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T5
Glacial history of the central northern North Sea
B.T.I. Reinardy* 1 , B.O. Hjelstuen 1 , H.P. Sejrup 1 and D. Stoddart 2
1 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bergen, Allegaten 41, N-5007 Bergen, Norway
2 Lundin, Strandveien 50D, NO-1366, Lysaker, Norway
Despite a long history of investigation, the glacial history of the North Sea is still partly
unresolved. This is largely due to poorly constrained chronology across the area,
particularly a chronological framework that enables correlation of both the sedimentary
and seismic stratigraphy of both the Norwegian and British sectors. A majority of these
investigations also tend to focus on the most recent glacial cycle within the North Sea. In
this study we plan to utilise 3D seismic data collected in the central northern North Sea
that will allow detailed stratigraphic mapping of units extending back to the Pliocene-
Pleistocene boundary. Interpretations of these units will not only be based on their seismic
character but also correlated to well and shallow core data allowing their depositional
history to be investigated. Several physical properties have been measured on these
cores and include grain-size, calcium carbonate, total organic carbon, palaeomagnetic
intensity and shear strength. To be able to combine and correlate this lithological and
physical properties data and the seismic data, we plan to carry out multiple dating
techniques on these cores that will allow us to build up a chronology for this part of the
North Sea extending back to early Pleistocene times when the first evidence of
widespread glaciation is thought to have affected the area.
Keywords: North Sea; 3D seismic data; glacimarine sediments; till.