Quaternary, pre-Holocene, marine events of western Greenland

Abstract

Lithological, faunal, radiocarbon and amino acid data are presented for ten new occurrences of in situ or redeposited pre-Holocene marine material in western Greenland, and further data on four previously described ones, bringing the total known occurrences to 22-23. The new and older data suggest that this material dates from a number of periods of marine inundation from the Early to Late Quaternary, the exact number being uncertain. A succession of marine events are designated for two regions of western Greenland. From the occurrence of the Chiamys islandica - Mytilus edulis faunal assemblage the subarctic West Greenland Current is considered to have existed during several of these marine events of different age.