An event stratigraphy for the last termination in the North atlantic region based on the Greenland ice-core record: A proposal by the intimate group.

Journal of Quaternary Science, No. 13(4), p. 283-292, 1998

S. Björck
Geological Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen, Denmark.
M.J.C. Walker
Dep. of Geography, University of Wales, Lampeter, Ceredigion Sa48 7ED, Wales, UK.
L.C. Cwynar
Dep. of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 6E1.
S. Johnsen
Departement of Geophysics, The Niels Bohr Institute of Astronomy, Physics and Geophysics, University of Copenhagen..
K.-L. Knudsen
Dep. of Earth Sciences, Geophysical Laboratory, University of Aarhus, Finlandsgade 8, DK-8200 Aarhus N., Denmark.
J.J. Lowe
Dep, of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 OEX, UK.
B. Wohlfarth
Dep. of Quaternary Geology, University of Lund, Tornavägen 13, S-223-62, Lund, Sweden.

ABSTRACT.
It is suggested that the GRIP Greenland ice-core should constitute the stratotype for the Last Termination. Based on the oxygen isotope signal in that core, a new event stratigraphy spanning the time interval from ca. 22.0 to 11.5 k GRIP yr BP (ca. 19.0-10.0 k¹⁴C yr BP) is proposed for the North Atlantic region. This covers the period from the Last Glacial Maximum, through Termination 1 of the deep-ocean record, to the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary, and encompasses the Last Glacial Late-glacial of the traditional nortwest European stratigraphy. The isotopic record for this period is divided into two stadial episodes, Greenland Stadials 1 (GS-1) and 2 (GS-2), and two interstadial events, Greenland Interstadials 1 (GI-1) and 2 (GI-2). In addition, GI-1 and GS-2 are further subdivided into shorter episodes. The event stratigraphy is equally applicable to ice-core, marine and terrestrial records and is considered to be a more appropriate classificatory scheme than the terrestrially based radiocarbon-dated chronostratigraphy that has been used hitherto. (Copyright John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)