Late Quaternary calcareous nannofossils from the offshore sediments in southern Hongkong

Based upon the features of nannofossil composition, distribution, abundance and diversity, the fossil-bearing sediments exposed by five drill holes in the offshore area of southern Hongkong can be divided into the upper Middl e Pleistocene, the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene. There were two palaeocli matic stages in the Holocene in this area according to fossil palaeoecologi c and sedimentation analyses: the temperature-rising stage and the warm sta ge. The latter involves two temperature-falling periods, which could be the major factor causing sea-level fall during that time.