The earliest pleistocene interglacials in Lithuania in the context of global environmental change

Abstract

Investigations have been carried out in order to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental changes during the earl iest Pleistocene interglacials and to establish their relation to global environmental changes. Three sections in east Lithuania exposing the earliest Pleistocene lacustrine deposits lying between the Kalviai (Glacial B, Nidanian?) and Dzūkija (Sanian 1) and between Dzūkija (Sanian 1) and Dainava (Sanian 2) glacial deposits were sel ected for study. Unt il now the Šlave-2 and Vindžiūnai-136 successions were considered to have formed during the Vindziunai (Augustovian?, Malopolanian) Interglacial and the Kudre-915 succession during the Turgeliai (Cromerian IV, Ferdynandovian) Interglacial. Geochemical, palaeomagnetic, magnetic susceptibility, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and palaeobotanical proxies were applied to establish the cyclicity and dynamics of palaeoenvironmental change. The data obtained enable the subdivision of the section into units related to changes in the sedimentary environment. The Matuyama/Brunhes boundary and Jaramillo subchron of the Matuyama chron have been recognized in the Šlave section. The results enable correction of the stratigraphic position of the sections studied. The sedimentation in the Šlave section took place during the Early Pleistocene, while that at the Vindžiūnai-136 and Kudre-915 took place during two different Middle Pleistocene interglacials.