Palynology on profile Rotmoss at Obergurgl in Austria

Die pollenanalytische Untersuchung des Rotmooses in Verbindung mit C-14 Daten hat ergeben, daß die organogenen Sedimente nachwärmezeitliche Bildungen sind. Ein Gletschervorstoß um 2500 v. Chr. konnte mit Hilfe der C-14 Daten eingegrenzt und mit anderen Fundstellen parallelisiert werden. Weitere pollenanalytisch festgestellte Gletscher und auch Waldgrenzschwankungen konnten festgestellt, müssen aber noch genau datiert und parallelisiert werden.

Pollen records of profile Krumbach from southern Germany

Some years ago a fossil lake basin was found in the northeastern part of the former Rhine-pied- mont-glacier, situated between the endmoraine system ofthe elassical Riß- andWürm glacia- tions, respectively. The lacustrine sediments contain the pollenflora ofthe Eemian interglacial. They are intensively thrusted. These sediments are eovered by a loam-layer, rieh in elasts. The thickness of this loam-layer varies between at least 170 and 400 cm. It consists in its major part of loess-loam and solifluction material. Yet just on top of the lake sediments mentioned an in- tensively compressed loam, characterized by quarzgrains with all features of glacially pressed material, together with striated elasts is met with. It strongly resembles atil!. Ifthis is true, the stratigraphie division ofthe last glaciation strongly deviates from the hitherto accepted scheme, incorporating an early glacier advance, long before the elassical young-endmoraine systems of the Würm glaciation were formed.

Biostratigraphical investigations of Lago d'Averno, near Naples

Remains of diatoms, molluscs, ostracods, foraminifera and pollen exines preserved in the sediments of Lago d'Averno, a volcanic lake in the Phlegrean Fields west of Naples, allowed us to reconstruct the changes in the ecological conditions of the lake and of the vegetation around it for the period from 800 BC to 800 AD. Lago d'Averno was at first a freshwater lake, temporarily influenced by volcanic springs. Salinity increased slowly during Greek times as a result of subsidence of the surrounding land. Saline conditions developed only after the lake was connected with the sea by a canal, when Portus Julius was built in 37 BC. The first post-Roman period of uplift ended with a short freshwater phase during the 7th century after Christ. Deciduous oakwoods around the lake was transformed into a forest of evergreen oaks in Greek times and thrived there - apparently almost uninfluenced by man - until it was felled, when the Avernus was incorporated into the new Roman harbour in 37 BC, to construct a shipyard and other military buildings there. Land-use was never more intense than during Roman times and weakest in Greek and Early Roman times, when the Avernus was considered a holy place, the entrance to the underworld.

Calcareous nannofossil stratigraphy of sediments from ODP Holes 186-1150A and 186-1151C, Japan Trench

To assess the paleoceanographic potential of Leg 186 sediments, we investigated Quaternary calcareous nannofossil flora at Sites 1150 and 1151 in the Japan Trench. Because of the frequent occurrence of barren intervals and the lack of oxygen isotope data, a detailed paleoceanography is not feasible for these cores. We limited our study to the upper 26.07 m of the section from Hole 1150A and the upper 21.01 m of the section from Hole 1151C. The studied samples from Cores 186-1150A-1H through 3H are younger than 0.085 Ma. Core 186-1151C-1H (upper 1.92 meters below seafloor [mbsf]) is younger than 0.085 Ma, and samples between 2H-7, 5-7 cm, and 3H-CC, 5-7 cm, (9.99-21.01 mbsf) are older than 0.245 Ma and younger than 0.408 Ma.

Fossil record of Mollusca from Neogene sediments in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Über die Verbreitung, Gliederung und Ausbildung des Jungtertiärs im westlichen Schleswig-Holstein war bisher nicht viel bekannt. Am besten bearbeitet sind die glazial gestauchten Schollen von Morsum/Sylt. Eine Aufzählung erbohrter Miozänvorkommen mit nicht immer überzeugender Begründung lieferte H.-L. HECK 1935. S. THIELE (1941) hat die ihm bekannten Vorkommen hauptsächlich nach faziellen und petrographischen Gesichtspunkten bearbeitet. Er erkannte richtig die Stellung der Braunkohlensande. Die angekündigte palaeontologische Bearbeitung ist nicht erschienen. Eine allgemeine Übersicht über die Entwicklung des Jungtertiärs bringen W. WOLFE und H.-L. HECK 1949. W. HINSCH lieferte wertvolle Beiträge zur Molluskenfauna und zur Gliederung des Miozäns (1952, 1955). Über neue Vorkommen von Braunkohlen-Sanden berichtete E. DITTMER(1 956), eine erste Übersicht über neue Vorkommen der Hemmoorer Stufe gab derselbe Verfasser 1957.

Palynological records of sediments from the Odderade type locality, north Germany

Reinvestigation of the Odderade Interstadial in its type locality led to an augmentation of the flora list and correction of some misinterpretations (e.g. Omorica, Frangula). The Eemian, stadials FW 1 and 3, and the interstadials Amersfoort/Broerup and Odderade have been manifested by pollen analyses. FW 1 and FW 3 are probably not completely free from forested areas. The new pollen diagrams considered with older data from Odderade, and in comparison with other regions in Central Europe, fit essentially with the classification and development of Vegetation during the Early Weichselian in Oerel by Behre & Lade (1986).

Abundance of diatoms and foraminifers in the surface sediment layer of the southeastern Laptev Sea shelf

The study of diatoms and benthic foraminifers from the southeastern shelf of the Laptev Sea shows that their most diverse and abundant recent assemblages populate the peripheral underwater part of the Lena River delta representing the marginal filter of the sea. This area is characterized by intense interaction between fresh waters of Siberian rivers and basin seawater, Atlantic one included. Local Late Holocene (~last 2300 years) environments reflect the main regional and global paleoclimatic changes, the Medieval Warm Period (~600-1100 years B.P.) and the Little Ice Age (~100-600 years B.P.) inclusive. In addition, composition and distribution of planktonic foraminifers implies strong influence of Atlantic water during the Holocene optimum ~5100-6200 years B.P.

Mesozoic radiolarians of ODP Holes 129-800A and 129-801B

Rich radiolarian faunas were obtained continuously from Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous radiolarite sequences at Sites 800 and 801, drilled during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 129 in the western Pacific. Occurrences of 90 taxa are presented in tables for these sites. Seven radiolarian zones, Dibolachras tytthopora, Cecrops septemporatus, Pseudodictyomitra carpatica, Pseudodictyomitra primitiva, Cinguloturris carpatica, Stylocapsa spiralis, and Tricolocapsa conexa in descending order, were recognized in this interval. The radiolarite sequences of Sites 800 and 801 encompass approximately the Berriasian to Hauterivian (or to Barremian) and the Bathonian/Callovian to Valanginian ages, respectively. At Site 801, a hiatus of early Oxfordian was identified.

Calcareous nannofossils of the Soithern Coral Sea

Leg 90 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project drilled 18 holes at eight sites (Sites 587-594) on several shallow-water platforms in the southern Coral Sea, Tasman Sea, and southwestern Pacific Ocean. The results from an additional hole (Hole 586B) drilled at Site 586 during Leg 89 are included in this report. Together, these sites form a latitudinal traverse which extends from the equator (Site 586) to 45°S (Site 594) and includes all the major water masses from tropical to subantarctic. Samples recovered at these sites range in age from middle Eocene to late Quaternary. The calcareous nannoplankton biostratigraphy for Leg 90 has divided into two parts: part 1, the Neogene and Quaternary of Sites 586-594. (this chapter); and part 2, the Paleogene of Sites 588, 592, and 593 (Martini, 1986). A slightly modified version of the Martini (1971) standard Tertiary and Quaternary zonation scheme was used to make age determinations on over 700 samples. All of the relevant Neogene and Quaternary zone-defining nannoplankton are present at Sites 586-591 (0°-30°S) but become increasingly rare or are absent at Sites 592-594 (35°-45°S). Species diversity increases southward from the equator (Site 586) and reaches a peak at 20°S (Site 587). A decrease at 25°S (Site 588) and 30°S (Sites 589-591) is followed by an increase in species diversity at 35°S (Site 592). South of 35°S, species diversity again decreases and reaches a low at 45 °S (Site 594). Species diversity for all sites as a group generally increases through the early, middle, and late Miocene, reaches a peak in the early Pliocene, then gradually decreases through the late Pliocene and Quaternary

Pollen record and dating of a sediment profile from Lake Voulkaria, Greece

A palynological investigation of a Holocene profile from Lake Voulkaria, western Greece, was carried out as a contribution to the environmental history of the coastal area of northwestern Acarnania and the Classical city of Palairos. It shows that deciduous oaks dominated the natural vegetation of the area throughout the Holocene. Until ca. 7000 B.C. Pistacia occurred abundantly, while other evergreen woody taxa were rare. At ca. 6300 B.C. an expansion of Carpinus orientalis/Ostrya can be observed. Around ca. 5300 B.C. spreading of Erica indicates a change to a drier climate and/or first human impact. Since ca. 3500 B.C. an increase of evergreen shrubs now clearly indicates land-use. The foundation of the Classical city of Palairos led to a temporary expansion of Phillyrea maquis. Within this period, molluscs of brackish water indicate the use of the lake as a harbour after the construction of a connection to the sea. The deciduous Quercus woodland recovered when human impact decreased in the area, and lasted until modern times.

Diatom abundance in sediments from ODP Leg 167 sites

The Pliocene and Pleistocene periods are known for the onset and consequent amplification of glacial-interglacial cycles. The California margin, situated in the mid-latitudes of the northern Pacific Ocean, is expected to be one of the most interesting regions for Pliocene to Pleistocene paleoceanography because this area occupies a unique position in the ocean-atmosphere system over the region. In this study, we investigated paleoceanographic history, using fossil diatoms, since the Brunhes/Matuyama (B/M) paleomagnetic boundary in which glacial and interglacial periods began to alternate in 100-yr cycles. In Hole 1018A, to a depth corresponding to the beginning of Northern Hemisphere glaciation (late Pliocene), we investigated the responses of the ocean-atmosphere system to stepwise cooling in the California margin. Although the work is still continuing, this data report shows that fossil diatoms of Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments significantly changed both in quality and quantity and implies a possible relationship to global climatic changes.

Calcareous nannoplankton of DSDP Leg 43 holes

During Leg 43, six holes (Sites 382-387) were drilled in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean; locations of sites are shown in Figure 1. Lower Cretaceous to Quaternary calcareous nannofossils were found in 127 of 189 cores recovered during the leg. The ages and zonal assignments of these fossiliferous cores based upon light-microscopical observation are given in Table 1. An almost continuous succession of nannofossil assemblages of the lower Maestrichtian to upper Paleocene is present at Site 384. A detailed investigation was conducted on samples at this site, and the evolution of approximately 50 species is documented through almost the entire Paleocene epoch.