rowe et al., 1999). Oxygen isotope analysis from deep-marine sediment cores and Antarctic ice core gives data comparable to the Osso´wka succession with regard to the beginning of the interglacial and the duration of the interglacial optimum. According to the isotope curves from Osso´wka (Nitychoruk et al., 2005) and ODP 980 (Oppo et al., 1998), the corresponding part of MIS 11 also lasted about 25,000 yr. Geyh and Mu¨ller (2005) associate the Holsteinian Interglacial with MIS 9 based on 230Th/U dating of lake deposits. The generally accepted limit of U-series dating is 350,000 yr BP. This means that MIS 9 is at the very upper limit of the technique and MIS 11 is beyond it (Mallick and
Norbert, 2000). A list of all former attempts of correlating the Holsteinian Interglacial distinguished in Germany with other interglacial records in Europe and with the MISs is given by the same authors. This compilation shows that, based on different methodology of dating, i.e. ESR, 230Th/ U or 40Ar/39Ar, the Holsteinian Interglacial distinguished in different localities in Europe was linked with different isotope stages such as 7, 9, 11 or 13. The absolute age determination of continental deposits and malacofauna can be illusive, questioning a correct match of particular interglacials with MIS. Absolute age determinations of the Antarctic ice core indicate that the transition between stages 12 and 11 occurred at about 430 ka (EPICA community members, 2004). The transition between stages 12 and 11 in Osso´wka in eastern Poland is TL dated at about 431 ka (Krupin´ski, 1995) although, we do not overvalue the quality of TL dating. Nevertheless, their convergence with dates from deep-marine cores (Shackleton et al., 1990) and Antarctic ice cores is probably not accidental. In our opinion, the correlation of the interglacials in continental areas with the warm MIS is possible. It should, however, be based also on the comparison of isotopic curves from deep-marine deposits and from ice cores with the isotopic curves obtained from lake deposits, even if this requires additional studies (Nitychoruk et al., 2005). Absolute age determinations of deposits as well as fauna and flora from continental environments may contain many errors. Changes of sedimentary conditions in large and deep lakes reflected in the deposits are typically caused by climatic changes. Oxygen isotope ratios are very sensitive to such changes. However, the particular values of the isotopic ratios cannot always be directly linked with oscillations of the average temperature. Very often changes of water levels in lakes influence the isotopic ratios, but also these, in turn, result from climatic changes. Additionally, allochthonous calcite introduced into the lake may alter the values of isotopic ratios. The transport of allochthonous materials may also be induced by climatic and/or precipitation changes. Only if the lake deposits represent an almost complete interglacial succession and if they are developed as lake marls or carbonate gyttja, can reliable results of isotopic ratios be obtained. Additionally pollen analyses are necessary to secure the interpretation of the isotopic curves. Radiometric age determinations can make the whole analysis even more reliable. Most of these requirements are fulfilled for our lake deposits of Eastern Poland, i.e. Nitychoruk et al. (2005), where the Holsteinian Interglacial must be correlated with MIS 11. Acknowledgements We are grateful to David Bridgland and Ian Candy for many valuable and critical comments and to Jim Rose for his editorial help. The long stay of Jerzy Nitychoruk at the University of Go¨ttingen and all studies performed there were financed by
ARTICLE IN PRESS J. Nitychoruk et al. / Quaternary Science Reviews 25 (2006) 2678–2681
the Alexander von Humboldt Research Grant, for which the authors are very grateful.
References Ber, A., 2005. Polish Pleistocene stratigraphy—a review of interglacial stratotypes. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences (Geologie en Mijnbouw) 84/2, 61–76. Bin´ka, K., Nitychoruk, J., 1995. Mazovian (Holsteinian) lake sediments at Woskrzenice near Bia"a Podlaska. Geological Quarterly 39, 109–120. Bin´ka, K., Nitychoruk, J., 1996. Geological and palaeobotanical setting of interglacial sediments at the Kali"o´w site in southern Podlasie. Geological Quarterly 40, 269–282. Bittman, F., Mu¨ller, H., 1996. The Ka¨rlich Interglacial site and its correlation with the Bilshausen sequence. In: Turner, C. (Ed.), The Early Middle Pleistocene in Europe. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 187–193. Bridgland, D.R., 2000. River terrace systems in north-west Europe: an archive of environmental change, uplift and early human occupation. Quaternary Science Reviews 19, 1293–1303. Bridgland, D.R., Maddy, D., Bates, M., 2004. River terrace sequences: templates for Quaternary geochronology and marine-terrestial correlation. Journal of Quaternary Science 19, 203–218. EPICA Community Members, 2004. Eight glacial cycles from an Antarctic ice core. Nature 429, 623–628. Geyh, M.A., Mu¨ller, H., 2005. Numerical 230Th/U dating and palynological review of the Holsteinian/Hoxnian Interglacial. Quaternary Science Reviews 24, 1861–1872. Gibbard, P.L., et al., 2005. What status for the Quaternary? Boreas 34, 1–6. Global chronostratigraphical correlation table Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy SQS, 2004. /www.quaternary.stratigraphy.org.uk/ correlation/chart.htmlS. Krupin´ski, K.M., 1995. Pollen stratigraphy and succession of vegetation during the Mazovian interglacial based on studies of sediments from Podlasie. Acta Geographica Lodziensia 70, 1–200. Lee, J.R., Rose, J., Hamblin, R.J.O., Moorlock, B.S.P., 2004. Dating the earliest lowland glaciation of eastern England: a pre-MIS 12 early Middle Pleistocene Happisburgh glaciation. Quaternary Science Reviews 23, 1551–1566. Mallick, R., Norbert, F., 2000. A new technique for precise U-series dating of travertine micro-samples. Geochem. Cos. Acta 66, 4261–4272.
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Mu¨ller, H., 1974. Pollenanalytische Untersuchungen und Jahresschichtenza¨hlungen an der Holstein-zeitlichen Kieselgur von MunsterBreloh. Geologisches Jahrbuch A 21, 107–140. Mu¨ller, H., 1992. Climatic changes during and at the end of the interglacials of the Cromerian complex. In: Kukla, G.J., Went, E. (Eds.), Start of the Glacial. Nato ASI Series 13. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp. 55–69. Mu¨ller, H., Ho¨fle, H.-Ch., 1994. Die Holstein-Interglazial vorkommen bei Bossel westlich von Stade und Wanha¨den na¨rdlich Bremerhaven. Geologisches Jahrbuch A 134, 71–116. Nitychoruk, J., 1994. Stratigraphy of the Pleistocene and palaeogeomorphology of Southern Podlasie. Rocznik Mi˛edzyrzecki 26, 23–107. Nitychoruk, J., 2000. Climate reconstruction from stable-isotope composition of the Mazovian Interglacial (Holsteinian) lake sediments in eastern Poland. Acta Geologica Polonica 50, 247–294. Nitychoruk, J., Bin´ka, K., Hoefs, J., Ruppert, H., Schneider, J., 2005. Climate reconstruction for the Holsteinian Interglacial in eastern Poland and its comparison with isotopic data from Marine Isotope Stage 11. Quaternary Science Reviews 24, 631–644. Oppo, D.W., McManus, J.F., Cullen, J.L., 1998. Abrupt climate events 500,000 to 340,000 years ago: evidence from subpolar North Atlantic sediments. Science 279, 1335–1338. Reille, M., de Beaulieu, J.-L., Svobodova, H., Andrieu-Ponel, V., Goeury, C., 2000. Pollen analytical biostratigraphy of the last five climatic cycles from a long continental sequence from the Velay region (Massif Central, France). Journal of Quaternary Science 15, 665–685. Rowe, P.J., Atkinson, T.C., Turner, C., 1999. U-series dating of Hoxnian interglacial deposits at Marks Tey, Essex, England. Journal of Quaternary Science 14, 693–702. Schreve, D.C., 2001. Differentiation of the British late Middle Pleistocene interglacials: the evidence from mammalian biostratigraphy. Quaternary Science Reviews 20, 1693–1705. Shackleton, N.J., Berger, A., Peltier, W.R., 1990. An alternative astronomical calibration of the lower Pleistocene timescale based on ODP Site 677. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Earth Sciences 81, 251–261. Thomas, G.N., 2001. Late Middle Pleistocene pollen biostratigraphy in Britain: pitfalls and possibilities in the separation of interglacial sequences. Quaternary Science Reviews 20, 1621–1630. Turner, C., 1970. The Middle Pleistocene deposits at Marks Tey, Essex. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B 257, 373–440. West, R.G., 1956. The Quaternary deposits of Hoxne, Suffolk. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B 239, 265–356.
Quaternary Science Reviews 25 (2006) 2678–2681
Viewpoint
Holsteinian Interglacial ¼ Marine Isotope Stage 11? J. Nitychoruka,, K. Bin´kaa, H. Ruppertb, J. Schneiderb a
Institute of Geology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland Geowissenschaftliches Zentrum der Universitaet Goettingen (GZG), Goettingen, Germany
b
Received 10 March 2006; accepted 8 July 2006
Abstract The problem of correllating the Holsteinian Interglacial with the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) is still disputed. Generally, a view persists that this interglacial should be linked with MIS 11, although this approach has many adversaries. Palynologic and geochemical data from well preserved fossil lake deposits from the Holsteinian Interglacial in eastern Poland have enabled their correlation with MIS 11. r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Quaternary Science Reviews, vol. 24 (2005) contains on pp. 631–644 a paper by J. Nitychoruk, K. Bin´ka, J. Hoefs, H. Ruppert and J. Schneider ‘‘Climate reconstruction for the Holsteinian Interglacial in eastern Poland and its comparison with isotopic data from Marine Isotope Stage 11’’. In this paper, the authors compare the isotopic curves obtained from fossil lake deposits in eastern Poland with isotopic curves obtained for the ODP 980 core from the North Atlantic Ocean. The comparison included palynology, geochemistry, TL dating and dating of the larger part of the Holsteinian Interglacial based on counting annual laminae within the deposit. In effect, it was shown that the warm interval known in Europe as the Holsteinian Interglacial corresponds to Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS 11) of the North Atlantic. The same volume of Quaternary Science Reviews (vol. 24 (2005), pp 1861–1872) contains a paper by M. A. Geyh and H. Mu¨ller ‘‘Numerical 230Th/U dating and palynological review of the Holsteinian/Hoxnian Interglacial’’. In their paper, based on 230Th/U dating and age reinterpretation of pollen successions from Germany and Great Britain, the authors considered the Holsteinian/Hoxnian Interglacial to be younger than the Rhumian Interglacial, and to represent Marine Isotope Stage 9 (MIS 9). The inconsistencies presented in both papers refer to some of the mostly discussed issues in Quaternary Corresponding author. Tel.: +48 22 822 58 84; fax: +48 22 554 00 01.
E-mail address: [email protected] (J. Nitychoruk). 0277-3791/$ - see front matter r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2006.07.004
stratigraphy; therefore, it seems of interest to present to the readers of Quaternary Science Reviews a discussion about some problems of correlating the Holsteinian Interglacial with the MISs. We are in agreement with the Global chronostratigraphical correlation table (see Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS), 2004 and Gibbard et al., 2005) constructed for the Quaternary of North West Europe, that the discussed Holsteinian Interglacial can be correlated with MIS 11, and that the Eemian Interglacial corresponds to MIS 5e. Some problems exist with the identification of continental equivalents of MIS 7 and MIS 9 and determination of their palaeoclimatic signature. Surprisingly, no reliable polleniferous sites with interglacial deposits have been found between the Holsteinian Interglacial (MIS 11) and the Eemian Interglacial (MIS 5e) in the Central European Lowlands. In western Europe, pollen sequences, which are invoked as potential parallels of the warm MIS 9 and MIS 7 stages, are usually based on fluvial/estuarine deposits. They were accumulated in a very dynamic environment, with high possibility of redeposition (cf Thomas, 2001) and they are not a good source of pollen record. It seems that only long high-resolution lacustrine deposits provide the most complete pollen sequences for the reconstruction of palaeoclimate. A more meaningful example is the review of ‘‘Hoxne’’ type sites arranged for England (Thomas, 2001). Almost all fluvial and estuarine sites are attributed to MIS 9 or MIS 7. They represent fragmentary and difficult to
ARTICLE IN PRESS J. Nitychoruk et al. / Quaternary Science Reviews 25 (2006) 2678–2681
interpret pollen sequences and the only reliable polleniferous deposits are connected with the infill of kettle holes of the Anglian (MIS 11) till sheet. It is very striking that apart from these fluviatile/estuarine sites attributed to the MIS 9 or MIS 7 stages, no lacustrine and bog sites representing warm phases between MIS 11 and MIS 5 were found. Thus, we can say that the resulting sub-divisions have almost no evidence in pollen data. Attempts of correlating various continental deposits with MIS 7 and 9 are in part speculative and often based only on the analysis of geological data (cf Ber, 2005) or/and mammalian and molluscan biostratigraphy of terrace deposits (Schreve, 2001; Bridgland, 2000). The best evidence in northwest Europe for the correlation of the Hoxnian Interglacial with MIS 11 comes from the combination of lithostratigraphy and biostratgraphy (Bridgland, 2000; Schreve, 2001; Thomas, 2001; Bridgland et al., 2004). There is no doubt that the systems of terraces (Bridgland, 2000) with mammalian/molluscan record can be correlated with MIS 11–MIS 5 stages. The main problems are, however, palaeoclimatic conclusions arising from the presence of such fauna in terraces correlated with MIS 9 and MIS 7. Are we justified when we attribute this faunal record to interglacial units? Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions based only on mammalian and molluscan faunas give, as a rule, less valuable conclusions about the course of climate, in comparison with high-resolution lacustrine sites. On the basis of faunal record we can say what occurred in specific periods (e.g. interglacial or interstadial), rather than tracing and reconstructing climatic change. It is not excluded that molluscan and mammalian fauna found in terraces attributed to MIS 9 and MIS 7 may represent a somewhat colder period with a boreal signature or short temperate periods rather than the ‘classic’ interglacial. One of the strategic areas for resolving stratigraphic issues in the Quaternary is the Massif Central in France, where long sequences of lake deposits have been found and well correlated with tephra horizons (Reille et al., 2000). After authors the sequence shows that the Eemian (Ribains) Interglacial is preceded by three undoubtedly ‘classic’ interglacial units—La Bouchet, Landos and Praclaux, of which the lowermost one (Praclaux) is correlated with the Holsteinian Interglacial and MIS 11. Pollen analyses demonstrate similarities to the studied interglacial successions from Western Europe. According to Reille et al. (2000) these interglacials correspond to MIS 5, 7, 9 and 11, respectively. This view is commonly accepted. However, Geyh and Mu¨ller (2005) have questioned correlation of the Pracleaux Interglacial with MIS 11. According to them, re-analysis of the Massif Central successions has shown that the Praclaux Interglacial (after Reille et al., 2000) is older than the Holsteinian Interglacial, corresponding with the Rhumian Interglacial in Germany, whereas the Holsteinian Interglacial itself is correlated with the Landos Interglacial—MIS 9.
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Despite variation in the development and dominance of some plant types, the Holsteinian Interglacial in Europe has several commonly occurring characteristic features. One of these, as correctly assumed by Geyh and Mu¨ller (2005) is the presence of a mid-interglacial cooling after the Taxus phase, expressed in some European successions which are characterized by continental climate, pine dominance and increased NAP values. This signature is typical of successions in Germany (Mu¨ller, 1974), England (West, 1956; Turner, 1970; Thomas, 2001) and Poland (Bin´ka and Nitychoruk, 1995, 1996). Thus, obviously, such cooling can be found also in other European sequences that are, without stratigraphic gaps, and represent deep-water deposits. In turn, the temperate stages of the Praclaux succession from the Quercus phase until the end of the Abies-Fagus phase comprise 1.15 m of strata (Reille et al., 2000). It is obvious that even with dense sampling, as in the discussed case, the recognition of such a short—several hundred years long (after Mu¨ller, 1974)—mid-interglacial cooling is unlikely. This problem is compounded by bioturbation of bottom-dwelling organisms. According to Geyh and Mu¨ller (2005), the mid-interglacial cooling missing in the Praclaux succession is present in the Landos Interglacial (Reille et al., 2000), which in turn is linked with MIS 9. This view is, however, controversial. The only visible potential evidence of the cooling (between 32.60— and 32.56 m—Landos Interglacial, Reille et al., 2000) is the decrease in the content of Taxus pollen, but without any changes in the curve of other thermophilous trees. The grass curve, supposed to confirm the cooling, displays only one peak, which may be of local nature. Such behaviour is not exceptional in a shallow basin, and is additionally supported by a high content of Apiaceae pollen. More convincing evidence for correlating the successions of the Holsteinian Interglacial of Europe with the Praclaux sequence is the presence of Pterocarya grains. In the European successions, Pterocarya pollen appears always quite late, by the end of the Abies period, similarly as in the Praclaux succession. In the Landos Interglacial Pterocarya pollen does not occur (Reille et al., 2000). Some additional features of the Praclaux Interglacial point to its link with the Holsteinian Interglacial of Central and Eastern Europe. They include the short and abundant Taxus phase linked with the large transgression of the Holsteinian Sea. This phase, however, is completely different from that of the Landos Interglacial (Reille et al., 2000). Other similarities refer to the cool interval after the Holsteinian Interglacial. In pollen successions from the Massif Central, three distinct events with a high content of Juniperus have been observed. They are identical with those preserved in the Osso´wka succession in eastern Poland (Krupin´ski, 1995; Nitychoruk et al., 2005). In conclusion, it seems most probable that the Praclaux Interglacial should be linked with the Holsteinian Interglacial and MIS 11, as assumed by Reille et al. (2000). Similar conclusions can be drawn for the fossil lake deposits from the Mazovian ¼ Holsteinian Interglacial in
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eastern Poland (Nitychoruk, 1994, 2000; Nitychoruk et al., 2005), where over a dozen detailed pollen successions have been worked out (i.e. three detailed pollen successions at Ossowka—Krupin´ski, 1995; Nitychoruk et al., 2005; Woskrzenice and Kali"o´w—Bin´ka and Nitychoruk, 1995, 1996). Interglacial palaeolake sediments was preceded by glacial sediments of the South-Polish glaciation (Elsterian, Anglian), correlated with MIS 12 (cf Lee et al., 2004). The Osso´wka profile has the most complete pollen diagram of all successions studied in Poland for this interglacial and is unique in Europe. In this profile, the carbonate lake deposits above the interglacial deposits point to a cool glacial climate interval encompassing several thousand years (35 m core section). Our studies have shown (Nitychoruk, 2000; Nitychoruk et al., 2005) that the Holsteinian Interglacial was particularly long. Our age estimate is based on counting annual layers preserved in cores from fossil lake deposits (Nitychoruk, 2000). The duration of the interglacial climatic optimum preserved in Osso´wka (Oss 1/96) in a 20-m core section has been calculated to be around 25,000 yr. Close to that site (OS. 1/90 and OS. 2/90), the identical interval preserved in two 13-m core has been estimated at 17,300 yr (Krupin´ski, 1995). Similarly, Mu¨ller (1974) and Mu¨ller and Ho¨fle (1994) estimated the extent of the same interval between 14,000–16,000 yr. The range of an interglacial period, based on counting annual layers, depends mainly on the state of preservation of the lake deposits. Sedimentary or erosional gaps in the sequence are often not marked by lithological change. At the Osso´wka site, the same interglacial section of the core lasted 25,000 yr in the longer core and 17,300 yr in the shorter core mens that the determination of the duration of interglacials by estimating the time interval only on the basis of annual layers should be done very carefully. According to Mu¨ller (1992) and Bittman and Mu¨ller (1996), the duration of the Rhumian Interglacial at Bilshausen, correlated by Geyh and Mu¨ller (2005) with MIS 11, was about 25,000 yr. This is approximately the duration of the Mazovian ¼ Holsteinian Interglacial in Osso´wka (Oss 1/96), which is also correlated with MIS 11 (Nitychoruk et al., 2005) and could also be the duration of the Hoxnian Interglacial at Marks Tey in England, which is about. 420,000 yr (Rowe et al., 1999). Oxygen isotope analysis from deep-marine sediment cores and Antarctic ice core gives data comparable to the Osso´wka succession with regard to the beginning of the interglacial and the duration of the interglacial optimum. According to the isotope curves from Osso´wka (Nitychoruk et al., 2005) and ODP 980 (Oppo et al., 1998), the corresponding part of MIS 11 also lasted about 25,000 yr. Geyh and Mu¨ller (2005) associate the Holsteinian Interglacial with MIS 9 based on 230Th/U dating of lake deposits. The generally accepted limit of U-series dating is 350,000 yr BP. This means that MIS 9 is at the very upper limit of the technique and MIS 11 is beyond it (Mallick and
Norbert, 2000). A list of all former attempts of correlating the Holsteinian Interglacial distinguished in Germany with other interglacial records in Europe and with the MISs is given by the same authors. This compilation shows that, based on different methodology of dating, i.e. ESR, 230Th/ U or 40Ar/39Ar, the Holsteinian Interglacial distinguished in different localities in Europe was linked with different isotope stages such as 7, 9, 11 or 13. The absolute age determination of continental deposits and malacofauna can be illusive, questioning a correct match of particular interglacials with MIS. Absolute age determinations of the Antarctic ice core indicate that the transition between stages 12 and 11 occurred at about 430 ka (EPICA community members, 2004). The transition between stages 12 and 11 in Osso´wka in eastern Poland is TL dated at about 431 ka (Krupin´ski, 1995) although, we do not overvalue the quality of TL dating. Nevertheless, their convergence with dates from deep-marine cores (Shackleton et al., 1990) and Antarctic ice cores is probably not accidental. In our opinion, the correlation of the interglacials in continental areas with the warm MIS is possible. It should, however, be based also on the comparison of isotopic curves from deep-marine deposits and from ice cores with the isotopic curves obtained from lake deposits, even if this requires additional studies (Nitychoruk et al., 2005). Absolute age determinations of deposits as well as fauna and flora from continental environments may contain many errors. Changes of sedimentary conditions in large and deep lakes reflected in the deposits are typically caused by climatic changes. Oxygen isotope ratios are very sensitive to such changes. However, the particular values of the isotopic ratios cannot always be directly linked with oscillations of the average temperature. Very often changes of water levels in lakes influence the isotopic ratios, but also these, in turn, result from climatic changes. Additionally, allochthonous calcite introduced into the lake may alter the values of isotopic ratios. The transport of allochthonous materials may also be induced by climatic and/or precipitation changes. Only if the lake deposits represent an almost complete interglacial succession and if they are developed as lake marls or carbonate gyttja, can reliable results of isotopic ratios be obtained. Additionally pollen analyses are necessary to secure the interpretation of the isotopic curves. Radiometric age determinations can make the whole analysis even more reliable. Most of these requirements are fulfilled for our lake deposits of Eastern Poland, i.e. Nitychoruk et al. (2005), where the Holsteinian Interglacial must be correlated with MIS 11. Acknowledgements We are grateful to David Bridgland and Ian Candy for many valuable and critical comments and to Jim Rose for his editorial help. The long stay of Jerzy Nitychoruk at the University of Go¨ttingen and all studies performed there were financed by
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the Alexander von Humboldt Research Grant, for which the authors are very grateful.
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