LATE DEVENSIAN TO EARLY HOLOCENE PALEOENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE VIKING BANK AREA, NORTHERN NORTH-SEA

Lithological and macrofaunal analysis of vibrocores collected from nor thwest of the Viking Bank enables the Devensian to Holocene strata to be subdivided into eight informal units, three of which occur widely i n the northern North Sea. For the Viking Bank area it is suggested tha t sea-level was more than 100-110 m below that at present between 15,5 00 and 13,600 BP, a time when some parts of the area were dry land and others covered by a shallow, high-arctic sea; sea-level may have been even lower (more than 140 m below its present level) prior to 15,500 BP. During the Windermere Interstadial (13,000-11,000 BP), polar water was replaced by Atlantic water and the environment was low-arctic wit h a regime of strong tidal currents. Sea-level at approximately 12,000 BP had risen to some 80-100 m below present. The Loch Lomond Stadial and early Holocene generally were characterised by high-arctic followe d by boreo-arctic to boreal faunas, relatively low-energy conditions, and probably rapidly rising sea level.