The E,arlyand Middle Weichselian in Norway: a review
JAN MANC;tiRUD
Mangerud. Jan l9ltl ll01: The Earlyand MiddleWeichsclian in Norxay: a revicw.Borca.r. Vol. t0. nn. BOREASr8l-lql. C)rlrr.ISSN 0100-q4X-1 All knonn 'non sites with lirssilsand till sediments of possibleEarl1, and Midtile Wcichselr.rnage rn Nlrrual'', are dircusscd. Along the $e\t coasr there are many sitcs *ith nrarincshells which have oeen drted b! nreans rtl- radiocarbon. amino acids and thorium/uranium methods. Somc sitcs are itlso correlatedby meansof undcrl-vingEcmian :cquenccs.A tentativeglaciation curvc fgr $cstern N()ru.a! indicalcs a first glaci:rladvance soon alier thc end of the Ecmian. There are indications oi another '10.000 rc-adl:rnce around 8.P.. and the Late Wcichselianmaxrmum {ntaxrma.,)occurred somewhcre 10.(X)0 bct*een B.t'. and 1.1.000B.P. Partsofthc coast mitJ,have been ice free for most ofthc rctrlarnrng pcrlods. Fronl thc central parts ofthe countr-vare known bones (c.g. mammoth). glaciolacusrrrneano lluvial scdiments.peat. ctc. Thc netl.v discovcred site with peat at Brumunddal can ver_vprobably'be corrclated trith thc Jamtland Interstadialin Swedcn. and the Brorup Intcrstadialin t)enmark. Ifrhis is corrcct. nelrl! the u'hole of southernScandinavia must have been dcglaciatedduring that interstadial. ql .lttrr 'llunqcnrd. oeril.gi:k instirutt. u\'(1.B, Attigt. l;-50H Bt,rgen Llnit,trsitcr. Norr.ar.; No\.(,nlb(r.
An increasingnumber of sites with fbssils or stratigraphicalunits. 'non-till is used simply for a period sediments'of possibleor probableEarly (except interglacials)when the described site and Middle Weichselian age have been found in was ice-fiee. -l'hese Norway in recent years. sites are impor- tant piecesin the complicatedpuzzle to establish the Weichselian stratigraphy and glacial history of Norway. which is gcnerallyassumed to have Northern Norway provided the nucleus from which ice sheets spreadover Europe. The Tromsl rcgiotl In this review I have tried to compile all the Vorren (1979)described a shellytill from Kval- known sites with possible Early or Middle sundet(nearly 70'N) with a radiocarbondate of Weichseliannon-till sedimentsand fossilsfronr (T-2177) 40.700 lillili e p. He interpreted rhe the Norwegian mainland (sites tiom Svalbard molluscsand foraminiferaas indicatinglow arctic and the continental shelf are not discussed). conditions.but later (Vorren e1al. l98l) con- Refcrencesto the original descriptionsare given. cluded that the fbssils representedmixed faunas and my current opinion of their age. In the final of different ages. section some conclusictnsand correlationsare At Slettaelva.some l0 km from Kvalsundet. given. The locationof sites(Fig. l)to a consider- Vorren et al. (1981)described a similarfossilifer- ablc extent reflectsareas which have been in- ous till. The radiocarbon dating gave 41,900 vestigatcd by Quaternary stratigraphersduring 1jllill o.. with two srandarcldeviations. >38.000 the last decade.Pre-Late Weichselian sediments. B.P. The species.especially of the foraminif-era, are therefore certainll, much more liequent than and the amino acid D/L ratios. strongly suggest apparentfrom Fig. l. that lbssils of different ages arc incorporated in Stratigraphical nomenclature follows that ol' the till. Below the till there is a laminated (1974) Mangerud et al. except for rhe Middle/ lacustrineclay. and beneath that another till. Late Weichselianboundary. which is placedat Vorren et al. assume that the lower till was (Mangerud c.2,5.000 vears B.P. & Berglund depositedby a local glacier during the Early 1978).as recommendedby the Subcommission Weichselian.which disappearedbefbre thc de- for European Quaternary Stratigraphy (Chaline position of the laminatedclay. Later the area 'interstadial'. et al. 19t30).In Norwav the term was covered by a continental ice sheet which both informally and formally in defined climato- eroded Eemian and Early Weichselian marine 382 Jun Mungerud BOREASl0 0981)
p 34,330 I iliil B (T-2670). With the sparse in_ formation available, it is difficult to evaluate whether this date reflects the true age or a mini- mum age.
o'
Foildat ! . '%c,Ernbu B, Western \ Norway "-&-%' , Sunnm0re u*sdi:.jq ta. n-Q -. 1 n^: nn, In the Alesund (Fig. " aD! area l) there are many --lbr Ftang 2 "f,4)"' \. localities with fossil-bearing tills which Man_ o..Blrulddrl / et al. (1979, !,q irvrlvual Serud I98lb) assumed to be the \ A . t\ same as Rogne Till (Fig. a vossestrand i.. \. \.i 2). Fifleen radiocarbon rand '; \* -trvos '\" datings on shell fragments from these sites all !. 1 gave agesbetween 'r. I 28,000and 38,000years B.p. HApDA\(rFo o4 ,-"""*1 \ A Middle Weichselian o o, de1^f Y / age is independentlysug_ 'o gested VIDDA._ by amino acid D/L ratios in shells.The ice o iio/nes free period s is named the Alesund Interstadial. and the fauna suggestsarctic conditions with the o\vl\ Atlantic water possibly I present during the war_ mest period. So far, no undisturbed sequencesbelow till have been found. Possiblythe radiocarbondates should only be regarded as minimum ages, t although Sedimentswirh marine sheits Mangerud et al. (l98lb) give several a Peat,soiLg organic sediment, woo., argumentswhy . Mammolh remarns they could reflect the true ase. o Otkr bones, and anliers tr Slrairlied m nerogenrc sedimenls, w lhoulh tossrLsor wr Inner Socn
Fig. l. A map of southern possible Norway with Earlv and Vorren (1972) described glaciotectonically dis- Middle Weichsclian sites indrcaled. The di.cu.sed rite: irr (Tromsd turbed laminated silts in a core from Kroken northern Norway and Glomfiord) are north of the in maD area. Inner Sogn (Fig. l). There are redeposited in_ terglacial,probably Eemian, pollen grains in the sediments.The other pollen spectrafrom the silt suggesta birch-herb vegetation. If the interela_ sediments,and deposited the shelly tills at both cial pollen really is of Eemian age. the silr m;st Kvalsundet and Slettaerva. be of Early or Middle Weichselian ase. as con_ The mixed faunas indicate, as concluded bv cluded by Vorren: any closer dating iiat present Vorren. that the radiocarbon dates at both site.s impossible. did not reflect the true ages.However. if there is no contamination of even younger carbon, the Vos.r youngest shell population must be of Middle Weichselian age, probably some few thousanc Mangerud & Skreden (1972) described a se_ years younger than suggestedby the dates. quence with a sandbed (the Lundarvatn Sand)at the base, overlain successivelyby a lower till, Glom.fjord stratified sand. silt and clay (the Voss Clav and Siltt. and an upper till becl. Wedge structures At AmOy and Vassdal in the western part of penetratingthe three lower units were originallv Clomljord. Nortlland lc. 66.50,N1, Rasmussen interpreted as ice-wedge casts, but are relcentlv (1979)has described tills with small il-20 mm) re-interpretedto be injectedclastic dikes (Man_ shell fragments. of which Myu trun(.uto and gerud et al. l98la). Very few pollen were found Balanus sp. are identified. A radiocarbon datins in the sediments,and no dates obtained.Man_ on shellfragments from the Vassdal sectioneave gerud & Skreden therefore discussed some BOREAS l0 (l981) Early and Middle Weichselian in Norwav 383
SUNNMORE SANDN ES KARMOY r0000 AL \A Rogne AI Stovonger flo ugesu \A AI nd TilI AI Dio mic ton \A Diomicton E AI -o t/L j:;+le"Austrdtt )3' A tc Iesund coo Sond t: Hioius? In tersiod io I lo GonnCloy c 50000 Nygoord Grovel
ooo ooo
\ -? ooo FJOSANGER Till D Kormpy k'' Siodio I VOSSE- BOnesTill STRAND Eikelund ooo Fono Inierstodio + Gulstein looo noP - ooo oo ooo Fipsongerion .9.c. (in terg lo c io I) too Stoge LEGEND
TitI GroveI Sond Siit C loy
Fig. 2. A correlation of some sequencesfrom western Norway. References:Sunnmpre-Mangerud et al. 0981b), Vossestrand- (in Sindre & Eide prep.), Sandnes-Anderseneral.0981). Fjgsanger_Mangeruderal.0981a), Karm/y_Andersen etal.098t): from the Nygaard Gravel and upwards the Nygaard section, below the Nygaard Gravel the B/ II section, thejoint ofthe two sections being uncertain. The names refer partly to lithostratigraphical, and partly to climato- or chronostratigraphical units.
alternative ages based on the lithostratigraphy. and the peat. In the middle part of the pollen The lower till bed was correlated with the oldest diagram from the peat, Pi(ea (spruce) consti- glacial striae in the area by means of fabric tutes approximately 70% of the pollen. The analysis. These striae were supposed to be of closed forest at this latitude (nearly 6l"N) and Late Weichselian age, or older, so the Lundar- altitude (320m above sealevel) strongly suggests vatn Sand is of Middle Weichselianor older age. a correlation with an interglacial, and not an The Voss Clay and Silt may be of Allerpd (ca. interstadial; and the Late Eemian is clearly the l1,000 B.P.) or Middle Weichselianage, or old- most likely alternative, as concluded by Sindre & Eide. Above the peat there is 3 m laminated silt. with Vosse.strand a demonstrable hiatus at the boundary between the two beds. The topographical situa- Sindre ( 1979) and Sindre & Eide (in prep.) tion indicatesthat the silt must have been deoo- describeda sequenceat Vossestrand(Figs. I and sited in an ice-dammecllake. and since many 2) with a till or a till-like sediment at the base. pieces of peat and wood have been found in the overlain by a two cm thick, highly compacted silt, this lake was probably dammed by the very peat. Sindre assumesan hiatus between the tilt first glacier approachingthe site. BOREASl0 ( 1981) 384 Jttn Mangerud
Above the silt follows a basal till of unknown ice-covered, based on the difference in and age, and the top sedimentsdeposited during the epimerizationbetween Fj@sangersite shells deglaciationin EarlY Holocene. 12,000years B.P. They concluded that Fi@san- ger was ice-covered less than 50% of the time, and thus that the coast of western Norway FjQsanger remained unglaciated throughout much of the At Fjgsanger(Fig. I) there is a complete intergla- Weichselian. cial sequence, which Mangerud et al. (1979. l98la) correlatedwith the Eemian.and which is overlain by a sequenceof beds which therefore Ftlrre sbotn There seemsto be must be of Weichselian age. At FOrresbotn, Haugesundshalvdya(Fig. l)' the Eemiani continuous sedimentation across Rr4nnevik(1971) described a sequencewith 0'4 the beds above the Weichselian boundary, so m fossiliferous silty clay lying on the bedrock. Early Weichselian Eemian are assumedto be of and overlainby 0.7 m sandysilt and 1.7m till' it is inferred that the age. From the fbssils Only one pollen spectrum was obtained liom Eemian/Weichselian climatic deteriorationat the the silty clay which might be compared with the is also concludec bounclarywas very abrupt, as pollen compositionduring the upper Eemian at (1979).based on the by for example Woillard Fjpsanger. From the silty clay 2l species of France. Grand Pile section in northern Mollusca were identified. indicating interglacial (correspondingto the Gul- Glaciomarine silts contlitions. A radiocarbon dating of shell frag- indicate that local stein Chronozone, Fig. 2) mentsgave 2-5.000 + 460 yearsB.P. (T-1019). slte very glaciers nearly reached the fi@sanger Based on the fossil content Rdnnevik con- Gravel with a rich early during the Weichselian. cluded that the sediment is of interglacial,prob- glaciers later dis- fauna indicates that the ably Eemian age. He therefore assumedthat the of this Fana Inter- appeared,but the correlation radiocarbon sample was contaminated with (Fig. in Europe stadial 2) with other interstadials younger carbon. and fbund some support fbr his with the Rode- is unknown. though a correlation assumption in the poor preservation of some of (S. T. Andersen 1961)is posst- baekin Denmark the shells.The gas was measuredafter only four gravel another glaciomarinesilt ble. Above the is weeksstorage (S. Gulliksen,pers. comm. 1980). section is capped by the (Eikelun
lKa-.'otl lFbsanGT Itrar-rd=noeA lSunlmcjrelllsandnesl I lVossestrandh lviddah tl YC{
!^,,^^-.,^: ? r rdugE>ur tu Dramicton Rogne Stavanger Coveredby Tilt 0iamicton gtacters 30000 Alesund Sarrdnes
-F. : ? Nygaard I Marine 50000 sedrments a 11,c I years TiILD? I IPn- lr.nown Itrme ? scate J
Earty Fiirnes w 2 ---.----=---? ? rirro? BiinesTitt Marine FanE sand Gut ern Tilt
Fjosangerian Hovden -l00km u 50 Fig ') AprcliminaryglaciationcurvefortheweichselianinwesternNorway.onthehorizontal at scalc.thcdilferentsites(marked the top) are plotted according to their distancefrom the .the Youngcr Dryas end-moraines.wlth somc small adjustments. distances fiom the younger Dryas end-moraines to the ice sheds are in the range oo-r+o r.rn. and are here plotted Two different as 100 km. altcrnatives are suggestedfor the age of the till D at Karmoy. Juhi.h ulro imply two alternatives for the time span covered by the marine sedimentsabove that till.
tain.'fhe interpretationof Andersen et al. il9gl) highest site ref'erredto the SandnesInterstadial is the most probable, based on the currentlv (Oppstad, 170 m above sea level), and the availahleobrcpy11j6n.. but ir involv.r ror. assumed older Nygaard interstadial sites problematic points: (l) There are no sisnificant (Karmpyl, indicating a sea level close to the difl'crences in thc ratliocarbon tlates fiom the present.(2) For the Nygaard Interstadialthe low BOREAS l0 ( l98t) Early and Middle Weichselian in Norwoy 387 sea level indicates an extensive deglaciation, mian.The Hovden lower till hasinclusions of the while thc fauna indicates a relatively cold cli- clay, and a similar pollen content. Vorren & mate. (3) A glacialadvance. which has not been Roaldsettherefore conclude that the till is youn- identifled in the sedimentarysequence, has to be ger than the clay. and that the clay has been postulatedwithin the Sandnessequence. (4) At pushed up as a glacial thrust slice. They assume Karmldy the radiocarbon dates from the Hauge- the age sequenceto be: The Hovden clay (Ee- sund Diamicton (till) gave agescorresponding to mian), the Hovden lower till. the Hovden sand the assumedhigh sea level phase (Sandnesin- (correlatedwith the F{drnesthermomer or inter- terstadial).while all the sedimentsbelow the titl stadial).and the upper till. However, in the field are referred to the older Iow sea level phases. there is no trace of the till at the boundary between the clay and the sand; possibly both theseunits were parts of the samethrust slice, in Eigcrr,tl'u 'preglacial' which case the sand could be of Garnes(1976) described a sequenceat Eiger@ya Weichselian age. In the latter interpretation a (Fig. l) with littoral sandand gravelat the base. glaciation-icefree interstadial-glaciation sequ- fbllowcdby marinc silt and clay indicatinga high enceis not demonstraledat the Hovden site. relativesea level. and cappedby three till beds. At severalother localitiesVorren (1979)de- 'Ihe foraminil'erain one sample from the marine scribed tills (at MOsvatn with an interglacial clay suggest a very cold environment. Three pollen flora) which are correlated with the Hov- pollen spectra from the same bed contain a den lower till and above the tills are silt and sand 'warm mixture clf pollen of tbrest' and open beds with a pollen content indicating a cool ice vegctation specics. Garnes suggcstedthat most fiee period. named the FOrnesthermomer. At all of the tree pollen is redepositedEemian pollen, sites the sectionsare capped by till. and that the sedimentsare of Earlv or Middle Vorren concludesthat this sequenceindicates Weichselianage. a glaciationdepositing the lower till during the Early Weichselian. Thereafter the area was de- glaciatcd during the Fldrnesthermomer, which Southernand easternNorwav he assumesshould be correlaled with the Jamt- land and Br0rup, before it was glaciated for the Sc testlulen rest of the Weichselian.'l'his interpretation From Vatnedalcn(Fig. l) in Setesdalen,Blystad appearsto be the most likely. but it is based on (1981)described an up to 3 cm thick lense of fragmentary sequences. organic sediment below a compact basal till. Radiocarbondating gave c. 36.000 B.P.. but Itlumetlalen contamination by younger carbon ciinnot be excluded. The pollen content suggestsan open At Fpnnebolord in the northern part of Nume- vegctation. and therefore the sedimenl does not dal (Fig. l) bedsofclay. silt. sand,and gravelare represent an interglacial. It is not younger than found below a basal till (Roaldset 1973).The Middle Weichselian,and a more closedating or preconsolidation of the clay shows that it has correlationis at presentnot possible. beencovered by an ice sheet(Rosenqvist 1973), and the geochemistry indicates a lacustrine de- positionalenvironment (Roaldset 1973). Hurdungervidda At Herlandsdalen in the southern part of Vorren & Roaldset (1977) and Vorren (1979) Numedalen a strongly overconsolidatedclay be- have described several localities with subtill Iow till has been found (Roaldset 1980). The sedimentsin the southernpart of the mountain geochemical, mineralogical, and sedimentolo- plateauHardangervidda. gicalcharacteristics of the clay \uggesla marine The Hovden site (Vorren & Roaldset 1977:fig. origin, though a lacustrine environment cannot 'Ihe 8). at which the sequenceis most complete. be excluded. clay lies 260 m above sealevel. comprises the Hovden lower till at the base, while the postglacialmarine limit is 170m above overlainby the Hovden clay. the Hovden sand. sea level. Because of the evidence of high rela- and another till at the top of the section. The tive sealevel, Roaldset( 1978)suggests a correla- Hovden clay has a pollen content which clearly tion with the high level marine clays of Weichse- suggestsan interglacial age, most probably Ee- lian ase at Jaren. 388 Jan Mangerud BOREASl0 (l98r )
It seems clear that the subtill sediments at from the peat gave infinite radiocarbon age. both sites are older than the last ice sheet cover. while another yielded apparent agesof c. 36,000 No fossils were found at either of the sites. nor B.P. (NaOH dissolvedmaterial) and c. 48,000 were any other dates obtained, and thus dating B.P. (undissolved).Helle et al. (1981)consider and correlation with other sites is difficult. One the dates on the Brumunddal Interstadial as may, however, argue that the complete lack of minimum ages only. and the proposed correla- fbssils in the clay and silt beds indicatesa glacial tion with the Br@rupseems very likely. depositionalenvironment.
Mammoth finds Hen Altogether l8 piecesof mammoth teeth and bone Wood from a stump of spruce (Picea) from a have been found in Norway (N. Heintz et al. sand pit in the Preboreal ice front delta at Hen 1979)(Fig. l, where some dots indicate finds of (Fie. l) was dated to (T-743) 48.000 l1lfxl] B.P. more than one piece).A. Heintz ( 195-5.1974 with (Nydal et al. 1970;Sollid 1969).Since this is a further ref'erences)studied the remains from a wood date it was consideredto be more reliable palaeontological point of view. He generally than e.g. shelI and bone dates, even though refers all the finds to woolly mammoth. Marn- Mangerud (1972)pointed out that it was surpris- muthus primigenius (Blumcnbach) (see Maglio ing that spruce should have grown in Norway at 1973),even though some ofthe liagments cannot that time. A check date (T-743 II) on another be determinedto specieslevel. If the identifica- stump from the same pit gave >47.000 B.P.: tions are correct, they are important from a Gulliksenet al. (1975)concluded that the age of stratigraphical point of view. since M. pri- 'infinite'. the first sample might also be Both migeniusis a post-Holsteinianspecies (Kurt6n dates must at presentbe consideredto yield only 1968), thus indicating a maximum age for the minimum ages. Norwegian finds. All the Norwegian mammoth fragments are redepositedand are thus older than the sediment H uuerseter in which they are found. However, some of the A reindeerantler was found in a gravel pit in the fragmentsare found in subtill sedimentsin which Preboreal ice front delta at Hauerseter (Fig. l). they survived the last glaciation of the area raC and submittedto datingby R. S. @stmo.The (Bergersen& Garnesl97l, l98l: N. Heintz et al. resultwas (T-921)40.000 1]:3li B.P. (Nydal et al. t979). 1972).The antler was only treated with the Several of the mammoth liagments have been HCI-method (Gulliksenpers. comm. 1980).so radiocarbon-dated. Some of the earlier dates this date only yieldsa minimum age(> 35,000). gave ages in the range 20.00G-30.000B.P. However, contamination by younger carbon is a serious problem with bone, and in all cases Brumunddal where sufficient material existed for re-dating Helle et al. (198l) describeda section at Bru- with the better pre-treatment of the last few munddal (Fig. l) with several till beds at the years. a much higher age was obtained (N. base. Above follows compacted peat nearly one Heintz et al. 1979. Follestad & Olsson 1979). metre thick. At the base of the peat. the pollen The most recent datingsgave infinite agesabove composition indicates an open pioneer vegeta- 40,000B.P. (N. Heintz et al. 1979.'Iablel). and tion. Subsequently shrubs and some trees, in- even those giving apparent finite ages should cluding Lari-r, immigrated to the area. Both the only be regardedas minimum ages. pollen and insects indicate that the climate re- mained definitely colder than at present (24'C) The Gudbrandsdalen urea also during the optimum of the ice-free period (the Brumunddal Interstadial). Towards the top Since Mangerud ( 1965) described and inter- of the peat, pollen and insects indicate an arctic preted the subtill glaciofluvial and glaciolacus- tundra. Above the peat lies a glaciolacustrine trine sedimentsin Skibu as of pre-Late Weichse- silt, with a till on top. lian age (Mangerud 1970), a large number of This sectionclearly demonstratesa glaciation- subtill sequenceshave been discovered in the interstadial-glaciation sequence. One sample Gudbrandsdalenvalley and its tributaries (Fig. BOREAS IO(I98I ) Eurl.v and Nliddle Weithselian in Norv'ay' 389 l). Bergersen& Garnes (1971)introduced the (Garnes 1978) it was concluded that the lakes term Gudbrandsdalen Interstadial' which "vas were dammed by advancing glaciers. In my glacia- later used fbr all the subtill sediments.A recent opinion, a preceding (Early Weichselian) review is given by Bergersen& Garnes(1981)' tion is so far not definitely proven. In the tributary valleys of Gudbrandsdalenthe depositedin ice-dammed sedimentswere mainly Folldul lakes (Mangerud 196-5:Bergersen & Garnes 1972.l98ll Garnes1979: Alstadsater 1979:Hole Streitlien(1935) described laminated clay below 1979).while in the main valley sandursediments thick till beds at Djupdalsbekken and Grir- dominate(Be rgersen & Garnes1971, l98l).Their mobekkenin Folldal(Fig. l). He concludedthat age is therefore glacial rather than interglacial. the clay was possibly a deposit from the last mammoth finds are from the surround- interglacial. Seven 'Iogether ings of Haugalia (Bergersen& Garnes l97l: with other geologists,I have visited Garnes 1978: N. Heintz et al. 1979),and the the Djupdalsbekken section during several field sediments and the fossils are probably of about excursions.and acceptedStreitlien's interpreta- the same age, even though all the bones and tion that the sedimentsare of pre-Late Weichse- by the glacial river. lian age (Mangcrud 1970).This is also the con- teeth havc been transported 'l'horesen As discussed above, all the radiocarbon dates clusion of M. (pers. comm.)' who is arc now considercdto yield infinite ages' currently working on the section. 'the overlyingtills give an unambiguousmini- The Grimobekken sequencehas recently been (pers' mum agefor the sedimentsas c'lderthan the Late studiedby Garnes( 1978)and M. Thoresen Weichselian.The stratigraphicalstudies of these comm.). Garnes concluded that the clay is of tills. with fabric and petrographicalanalyses of glaciolacustrine origin. She also advances an the different beds by Mangerud ( l965). importanl argument that an ice-dammed lake at Bergersen& Garnes(1972. l98l)' Garnes(1973. Grimobekken was very unlikely during an 1978. 1979).Lie (1974).and Hole (1979)have ice sheetgrowth phase. She therefore concludes permitted development of a comprehensive that the clay was depositedduring the decay of a model of the sequence of ice movement direc- large ice sheet, and postulates a deglaciation tions during the last glacial cycle, and the till model similar to that for the Late Weichselian period beds are correlated by means of these recon- deglaciation. She correlates the ice-free structed directions. Bergersen& Garnes con- with the GudbrandsdalenInterstadial. clude that all the tills are from one singleglacial If Garnes'smodel is correct, i1 rather indicates cycle, and that the GudbrandsdalenInterstadial a Late Saalianage, since it requires both a large immediately precededthat cYcle. ice sheet and a warm deglaciationclimate, with The subtill sediments at the diff'erent sites the equilibriumIine abovethe mountains. cannot be directly related to each other. They contemporaneous.since a cannot all be strictly I nset glacier must be postulated in the main valley to dam the lakes in the tributaries (e.g. Garnes At Inset (Fig. l) a vertebra of musk-ox was 1978). Bergersen and Garnes have generally found in stratified sand and gravel of uncertain ([4yen assumedthat all the sedimentsare from the same genesis.below 3-4 m till l9l3: Reusch ice-freeperiod. the GudbrandsdalenInterstadial. l9l3: Bjrlrlykkel9l3). Both the till cover and the This is the simplest.but neverthelessunproven' tact that musk-ox did not live in Norway during prob- assumptlon. the Holocene. indicate that the bone' and A question of major interest is whether a large ably the deposit in which it was tbund. is at least (Early Weichselian) glaciation preceded the of Middle Weichselianage. Gudbrandsdalenlnterstadial. Garnes (1978) and Bergersen & Garnes (1981) argue that because the distribution and propertiesofthe glaciolacus- trine sediments are similar to those deposited Conclusionsand correlations the former could during the last deglaciation, Age also have been deposited during the downwasl- ing of an ice sheet. However, for both Skibu For the fossilsand sedimentsfound in or below a (Mangerud 196-51Alstadsater 1979) and Einbu basal till deposited by an ice sheet. a minimum BOREASl0 il981) 390 Jun Mttngerud
(Helle et al. l98l), but at age of c. 20.000 B.P. can be ascertainedfor all peat from Brumunddal probable that all are only the inland sites. ln the coastal area similar present I find it most sequenceswere formed by re-advancesduring minimum ages. of the different sites deglaciation (review in Mangerud 1980)' but in A safe.mutual correlation may stem from different many cases those are fossiliferous and can be is impossible. They diff'erent glacials. With identified by radiocarbon dating. The site de- interstaclials.and even of sites found to have scribedat Voss is one of the few where it has not the increasing number glaciation.we musl alsoexpect been possibleto establishwhether the sediments survivedthe lasl even longer. On pre- or post-date the Weichselian miiximum (c' to find sites that have survived has been one. and only 20.000B.P.). the other hand, if there ice-freeperiod in central Radiocarbon dating' when yielding finite or one. Early Weichselian the described sequences intinite ages above c. 20.000 B.P.. provides an Scandinavia. most of (and in Sweden. Lundqvist unambiguous minimum age' since old samples the Jdmtland sites been depositedduring sensitiveto contamination by young carbon, 1967. l98l) could have are '[hus, but insensitiveto old carbon. for practical- that interstadial. (Bergersen & Garnes ly all the sites described a minimum age of From Gudbrandsdalen (especially Alstadsrcter1979) there Middle Weichseliancan be stated. l98l ) Skirbu. sedimentswere depo- A maximum age is much more difficult to is evidencethat the subtill the onset of the last establish. and theoretically many of the de- sited immediately before is correct. and if scribed sites may be of pre-Weichselianage' At glacial cycle. If this assumption B.P. of the mam- present a Weichselian age can be ascertained the minimum age of c. 40'000 to these sediments.a cither by unclerlying(irt situ or redeposited) moth remnants is relevant ice-free period Eemian sediments. as at Fjpsanger, Vosses- younger, Middle Weichselian (Lundqvist could not have occurred trand. Karmoy (BO II). F0rdesbotn,and possibly 1978.l98l) Eigerpya. Hardangervidda,and Brumunddal' or in this area. the Brumunddal In- by reliable radiocarbon or other dates. The re- The correlation between lnterstadial is as liability ol'dates is difficult to evaluate.and the terstadial and the Jiimtland possible for such deposits opinion will change with further-research' At firmly establishedas dating (Helle present I assumethe results fiom Alesund' Kar- beyond the range ol radiocarbon peat Brumunddal indicates mOy and Jitren to be most reliable. becauseof et al. l98l). The at (i.e. was the number of dates liom different sites, the that the hinterland Gudbrandsdalen) most logical working similar results obtained by different dating also deglaciated.Thus the the Jiimtland, Gud- methods, and the quality tests performed (e.g' hypothesisat present is that interstadials dating of outer and inner fractions. and dating brandsdalen. and Brumunddal (Helle et al' pure aragoniteshells). should be correlatedwith each other are also The amino acid dating of marine shells seems l98l; Bergersen& Garnes l98l).'fhere Interstadial very promising; at present for a rough age esti- arguments that the Vatnedalen and the FdrnesTher- mate. in the future possibly for more precise (Setesdalen,Blystad l98l) (Hardangervidda. Vorren & Roaldset peat at a low sea level and radiocarbon ages around Eemian seems established. Also the suggestedcorrelation (Andersen the lower part of the marine 40.000B.P. The Vossestrand.and silts of et al. 198l)with the assumedshallow water san f5 Borcas 'lilJ I BOREASl0 (1981) 392 Jan Mangerud 25' Centraleast Norway Nor' Geogr' Tidsskr' with the Br0rup' but yet no dalenvalley, sites may correlate 99-108. and till westernNorwegian sites' B;rg.;.;"."li",d*prtv O. F. & Garnes.K' 1972:Ice movements very area Preliminaryresults' Obviously these correlations are still in the Gudbrandsdal incomplete Nor.Geogr' Tidsskr' 26. l-16' speculative.This is partly due to the in central B;;;;;';;.- b. F. & Garnes,K le8l: weichselian record in western the fol- ."cord. I1ow incompletethe Nor*uy: The GudbrandsdalInterstadial and depend^son ,Jurtt Noi*uy provesto be (Fig' 2), partly lowingglaciation. Boreas 10, this issue' the Geologi' Nor' Geol' unders' tt. Ou*tion of the periodbetween the end of Bjo;lyk;e: K. o. 1908:Jederens of conventionalradiocar- 48. 160PP. Eemianand the range av en halshvirvelav moskus- With the Eemian grOrit-il,"oti. i. O 19l3: Fundet bon dating(e'g. Morner l98t)' u.a Austbergi Indset'Not'ren 19l3'282-286' periodwould.be of Early.or "rJirg at"c. rl:,ooo B'P', that sfyr;,-'i4id;i" p. l98l: An inter-till organicsediment southwesternNor- i*i..-"t long as it would be if the Eemianended Weichselianage from Setesdal' way. Boreas10. this issue B.P. -D on t\" c.- 80,000 1., Mojski, J. E & Mever' K 1980: betweenthe gla- Cf,ufii., l-tp9n v' itt... are some similarities VistulianStratigraphy' Poland l9T9 Boreas (Fig' 3) and symposium ciation curve for western Norway l5l. pl Jaren curves constructed for more (south-) eastern F.fing-Hunr."n' R. W. 1964:Skagerakmorenen Nor.Geogr. Tidsskr' /9,301-317' ice sheet(e'g' Lundqvist1981' Mor- i partsof the p"vting-i"ti.."n' R. W 1966:Geologiske observasjoner thefragmentary record and i"tinz,l98l)' with 6unJnesomrad.t.N or' Geol' Unders 242'2C43' interstadialFora- the poor dating control, a precisecorrelation,is n.lfing-tlun.r"n.- -;i;i;..u R. W. l97l: Weichselian out the area' Bull' Geol Soc' ui pi"t"n, impossible.I shouldalso point from the Sandnes-Jaren between these Denm.2l.72-116. difL..n."t in glacial response section of n."vii"*-1t;;r. ", R. W 1974:The Weichselian period 13,000-10'000B'P' Fbren' i areas during the ttosiEigelund. southwestern Norway Geol *tti"tt may also suggestthat 96. 341-353 irnrune..uOtgSO), Stockh.Fdrh. raC 'Toten' may be U 1979:The ageof the iu.fv-unOMiddle Weichseliansequences f.fi".tua, B. & Olsson,l. mammoth,eastern Norway' Boreas8' 307-312' significantlYdifferent' area' Gurn.., X. 1973:Till studies in the Gudbrandsdal lnst' (Jniv Upps' 5' of EasternCentral Norway. Bult' Geot s - The descriptionand interpretation A<'knowledgemen 8l-91. sites have been discussedwith the pd n"urty utt i'he individual Stratigrafiog morfogeneseav drumliner them Bjorn G Andersen' Garnes,-ilg".Oyu,K. 1976: ..i""it.i. who originallydescribed SV-Norge Arkeobgisk mus Stavan- Boulton h^ave Rogaland, fun iunaqultr, iore Vorren' and Geoffrey Geoffrey ger Skrifter1. 53 PP. ".iii*rrt-*^a the draft of the entire manuscript der Weichseleiszeitim earlier Ci-.., f . [r18: lir Stratigraphie "lr. corrected the English language an (ed'): Beitrdge zur so;i ." .of zentralenSiidnorwegen. In Nagel' H' were drawn by Jan E Lien' and.the version. The ligures Landichaftsfors.hung'Festschrift zum 60 The work wasfinancially A;;tr;;,r' und .unu..rip, typ"a by Astrid Dundas Fink' 195-220Wien' for Scienceand Tierburtstagvon J ulius *pp.n"i uv ift" NorwegianResearch Council stratigraphyin centralsouth I c;.r,'i. li79: weichseliantill (NAVF) To all thesefriends and institutions snd Varves' in-Jiiutuniii". Norway.'O In Schliichter.Ch' (ed ): Moraines sincerethanks' -222 Rotter- proffermY ris tr.' Ge ne s i,. CI a s s ifi t at i o n' 207 Balkema' oam. and genesls Garnes.-. K. & Bergersen.O'F' 197'7:Distribution oftitt, in centraisouthNorway Boreas6' 135-147' Unders'52 References Grimnes.A. l9l0: JaderensjordbundNor' Geol og sedimentologi i l04pp I. 1979: Kvarterstratigrafi K.K 1975: Trondh'Trondhetm Alstadseter, Gulliksen' S.. Nydal' R & Ldvseth'I-dvseth. rne.i.. un]u i Beigen (unpubl.). vinsrradalen. opplan Hole, J. 1979: Kvartergeologiske granskingar i Skj&komridet Mcirner, N.-A. l98l: Weichselian chronostratigraphy and cor- Thesis. Univ. Bergen (unpubl.). relations. Boreas 10, this issue. Holtedahl, O. (ed.) 1960: Geology of Norway. Nor. Geol Nydal, R., L6vseth, K. & Syrstad, S. I970: Trondheim natural Unders.208. 540 pp. radiocarbon measurements Y . Radiocarbon 12,205-237 '1944l. Horn, G. & Isachsen, F. Et kullfund i Skagerak- Nydaf, R., Gulliksen, S. & Lovseth, K. 1972: Trondheim morenen pi Jreren.Nor. Geol. Tidsskr.22,1546 natural radiocarbon measurements lY. Radiocarbon 14, Kurt6n, B. 1968'.Pleistocene Mammals of Europe. Weidenfeld 418-451. & Nicolson.London.3lT pp. Ostmo, S. R. l97l: En kvartargeologisk undersokelse pi Lie, E. D. 1974: Kvartaergeologiske unders/kelser i Ottaom- midtre Jeeren og fellomridene Ostenfor. Thesis. Univ. of ridet. Thesis. Univ. Bergen (unpubl.). Oslo (unpubl.). Lundovist. J. I967: Submoriina sediment i Jimtlands ldn. Sver. Qyen,P. A. 1905: Nygaardsprofilet pi Karmoen. Christiania Ceol. Under.s.C 618.267 PP. Vid. Seltk.torhandl. S, l-15. Lundqvist, J. I978: New information about Early and Middle @yen,P. A. l9l3: Mammut og moskusoksei Norge. Nalaren Weichselian interstadials in northern Sweden. Sver. Geol. 1913.195-208. Unders. C 752.31 pp. Rasmussen, A. 1979: Deglasiasjonsforlppet i Mel6y og Gilde- (unpubl Lundqvist, J. I98l: Weichselianin Sweden before 15,000B P. skil, Nordland I + II. Thesis. Univ. of Bergen ). Boreas 10. this issue. Reusch. H. l9l3: Findestedet for moskusokse-hvirvelen. Maglio, V. J. I973: Origin and evolulion of the Elephantidae. N a t u r en 1913. 2'79-282. Trans. Am. Phil. Soc.63: 3. 149pp. Philadelphia Ringen. E. 1964: Om drumliner og Skagerakmorene pl Mangerud, J. 1965:Dalfyllinger i noen sidedaler til Gudbrands- Karm6y. Nor. Geogr. Tidsskr. 19,205-228. dalen, med bemerkninger om norske mammutfunn. Nor. Roaldset. E. 1973:Sub-till sediments in the Numedal valley, G eol. Tid.ss kr. 15. 199-226. southern Norway. Bull. Geol. Inst. Univ. Uppsola 5, 13-17. Mangerud, J. 1970: Interglacial sediments at Figsanger, neal Roaldset, E. 1980: Overconsolidated sub-till clays in the Bergen, with the first Eemian pollen-spectra from Norway Herlandsdalen valley, lower Numedal, south Norway. Nor. Nor. Geol. Tidsskr.50, 167-18l. Geol. Tidsskr. Mangerud. J. l9'l'7: Late Weichselian marine sediments con' Rokoengen, K. 1979: Isens utstrekning og nedsunkne strand- taining rhells. foraminifera. and pollen at Agotnes. we:tern linje pi kontinentalsokkelen.In Nydal, R.. Westin, S.' Norway. N or. Geol. Tidsskr. 57, 23-54. Hafsten, U. & Gulliksen, S. (eds.): Fortiden i spkelyset, Mangerud, J. I980: Ice-front variations ofdifferent parts ofthe 249-261. Trondheim. Scandinavian Ice Sheet, 13,000-10,000 years B.P. In Rosenqvist, I. Th. 1973: Sub-moraine deposits in Numedal. Lowe, J. J., Gray, J. M. & Robinson, J. E. (eds.): Sladies Bull. Geol. Inst. Univ'. Uppsulu 5,7-12. in the Lale-Glacial of NW Europe,23-30. Pergamon Press, Rgnnevik, H. C. 1971: Kvartargeologien pi ytre del av (unpubl.). 0xford. Haugesundshalvpya.Thesis. Univ. Bergen Mangerud, J. & Berglund, B. E. 1978:The subdivisionof the Sindre, E. 1979: Eem-avsetning i Vossestrand, Hordaland Quaternary of Norden: a discussion. Boreqs 7, 179-181. Geolognytt /2, 19. Oslo. Mangerud, J. & Skreden. S. A. 1972:Fossil ice wedges and Sollid, J. L. 1969: A 48,000 years old tree stump, presumably ground wedges in sediments below till at Voss, western of spruce. found in Ringerike, soulh Norway. Nor' Geogr. Norway. Nor. Geol. Tidsskr. 52,73-96. Ttdsskr. 23 , l3l-133 . Mangerud. J., Andersen, S. T., Berglund, B. E- & Donner, J Streitlien.I. A. 1935:De lpse avleiringer. Nor. Geol. Unders. J. 1974: Quaternary stratigraphy of Norden, a proposal for 145.2ffi1. terminofogy and classification. Boreas 3. 109-128. Vorren. T. 1972: Interstadial sediments with rebedded inter- Mangerud, J., Sonstegaard,E. & Sejrup, H.-P. 1979a:The glacial pollen from inner Sogn, west Norway. Nor. Geol correlation of the Eemian (interglacial) Stage and the deep- Ticlsskr.52 .229-240. '1979a: sea oxygen-isotope stratigraphy. Nalure 277, 189-192. Vomen. T. O. Pre-Late Weichselian fossils at Kvalsun- Mangerud, J.. Larsen, E'., Longva, O. & S6nstegaard,E. det near Troms/, north Norway. Nor. Geol. Tidsskr' 59, 1979b: Glacial history of Western Noruay 15.000-10.000 l0l-105. B.P. Boreos8. 179-187. Vonen. T. O. 1979b:Weichselian ice movements. sediments Mangerud,J.. Sgnstegaard,E.. Sejrup. H.-P. & Haldorsen, S. and stratigraphy on Hardangervidda. south Norway. Nor. l98la: A continuous Eemian-Early Weichselian sequence Geol Unders.350. l11 pp. containing pollen and marine fossils at Fj@sanger,western Vonen. T. O. & Roaldser.E. 1977:Stratigraphy and lithology Norway. Borea.s 10, 13'1-208. of Late Pleistocene sediments at Mosvatn. Hardangervidda. Mangerud, J.. Gulliksen, S.. Larsen. E., Longva, O.. Millet, south Norway. Boreas 6.53-49. G. H., Sejrup. H.-P. & Sdnstegaard.E. l98lb: A Middle Vonen, T. O.. Corner. G. D. & Nagy, J. l98l: Weichselian Weichselian ice free period in western Norway: The Ale- sediments containing redeposited interstadial/interglacial sund lnterstadial.Boreus 10, this issue. fossils at Slettaelva. north Norway. Boreus 10. this issue. Miller. G. H. & Mangerud.J. 1980:Glacial-age temperature in Wangen. O. P. 1968: Kvartcrgeologiske undersOkelser pi western Norway deduced from amino acid diagenesis and Jcren. kartbladeneNierbo og Bjerkreim. Thesis. Univ. of the implicationsfor ice-volumefluctuations. Am. Quat. Ass. Oslo (unpubl.). 6th Bien. Meet. Abstr. 140-141.Orono. Maine Woillard, G. 1919.Abrupt end of the last interglacials.s. in Mdrner, N.-A. 1972:The cold/warm changesduring the last north-east France. N.rlrrre 281. 558-562. ice age: with special reference to the stratigraphy at Dose- backa and Ellesbo in southwcst Sweden. Stockh. Contr Geology . 24:4, 5l-77 .