Correlation and synchronisation of Lateglacial continental sequences in northern central Europe based on annually laminated lacustrine sediments

The present study focusses on correlation and synchronisation of Weichselia n Lateglacial varved lake sediments from western Germany (Meerfelder Maar, Eifel region), northern Germany (Hamelsee, Lower Saxony), central Poland (L ake Gosciaz) and eastern Poland (Lake Perespilno) by using varve chronology , tephrochronology, palynostratigraphy and stable isotopes. Comparison of t he several independent time scales shows that biotic and abiotic parameters respond abruptly and quasi-synchronously, within the errors of the differe nt chronologies, during the Younger Dryas/Preboreal transition. Moreover, t here is a consensus about the length of the Younger Dryas cold stage of 110 0-1150 varve years. In the Allerod the prominent Laacher See tephra (12,880 varve years BP) can be used to fix floating varve chronologies. The relati ve duration of this biozone has been determined in Meerfelder Maar and Hame lsee at between 625 and 670 varve years. In the Meerfelder Maar a combinati on of continuous varve counting and biostratigraphy has been possible for t he almost entire Lateglacial. The comparison between continental limnic seq uences and Greenland ice-core records should be made on the basis of indepe ndent chronologies in both archives. It is more practicable to develop regi onal stratotypes on the continental regions instead of simply using ice cor es as stratotypes for the Lateglacial for terrestrial European records. In this respect, annually laminated lacustrine sequences have a great potentia l. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.