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Journal of Coastal Research SI 51 173-186 West Palm Beach, Florida Summer 2010 Late Quaternary Evolution of Gravel Deposits in Tromper Wiek, South-western Baltic Sea Valérie Bellec1*, Markus Diesing2**, and Klaus Schwarzer2 1Ghent University 2 Christian-Albrechts Universität Kiel, Renard Centre of Marine Geology Institute of Geosciences, Coastal and Krijgslaan 281, s. 8 Continental Shelf Research B-9000 Gent, Belgium Olshausenstrasse 40, 24118Kiel. Germany *Present address: ** Present address: Geological Survey of Norway Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Leiv Eirikssons vei 39 Aquaculture Science 7040 Trondheim, Norway Remembrance Avenue Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex CMO 8BQ, United Kingdom ABSTRACT The Late Quaternary history of the Baltic Sea is marked by a complex sequence of glacial, lacustrine and marine phases (late Pleistocene, Baltic lee Lake, Yoldia Lake, Ancylus Lake, Littorina Sea). Boomer elata, acquired in October 2004, permitted to improve the knowledge of the late Quaternary geological evolution of Tromper Wiek, a semi- enclosecl bay, located in the north-eastern part of Rügen Island. The sedimentary deposits can be subdivided in 6 seismic units (Ul to U6). The upper part of the lowest unit (Ul) corresponds to Pleistocene till. Channels incise the top of this till (surface S2), probably created during the first drainage of the Baltic Sea during the Late Glacial. Subsequent channel filling (U2) occurred in two phases beginning with chaotic deposits, probably fluviatile of origin, followed by graded deposits. This filling was stopped by an erosive period with the formation of surface S3, showing channels at the same location as S2. The facies of the channel filling (U3 and U4), during a second phase, is similar to the first one, but resembles a progracling sediment body, intercalated between the two units in the shallower part. U3 shows a bar-shaped deposit at its top. The facies of U4 is very similar to a barrier/back-barrier facies similar to the facies of unit U5, partly composed of gravel. The deposits of U6 correspond to the post-Littorina Sea deposits. The presence of gravel is linked to coastal cliffs, in which chalk layers, pushed up by glaciers, alternate with sections of till and meltwater deposits and with submarine outcrops of till. Gravel deposits are present in unit U5. They are strongly linked to the presence of a barrier. Four of the six units show a barrier facies (U2, U3, U4 and U5); gravel deposits could be present inside all of these units and would represent a larger deposit than estimated previously. ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Baltic Sea, coastal evolution, barrier des’elopment, marine resources. INTRODUCTION AND AIM OF THE STUDY Gravel-dominated coastal deposits occur in several places where sediment supply and wave energy favour the accumula tion of coarse debris in the littoral zone. The presence of rocky cliffs, submarine outcrops and tectonic setting (e.g. raised gravel beaches, associated with co-seismic uplift, such as in New Zealand (B erryman et al., 1992; W ellman, 1967), favour these deposits (D avies, 1972; O rford , F orbes , and J ennings , 2002). Moreover, there is a latitudinal control (>40° N and S) on the common occurrence of gravel deposits in continental shelves and shore zones (D avies , 1972; H ayes, 1967), which correspond to periglacial deposits (C hurch and R yder, 1972). On storm wave-dominated coasts gravel originates mainly from glacigenic deposits (C arter et al., 1987; F orbes and T ay lor , 1987; F orbes and S yvitski, 1994). The coastline of the Southwestern Baltic Sea (from Den mark via Germany to Poland) consists of an alternation of DOI: 10.2112 / SI51-016.1 received 14 January 2007; accepted in revision 15 January 2008. Pleistocene cliffs and lowlands, where the cliffs are composed mainly of till, partly of meltwater deposits or older material, pushed-up by advancing ice during the last glaciations. Most of these cliffs are under erosion with an average retreat of ap proximately 30 cm/year (S chwarzer, 2003). Exploration and exploitation of offshore mineral resources have been carried out in the former German Democratic Re public since the seventies (H arff et al., 2004; J ürgens , 1999; L emke et al., 1998; L emke , S chwarzer, and D iesing , 2002). Extraction has been carried out by means of anchor hopper dredging in depths of up to -9 m mean sea level (msl). As a result, the sea bottom is covered with furrows and pits with diameters between 20 to 50 m and depths of up to 6 m below the sea bed (D iesing , 2003; D iesing et al., 2004; K lein , 2003; K ubicki , Manso , and D iesing , 2007; Manso et al, this volume). Our study area is situated in the northwestern part of Tromp er Wiek (Figure 1) where the seafloor is dominated by gravel. The aim of this paper is to improve the knowledge of the geo logical setting of the study area and especially to understand the geological development of gravel resources. valerie. bellec© ngu. no éttlllhu W 3 3

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Page 1: Late Quaternary Evolution of Gravel Deposits in Tromper ...Journal of Coastal Research SI 51 173-186 West Palm Beach, Florida Summer 2010 Late Quaternary Evolution of Gravel Deposits

Journal of Coastal Research SI 51 173-186 West Palm Beach, Florida Summer 2010

Late Quaternary Evolution o f Gravel Deposits in Tromper Wiek, South-western Baltic SeaValérie Bellec1*, Markus Diesing2**, and Klaus Schwarzer2

1 G h en t U niversity 2 C hristian-A lbrechts U niversitä t Kiel,R e n a rd C en tre o f M arine G eology Institu te o f G eosciences, Coastal an dKrijgslaan 281, s. 8 C o n tin en ta l S helf R esearchB-9000 G ent, B elgium O lshausenstrasse 40, 24118K iel. G erm any

* P resen t address: ** P resen t address:G eological Survey o f N orw ay C e n tre fo r E nv ironm en t, Fisheries a n dLeiv Eirikssons vei 39 A q u acu ltu re Science7040 T ro ndheim , N orw ay R em em b ran ce Avenue

B urnham -on-C rouch , Essex CMO 8BQ, U n ite d K ingdom

ABSTRACT

T h e Late Q u a te rn a ry h isto ry o f th e Baltic Sea is m ark ed by a com plex seq u en ce o f glacial, lacustrine a n d m arin e phases (late P leistocene , Baltic lee Lake, Yoldia Lake, Ancylus Lake, L itto rin a S ea ) . B oom er elata, acq u ired in O cto b er 2004, p e rm itte d to im prove th e know ledge o f th e late Q u a te rn a ry geological evo lu tion o f T ro m p er W iek, a semi- enclosecl bay, lo ca ted in th e n o rth -eas te rn p a r t o f R ügen Island. T h e sed im en ta ry deposits can be subdiv ided in 6 seism ic un its (U l to U 6). T h e u p p e r p a rt o f th e lowest u n it (U l) co rre sp o n d s to P leistocene till. C hannels incise th e to p o f th is till (su rface S2), p robab ly c rea ted d u rin g th e first d ra in ag e o f th e Baltic Sea d u r in g th e L ate Glacial. S u b seq u en t ch an n e l filling (U 2) o ccu rred in two phases b e g in n in g with chao tic deposits, p robab ly fluviatile o f origin, follow ed by g rad ed deposits. This filling was s to p p e d by an erosive p e r io d w ith th e fo rm a tio n of su rface S3, show ing ch annels a t th e sam e location as S2. T h e facies o f th e ch an n e l filling (U 3 a n d U 4), d u rin g a seco n d phase, is sim ilar to th e first one, b u t resem bles a p rogracling se d im e n t body, in te rca la ted betw een th e two un its in th e shallow er part. U 3 shows a bar-shaped deposit a t its top . T h e facies o f U 4 is very sim ilar to a b a rr ie r /b a c k -b a rr ie r facies sim ilar to th e facies o f un it U5, partly com posed o f gravel. T h e deposits o f U 6 co rre sp o n d to th e post-L itto rina Sea deposits.T h e p resen c e o f gravel is lin k ed to coastal cliffs, in w hich chalk layers, p u sh e d u p by glaciers, a lte rn a te w ith sections o f till a n d m eltw ater deposits a n d w ith sub m arin e ou tcrops o f till. Gravel deposits are p re se n t in u n it U5. T hey are strongly linked to th e p resen c e o f a barrier. F our o f th e six un its show a b a rrie r facies (U2, U3, U 4 a n d U 5); gravel deposits cou ld be p re se n t inside all o f these un its a n d w ould re p re se n t a la rger d ep o sit th a n estim ated previously.

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Baltic Sea, coastal evolution, barrier des’elopment, marine resources.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM OF THE STUDY

G ravel-dom inated coastal deposits occur in several places w here sed im ent supply an d wave energy favour th e accum ula­tion of coarse debris in th e litto ra l zone. The p resence of rocky cliffs, subm arine outcrops an d tectonic se ttin g (e.g. ra ised gravel beaches, associated w ith co-seism ic uplift, such as in New Z ealand (B erryman et al., 1992; W ellm a n , 1967), favour th ese deposits (D a v ies , 1972; O r fo r d , F o r b e s , and J e n n in g s , 2002). Moreover, th e re is a la titu d in a l control (>40° N and S) on th e common occurrence of g ravel deposits in con tinen ta l shelves and shore zones (D a v ies , 1972; H a yes, 1967), w hich correspond to perig lacial deposits (C h u rch and R y d er , 1972). On storm w ave-dom inated coasts gravel o rig inates m ainly from glacigenic deposits (C arter et al., 1987; F orbes an d T ay­lo r , 1987; F orbes and S yv itsk i, 1994).

The coastline of th e S ou thw estern B altic Sea (from D en­m ark v ia G erm any to Poland) consists of an a lte rn a tio n of

DOI: 10.2112 / SI51-016.1 received 14 January 2007; accepted inrevision 15 January 2008.

Pleistocene cliffs an d low lands, w here th e cliffs a re composed m ain ly of till, p a rtly of m e ltw a te r deposits or older m ateria l, pushed-up by advancing ice during th e la s t glaciations. Most of th ese cliffs a re u n d e r erosion w ith an average re tre a t of ap ­prox im ately 30 cm /year (S chw arzer , 2003).

E xploration an d exploitation of offshore m inera l resources have been carried ou t in th e form er G erm an D em ocratic R e­public since th e seventies (H a r ff et al., 2004; J ü r g e n s , 1999; L em k e et al., 1998; L e m k e , S chw arzer, and D ie s in g , 2002). E x trac tion h a s been carried out by m eans of anchor hopper d redging in dep ths of up to -9 m m ean sea level (msl). As a resu lt, th e sea bottom is covered w ith furrow s and p its w ith d iam eters be tw een 20 to 50 m and dep th s of up to 6 m below th e sea bed (D ie sin g , 2003; D iesin g et al., 2004; K l e in , 2003; K u b ic k i, Ma n so , an d D ie sin g , 2007; Ma n so et al, th is volume). O ur study a rea is s itu a te d in th e n o rth w es te rn p a r t of T rom p­e r W iek (F igure 1) w here th e seafloor is dom inated by gravel. The aim of th is p ap e r is to im prove th e know ledge of th e geo­logical se tting of th e study a rea and especially to u n d e rs tan d th e geological developm ent of gravel resources.

valerie. be llec© ngu . no

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174 Belle c, et al.

Norway

S k ag errakB ilhngc

mSw eden

NORTH

Denmark},o.

BALTIC SEAA rkona Basin ^

P om eranian

F ault(F r a n k e , 1993) Tromper - , P o lan d

Wiek

public

seismic profiles

(in Sc hw arzer al., 2000)

TROMPER WIEK

Lag Deposits

u . . A ' \

10G ravel

Fine S and

S I C o a rse S and S trip s

S B each Ridge

13.45° Longitude E (dec.)

Figure 1. Localisation of Tromper Wiek. A- General map; B- Localisation of the seismic profiles and geological interpretation of the sea bottom (modified from Schwarzer et al., 2000).

14C ky BP 14

30—1 Lm msl

20 -

10-

0-

- 10 -

- 2 0 -

-30_

- 4 0 -

- 5 0 -

13 12 11 10_l______I______ I______I_

M U iperm anent connection w ith the ocean

? /• /

_ _

Water-level used in this paper 9

9 - '

. relative w ater-level evolution in West Pom erania (Lam pe, 2005), dashed line is less w ell established

_ relative w ater-table evolution in the A rkona B asin according to Jensen (1995) and B ennike and Jensen (1996)

■ shoreline displacem ent curve o f Rügen 1 Island (Schum acher, 2002), the dottest line is

less w ell established

possib le connection w ith the ocean (Björck, 1995; Lam pe, 2005)

PLENI- LATE GLACIALM ecklenb- O L D E ST BO LLIN G b L LLEROD|Y O U N G E Rurg stage DRYAS | | d | | DRYAS

ICESHEET

ICEMARGINAL

LAKE

BALTIC ICE LAKE

PRE-BO REA L

HOLOCENEATLAN TIC I SU B BO REA L SU BATLA N TIQ U E

YOLDIASEA

ANCYLUSLAKE

MASTO­GLOIA

SEA

LITTORINA SEA AND POSTLITTORINA SEA

- 0ms tw t

--10

--20

--30

.-4 0

Figure 2. Water-level changes close to the study area (modified from Lampe, 2005). In grey: water-level, as used in this paper.

Jou rnal o f Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 51, 2010

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European Marine Sand and Gravei Resources 175

Table 1. Baltic Sea stages (adapted from Lampe, 2005). The transgressive stages noted Rügen 1 to Rügen 7 are derived from Schumacher and Bayeri (1999). WL: water-level.

Baltic Sea stages D ate 14C (ky BP) Possible evolution of th e w ater-level EventsPost-Littorina 0

1.5 Rügen 73-2 Rügen 6 4-0 ky: only tectonic movements of minor importance

Rügen 5 (Uscinowicz, 2002)5.8 Abrupt regression 6-5 ky: regression phase? Neotectonic movements?6 Much slower rise

Littorina Sea Rügen 3 7-6 ky : temporary increase of the uplift7.3-7.2 Rügen 4 then WL fall of ~ lm Depth: -2 m (Janke and Lampe, 2000)

WL fall (from —6 to —7.5 m) Flooding of the Danish Strait — Depth: -15 m

7.8 Rapid rise (Lemke, 1998)

Ancylus Lake 7.8 Connection with the ocean8-7.3 WL rise (Rügen 2) 8-7 ky: decrease of the rate of uplift9.2-8.8 Sudden WL fall after 8.8 ky Regression (32 m below wl, Lemke et al., 1998)9.5 Rapid rise (Rügen 1)

Yoldia Lake 9.59.9 Temporary link to the ocean10.3

Baltic lee Lake 10.3 WL drop of 25 m Connection with open ocean-drain age. Start of the earlyWL rise Holocene incision phase on the mainland (Janke, 1978).

Late-glacial Lake transformed into a delta or river plain.Melt-water pulse (Fairbanks, 1989) - Subglacial drainage,

11.5 WL drop of 5-10 m channel incisions.12.5 14-11 ky: main uplift (Uscinowicz, 2002)13.5-13 WL rise Connection with the ocean

GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE BALTIC SEA AND STUDY AREA

The B altic Sea is an alm ost non-tida l w a te rb o d y w ith only one narrow connection (Skagerrak) to th e N orth A tlan tic via th e N orth Sea. I ts h is to ry is controlled by isostacy, eu stasy and re su ltin g connections to th e N orth Sea, for d is tinc t p e ri­ods during th e L a te P leistocene and early Holocene (B jô e k , 1995). T herefore its evolution is m ark ed by lacu strin e and m a­rine phases, resu ltin g in four stages: B altic lee Lake, Yoldia Sea, Ancylus L ake and th e L itto rin a Sea (F igure 2, T able 1) (B.jô r c k , 1995; D u ph o r n et al., 1995; L a m pe , 2005). Below, a descrip tion of th e evolution of th e B altic Sea is given, w ith an indication of conventional radiocarbon years.

D uring th e pleniglacial (Figure 2), the w ater-level w as high in Pom erania, betw een 3 and 25 m above th e m ean sea level (Ja n k e , 2002b). Tiere, th e la te Pleistocene h isto ry of th e B al­tic Sea s ta rted w ith th e re tre a t of th e active ice from Rügen Is land and th e Pom eranian B ight around 14 ky BP (G ö e sd o e f and K a ise r , 2001; K ra m a rsk a , 1998; L a g e r lu n d et al., 1995; LTs- CINOW ICZ, 1999). W ith th e opening of several, probably subgla­cial drainage channels a t Mt. B illingen app. 11.2 ky BP, the w ater-level dropped to a t least —25 m m sl and extensive river erosion occurred. D uring the Y ounger Dryas, th e w ater level rose again from -40 to -20 m m sl (Lampe, 2005) leading to the full developm ent of th e B altic lee L ake (Table 1). The reopening of a drainage pathw ay a t Mt. Billingen, due to th e re tre a t of the Scandinavian ice sheet around 10.3 ky BP, caused a drop of the w ater tab le to about -40 m (B .jô rck , 1995). The early Holocene m arine incision phase Yoldia Sea s ta rted (Ja n k e , 1978), b u t due to rap id uplift of Scandinavia th e closure of th e connection to th e open ocean followed 9.5 ky BP (Table 1). The Ancylus Lake period began w ith a w ater level rise reaching a m axim um high-

stan d of —18 m m sl (La m pe , 2005; L em k e , 1998; L em k e et al., 1999), sim ilar to th e level of th e Baltic lee Lake. This h ighstand w as followed by a w ater level fall during th e second h a lf of the A ncylus L ake period. The first phase of th e following L itto rina Sea is m arked by a rap id w ater level rise betw een 7.8-6 ky BP. Since then , th e w ater level h ad fluctuated w ith in a range of a few m eters betw een —5 m m sl and th e p resen t w ater level (S chum acher and B ayerl, 1999). A fter 5 ky BP, th e w ater level alm ost reached its m odem position (Figure 2). W ater level low- stands occurred a t th e end of D ryas 1, a t th e Yoldia Sea stage and th e regression of th e Ancylus L ake (Table 1).

Rügen Is land w as reached by th e L itto rina transgression about 7.2 ky BP ( J a n k e , 2002; L ampe et al., 2002) and shows a strongly un d u la ting shoreline displacem ent curve w ith up to 17 regression and transg ression phases (S chum acher , 2002). This island, a form er archipelago com prising m ore th a n a dozen la rg ­e r and sm aller Pleistocene islands, connected by b a rr ie r and spit developm ent during the younger Holocene (D u ph o r n et al., 1995, J a n k e , 2002), is an uplifted a rea w ith ra te s of 0.24 nnn/yr for th e n o rth -easte rn p a r t (S chum acher , 2002). K o lp (1979) and D ietrich and L iebsch (2000) have shown th e presence of a h inge line of zero isostatic uplift, w hich stre tches from th e southern Zingst pen insu la to LTsedom Island, separa ting an uplifted (Rü­gen Island) from a subsiding a rea (southw estern Baltic Sea, e.g. bays of W ismar, Lübeck and Kiel). The strong regression b e ­tw een 6-5 ky BP h as been re la ted to an uplift of 6 m betw een 7-5 ky BP (S chum acher and B ayerl, 1999; S chwarzer, D iesin g , and T rieschm ann , 2000) and as a land upheaval on Rügen Is land of 8 m (S chum acher , 2002). The age of th is uplift fits to th e age of th e uplift of th e P om eran ian B ight shoreline around 5.8-5 ky BP ( J anke and L a m pe , 2000).

T rom per W iek is a sem i-enclosed bay located in th e n o rth ­ea s te rn p a r t of R ügen Is lan d betw een th e cliffs of W ittow and

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176 Belle c, et al.

Ja sm u n d (F igure 1). The cliffs are connected by a 12 km long Holocene b a rr ie r nam ed Schaabe, w hich developed a fte r th e L itto rin a T ransgression (D u ph o r n et al., 1995; S ch um a ch ­er and B ayerl, 1999). The cliffs, w ith a m axim um he igh t of 118 m a t Jasm und , are characterized by a com plicated p a t ­te rn of glacio-tectonically up lifted L a te C retaceous chalk and Pleistocene deposits subdividing th e chalk u n its (H er r ig and S ch n ic k , 1994). The chalk is soft and w eakly cem ented, in h e r­iting b lack flin t concretions ( J a n k e , 2002; S c h n ick , 2002). The w aters off Ja sm u n d and W ittow are characterized by a steep b a th y m etric g rad ien t w hich continues in th e no rth -w este rn p a r t of T rom per W iek w here th e w ate r dep th increases rap id ly from -12 to -18 m m sl (S teph a n et al., 1989).

The la te s t re su lt of sed im ent d is tribu tion p a tte rn s in th is bay (F igure IB) can be found in S chw arzer , D ie s in g , and T r i- esch m a n n (2000). L ag deposits occur in front of W ittow and Ja sm u n d cliffs. They s itu a te th e gravel deposit, w hich is lo­ca ted in front of W ittow cliff and Schaabe b a rr ie r betw een —8 and —14 m msl. This deposit shows p rom inen t morphological ridges composed of w ell-rounded pebbles and cobbles up to 25 cm in d iam eter. Shallow er th a n -10 m some till crops out. F ine san d is located in front of Schaabe sp it betw een —10 and —14 m msl. M uddy fine san d and sandy m ud occurs in deeper p a rts of T rom per Wiek.

J e n s e n (1992); J e n sen et al. (1997); L em ke et al. (1998); L em k e , S chwarzer, and D iesin g (2002) have identified five seis- m ostratig raphic u n its (E l to E5) in th e w estern B altic Sea and th e a rea around Rügen. An upperm ost till (E l) w as incised by la te glacial channels, probably filled w ith glacio-lacustrine sedi­m ents (E2) of the early Baltic lee L ake stage. A th ick sedim en­ta ry complex (E3) covered these deposits during th e final phase of th e B altic lee Lake. The boundary separa ting E2 and E3 cor­responds to a m ajor discontinuity. A t least in T rom per W iek E3 is subdivided into E 3a and E3b. E 3a corresponds to an associ­a ted beach ridge - lagoon system and E3b is in te rp re ted to be e ither of fluvial or coastal origin, deposited during th e low stand of th e Yoldia Sea. E4 w as deposited in th e deeper cen tra l p a rt of th e bay during th e final phase of th e Yoldia stage and in th e beginning phase of th e Ancylus Lake. The m axim um h ighstand of th e Ancylus L ake w as around -18 m msl. I t w as followed by a regression to about 30 m msl. LTnit E5 is a b rack ish m arine mud, w hich reflects recent sedim entation.

In th e shallow er p a r t of T rom per Wiek, an in n e r b asin is charac te rised by lagoonal deposits of E 3a w hich are covered by gravelly beach ridges. F u r th e r offshore, tow ards th e cen tra l p a r t of T rom per Wiek, th e till surface dips steeply, reach ing a level of m ore th a n —40 m m sl and delim iting an o u te r basin crea ted by form er ice (L e m k e , S chw arzer , an d D ie sin g , 2002).

METHODS

The Uniboom is an electro-acoustic sound converter p roduc­ing a b road frequency b an d of acoustic pu lses (0.5 to 15 kHz) em itted vertically into th e w a te r colum n (A tzler , 1995). The boom er acoustic source is m oun ted on a ca ta m aran an d tow ed beh in d th e ship. The sound signal is reflected from boundaries betw een d ifferent lay e rs /s tru c tu res w ith in th e sed im en tary sequence, consisting of d ifferent im pedances. Reflected sig­n a ls a re received by a stream er, add itionally tow ed beh in d th e ship, close b en ea th th e sea surface. T his signal is tu n e d in a receiver and tra n sfe rre d to analogue an d dig ita l acquisition un its . Processing of th e d ig ita l d a ta consists of b an d p ass filte r­

ing, stack ing and th e ad ju s tm en t of a tim e varied gain (TVG). V ery-high reso lu tion seism ic profiles are in te rp re ted accord­ing to se ism o-stra tig raphy princip les (P o sam entier et al., 1992; P o sa m en tier , J erv ey , and V a il , 1988; V ail et al., 1977; V an W agoner et al., 1988). O riginally developed for low resolution seismics, it can also be applied for h igh to very-high resolution seism ic (e. g. B ro w n e , 1994; C h io c c i, O rlando , and T ortora , 1991; C ir Ac et al., 1997; L er ic o la is , B e r n é , and F e n ie s , 2 0 0 1 ).

L im ita tio n s in th e q u a lity of th e seism ic profiles, due to b a d w ea th e r conditions d u ring th e surveys, com plicate p a r t ­ly th e in te rp re ta tio n of th e d a ta in to d ifferen t se ism o stra ti- g raph ic un its .

RESULTS

Several seismic u n its (U 1 to LT6) are p resen t on th e seismic profiles (Figures 3 to 7). They are bounded by h igh am plitude and often strongly erosive surfaces S2-S6. These u n its essen­tia lly correspond to th e filling of two basins. The first one, in th e shallow er p a rt of th e bay, would correspond to a lagoonal facies (L em k e , S chwarzer, and D iesin g , 2002) and is located be­tw een —13 to —20 m s tw t (app. —10 to —15 m msl) beh ind the gravel b a rr ie r (S chwarzer, D iesin g , and T rieschm ann , 2000) on our seismic profiles. Its m axim um depth is about 20 m s (app. -15 m) tw t (two-way trave l tim e) in our study area. The second b asin is situ a ted offshore deeper th a n —24 m s tw t (app. -18 in msl) (Figure 3) and is m arked by a steeply dipping surface. The th ickness of th e sedim ent fill is more or less 25 m s tw t (app. 20 in). C orrelation betw een th e two basin s w as achieved by com­paring th e seism ic facies and th e num ber of th e seismic un its above u n it U l, occurring in th e whole study area w ithout in te r­ruption. The u n it U l dips steeply offshore w here it delim its the offshore basin . The base of U l is not accessible. Its u pper p a rt constitu tes of indented reflections which form channels.

T he b a se of th e onshore (lagoonal) b a s in co rresponds to an u n ev en h ig h am p litu d e an d to low to good c o n tin u ity s u r ­face S2 w hich can be follow ed th ro u g h o u t th e w hole stu d y a re a (F igu res 3, 4 an d 5). S2 show s ch an n e ls r ig h t to th e off­shore b o u n d a ry of th e in n e r b a s in w here it a lm ost reach es th e sea bo ttom . In th is a rea , th re e ch an n e ls show a g en e ra l N W -SE s tr ik e a n d inc ise th e s u b s tra tu m dow n to 36 m s tw t (app. -27 in) (F igu re 5). T hey a re se p a ra te d by in te rflu v es sh a llo w er th a n 28 m s tw t (app. 21-22 in h). T he channels, w hich a lm ost d isa p p e a r a t th e b o u n d a ry be tw een th e two b asin s , a re filled by tw o d iffe ren t facies: th e f irs t one (LT2a) is chao tic a n d evolves u p w ard s in to a second facies (LT2b), w hich show s w avy p a ra l le l reflec tions (F igu re 4). T here is no c lea r reflection horizon v is ib le b e tw een th e se tw o seism ic facies.

Surface S3 show s sim ilar ch arac te ris tics as S2. I t is an uneven h igh am plitude and good continu ity surface showing channels. N evertheless, th e channels a re generally sm aller th a n th e previous ones. The firs t deposits filling th e channels (LT3a) a re composed of a chaotic facies w ith few para lle l reflec­tions on th e in terfluves. A nother type of deposits (U3b) is only located in th e w esternm ost area. I ts base is qu ite tab u la r. The seism ic facies corresponds to p rograd ing reflections. LT3b ra p ­idly p inches out offshore. LT3 shows a b a r-sh ap ed body in th is u p p er p a r t (F igure 6).

The am plitude of th e surface S4 is variable, b u t its conti­n u ity is good (Figure 4). I t erodes th e top of u n it LT3. LTnit LT4 corresponds to the las t filling of th e channels form ed by S2 and

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European Marine Sand and Gravei Resources 177

54.66F igure

ïshore basin.

54.64-

: S tI)ffkhore basin

54.62- B oundar$ \betw een th e 2 b a sin s (up lift)

O n sh o re p in c K p u t o f th e o f fsh o m ^ a s in

13.42 13.44 13.46 13.48 13.5

s w ONSHORE BASIN OFFSHORE BASIN NE500 mU5 (barrie r)

Figure 3. Boomer profile showing the different seismic units. See details A and B on Figure 4.

SW (onshore) NE (offshore)channel

£§p*U 4i

«¿Ms*.

2 0 0 m

B SW (onshore) Berms NE (offshore)Barrier

30 • ' ¡ : î f e a w r l ^ Ç

Figure 4. Details of the seismic profile displayed in Figure 3.

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178 Belle c, et al.

b a r r ie r (U S )'

channelc h a n n e l ,

. 3 ° i

....

channelsource .

o n s h o r e 11 o f fs h o r e b a s in basfyi

c h a n n e l

LegendI I <18 m s tw t

I I 18-20

I 120-22 í . :;i 22-24

24-26

26-28

28-30

30-32

32-34

34-36

H >38 m stw t

fe*“*.1*,c h a n n e l

SCHAABE

Figure 5. Isochrons of surface S2 and details of the seismic profiles.

onlaps on S4. F u rth e r south th is u n it shows a complex p a tte rn of retrograding, prograding reflections and sm all channels w ith only a few milliseconds (twt) deep. An offshore bar-shaped body is p resen t betw een th e two basins, a t th e sam e place th a n th e U3 bar-shaped body. I ts facies is chaotic (Figure 6).

The u p p er surface S5 exhib its h igh am plitude and good continu ity an d can be followed alm ost th ro u g h o u t th e in n er b asin (F igures 3, 4 an d 7). I t show s NW -SE orien ted isochrons betw een 16 and 24 m s tw t (app. -12 and -18 m) and a sm all E-W orien ted channel of only a few m illiseconds deep. I t is cov­ered by th e h igh am plitude facies U5 w hich is composed of two un its: a b asin filling show ing chaotic facies (U5a), prograd ing and re trog rad ing reflections as well as channels of 3-4 m s tw t w hich a re very sim ilar to th e facies of U4, and a b a rrie r-sh ap ed body (U5b) w hich ends up th e facies offshore. The steep slope of th e ridges on th e b a rr ie r (F igure 4) is d irected tow ards th e coast and th e gentle slope tow ards th e sea. T his b a rr ie r facies

is located exclusively in th e shallow p a r t of th e bay w here it shows a th ickness of up to 6 m s tw t (app. 4,5 m). The th icker p a r ts a re located on th e b a rr ie r and in th e shallow est area. The u n it U6 is a th in layer (less th a n 1 m) of deposits, w hich is difficult to follow because it is m ixed w ith th e seafloor signal.

The seism ic u n its U2, U3 an d U4 reach th e position of th e ou ter ridges and U3 an d U4 p inch out a t th e end of th e ridge deposit. The th ick n ess of each u n it does no t exceed 8 m s tw t (app. 6 m), w ith a m ean a round 3-4_ms tw t (app. 2-3 m).

B etw een th e tw o basins, th e till deposit U l is bounded by th e surface S2, covered by U2 in th e n o rthw est (F igures 3, 4 and 6). The facies of th is u n it shows channel filling in th e n o rth (U2a, F igure 4). T ow ards th e sou theast, p rograd ing and re trog rad ing reflections form a dom e-shaped deposit (U2c) on S2 and som etim es cover th e channels form ed by th is surface. Sm all channels are also p re sen t in th e dom e-shaped deposit. U2c w as gently eroded by th e form ation of S3, except on its top

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European Marine Sand and Gravei Resources 179

B arrier (U 4 and U 5)

,B arrier (U 3)

m ultip le

m s tw t

Figure 6. Boomer profile showing the interfluve between the two basins.

500 m

Dome-shaped body (U2c)

Isochrons S5

channel Isopachs U5

barrierdeposits

prograding reflections retrograding'reflections

b a r r ie r

SC H A A B E

Figure 7. Isochrons and isopachs of S5 andU5 and seismic profiles details.

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180 Belle c, et al.

w here th e erosion w as stronger and probably younger th a n th e form ation of S3, as U3 deposits a re only p resen t on each side of th e dom e-shaped deposit (F igure 6). U2 an d U3 are cov­ered by a th in layer composed of th e younger u n it U6, w hich th ickens ju s t a t th e foot of th e b a rr ie r (app. 2-3 m thick), show ­ing p a ra lle l reflections a t th is location.

In to th e offshore b asin (F igure 3), th e uneven surface S2 also corresponds to th e base of th e basin , w hich dips offshore a round 30 m s tw t (app. 22 m). S2 shows channels of less th a n 5 m s tw t (app. 3,5 m). S2 is covered by U2, w hich p resen t sim i­la r seism ic facies th a n in th e onshore basin : th e bottom deposit is chaotic and evolves upw ards from w avy to m ore or less p a r ­allel reflections. S3 does no t correspond to an uneven surface in th e offshore basin . I t corresponds to a p la n a r surface w ith a m edium am plitude and continuity , locally d is tu rb ed by gas presence. U3 p resen ts h igh frequency p a ra lle l reflections. The u p p er surface S4 is quite ho rizon ta l w ith a h igh am plitude and continuity . I t shows sm all channels of 2-3 m s tw t deep (app. 1.5-2 m). The seism ic facies of u n it U4 also corresponds to h igh frequency para lle l reflections. I t is p a rtly difficult to d ifferen tia te U5 from U4 in th e offshore basin , as U5 could correspond to a p a r t of facies U4. U6 is composed of p ara lle l reflections and becom es th ick e r offshore, increasingly.

The th ickness of th e u n its is reg u la r an d corresponds to 8 m s tw t (app. 6,5 in) for U2, about 5-7 m s tw t (app. 4-5,5 in) for U3, 6-8 m s tw t (app. 5-6,5 in) for U4 (plus U5?) and 1 to 3 ms tw t (app. 1-2,5 ni) for U6.

DISCUSSION AND INTERPRETATION

History of the Western Part of Tromper WiekC o m p a r in g t h e r e s u l t s w i th p r e v io u s in v e s t ig a t io n s o n

la n d , (H o ffm a n n , L a m pe , andBAKNASCH, 2 0 0 5 ; S chum acher a n d

B a y e r l , 1999) and inside T rom per W iek (L em ke et al., 1998; L em ke, S c h w a rz e r , and D ie s in g , 2002; S c h w a rz e r , D ies in g , and T rie sc h m a n n , 2000), th e u p p er p a r t of th e u n it U l corre­sponds to Pleistocene till (un it E 1 in L em k e et al., 1998; L em ke, S c h w a rz e r , an d D ie s in g , 2002; Table 2). In fact, th ese au th o rs ind ica te th a t th e surface of th e upperm ost till is charac te rised by a h igh re lief and channel-like depressions w ith th e surface dipping steeply tow ards th e cen tra l p a r t of T rom per Wiek, as is th e case for surface S2.

A fter th e la s t glacial m axim um about 18.5 ky BP (L am b eck et al., 2000), du ring th e lee Sheet and th e lee M arg inal L ake periods, th e m elting of th e ice led to an opening of th e B altic Sea to rw ard s th e N orth Sea (Lam pe, 2005). The w ater-level dropped m ore th a n 40 m, w hich probably in itia ted th e for­m ation of th e channels bounded by S2 (F igures 8A and 8B). C hannels generally form during w ater-level fall, b u t can also be form ed due to m elt-w ate r pu lses or subglacial draining. T here w ere tw o im p o rtan t w ater-level falls due to th e d ra in ­age of th e B altic lee Lake. The first one (d rainage a t 13 ky BP, F igure 2) occurring in th e B altic Sea w as com bined w ith a m elt-w ate r pulse, as th e ice re tre a t on R ügen Is lan d is s i tu ­a ted about 14 ky BP ( G ö r s d o r f an d K a is e r , 2001; K ra m a r- ska , 1998; L a g e r lu n d et al., 1995; U sc in o w icz , 1999), and so could lead to th e form ation of th e m ore im p o rtan t channels, bounded by surface S2. B etw een about 13 and 10 ky BP, the w ater-level h a d been m ore or less stable, a round -20 to -25 m m sl (S c h u m a c h e r , 2002) or rose up to a few m eters on Rügen Is lan d considering th e w ater-level evolution in th e A rkona b a ­sin or in w est P om eran ia (B e n n ik e and J e n s e n , 1996; J e n s e n , 1995; L am pe, 2005). The th re e channels, p re sen t in F igure 4, incise from 26-28 m s tw t (19-21 m msl) down to m ore th a n 36 m s tw t (27 m msl). Therefore a w ater-level a round 20-25 m m sl probably allowed th e filling of th e channels (U2, F igure 8C). U n it U2 w as deposited in two steps du ring th e w ater-

T ab le 2. C o m p a riso n be tw een th e s e ism ic u n i ts o f L em k e e t al. (1998) a n d th o se in th is p a p er .

Lemke et a l 1998 This paper

Seismic units Sedim ent type Age Seismic un its Supposed AgeEl: Tik hyp: grey, partly clayey,

chalk fragmentsPleistocene U l Pleistocene

Channel surface Late glacial S2 (channel) ~13 ky (drainage)

E2: channel filling, glacio- lacustrine sequence

hyp : Silty to sandy material Early Baltic lee Lake stage U2 Baltic lee Lake

Major unconformity S3 (channel) ~11.5 ky (drainage)

E3 : E3a: Thick silt then olive grey,

fine laminated silt

Baltic lee Lake

Upper part: ~10.1-10.5 kyU3?U4?U5?

Baltic lee Lake to Yoldia Sea

E3b (below 35 m depth): fluvial or coastal

Silty fine sand From ~10.3 ky

U5?E4: fresh water lake deposit Below -34 m : grey silts Base: ~9.6 ky

Ancylus LakeU5 ? U6? Ancylus Lake

E5 Olive grey sandy mud Post-Littorina U6 Post-Littorina Sea

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European Marine Sand and Gravei Resources 181

c ky bp 14 12 10 8 6 4 2

m e te rm m sl

A- lee Marginal Lake- High WL and WL fall (> 40 nr) due to the 1 st drainage. End of the till deposits ( U l ) .

B- lee Marginal Lake- Low WL. Till erosion and fonnation of the 1st channels (S2). Beginning of channel filling and formation of the barrier beach (U2).

\

c- r

o15

30

m e te r

C-Baltic lee Lake- WL stagnation. .End of channel filling (U2). Formation of the barrier beach (U2).

D-Baltic lee Lake- 2nd drainage of the Baltic Sea (maximum fall ~20 m?). Formation of narrow channels onshore (S3). Channel filling during the WL rise (U3) then formation of barrier (back- barrier) deposits.

E- Yoldia Sea and Ancylus Lake- 3rd and last drainage. Formation of S4. Then rapid WL rise and formation of barrier and back­hander deposits (U4).

F- Ancylus Lake- WL stagnation. Erosion of U4. Formation of a ravinement surface (S5) and barrier and back-barrier deposits (U5).

G-Littorina Sea- Rapid WL rise. Uplift of 6-7 m. Preservation of U5. Deposition of U6.

TILL

TILLm eters

m m sl

TILL

TILL

TILLm m sl

m etersm m sl m s tw t

Figure 8. Deposition model of the 6 seismic units, interpreted from the boomer profiles . WL: waterdevel.

level stagnation a fte r 13 ky BP (Figure 8C). The low est u n it (LT2a) show s a chaotic facies, w hich m ight rep resen t th e final m elt w a te r deposits, composed of heterogeneous and/or coarse m ateria l. The u n it above (LT2b) shows a lte rn a tin g wavy b ed ­ded reflections, following th e underly ing relief. T his generally gives evidence of m ore hom ogeneous and/or finer deposits. T his wavy facies is very sim ilar to th e E2 facies m entioned in L e m k e , S chw ärzer , and D ie sin g (2002) w here th e au tho rs

also ind ica te th a t th e seism ic facies rep resen ts silty to sandy m ate ria l. They in te rp re t E2 as a g lacio-lacustrine sequence form ed im m ediately a fte r th e final deglaciation of th e area. In front of th e offshore basin , a dom e-shaped body (LT2c, F igure 6) seem s to correspond to a b a rr ie r beach, form ed during or af­te r th e filling of th e channels since th e ir deposition. I t should ind ica te a stab ilisa tion of th e w ater-level a round 20-25 m m sl for a du ra tio n w hich is sufficient to crea te th ese deposits. This

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Back-barrier Barrier

Direction of progradation A-WL stagnation -20-25 m depth. Formation of the ravinement surface S5 then deposition of the gravel marsh and the barrier (U5).

Back-barrier Barrier

ky bp 14 12 I Q S ^ 4 2 0

Direction of progradation B- Rapid WL rise. Preservation of a part of the old barrier which shows berms (landwards steep slope). Onshore formation of a new barrier and back-barrier system.

o ,0

-20 15

■ -4 0 30

r meters

C- WL rise before uplift (about 6000 years BP). WL ~2 m. Deposit of gravels and formation of barriers goes on. Gravels located between -14 m and -22 m depth.

E rosion ......................................BerTill outcrop

p 14 12 io a 6

S Uplift

D- Uplift of 6 m after 6000 years BP. Regression. Erosion of the sediment, till outcrops. Onshore gravel boundary: 8 m depth, offshore gravel boundary: 16 m depth.

- - . ■ - - ~ - - - ̂ -

■ 1 ■

E- Actual. Preservation of the gravel deposits.

J Post-gravel deposits ] Gravels

J Post-till deposits I Till

Figure 9. Model of gravel barrier deposits in Tromper Wiek. WL: waterdevel.

m eets th e w a te r level curves for R ügen Island, p resen ted by S c h um acher (2 0 0 2 ) and th e position a round 2 0 -2 5 m depth of th e channels (S2). In th e offshore basin , th e in itia l filling of th e channels consists of sim ilar facies.

The form ation of th e second set of channels, located in th e onshore basin (surface S3, F igure 8D), should be due to th e second im p o rtan t d ra inage of th e B altic lee L ake a round 11 ky

BP p re sen t on th e w ater-level curves of th e A rkona b asin or th e w est P om eran ia (B e n n ik e a n d J e n s e n , 1996; J e n s e n , 1995; L a m pe , 2005) (F igure 2). W hen form ing th is surface S3, a p a r t of th e beach b a rrie r, located offshore, w as eroded. S3 seem s to correspond to th e boundary betw een th e u n its E2 and E3 w hich is m en tioned in L e m k e , S chw arzer , and D iesin g (2002); S chw arzer , D ie sin g , and T r iesch m a n n (2000). Moreover, these

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European Marine Sand and Gravei Resources 183

au th o rs ind icate th a t E3, corresponding to th e seism ic u n it of U3, w as deposited p rio r to 10.3 ky BP.

M ore in detail, th e low erm ost deposits of U3 in th e ch an ­n e ls look sim ilar to th e facies of U2, i.e. heterogeneous and/ or coarse deposits (U3a). The facies above is d ifferent and cor­responds to a sm all p rograd ing deposit (U3b). N orm ally, th is ind icates sed im ent in p u t du ring a constan t w ater-level. As it is only located in th e w est p a r t of th e profile (F igures 3 and 4), it could be form ed due to local conditions, e.g. p rog radation of th e channel wall. U3 deposits do no t show a large beach b a rr ie r facies as U2c. N evertheless, a deposit sim ilar to a b a rr ie r is p re sen t dow nstream of U2c (F igure 6). L e m k e , S chw ärzer , and D iesin g (2002); S chw arzer , D ie sin g , an d T riesch m a n n (2000) also ind ica te th a t th is u n it is co rre la ted w ith a barrier-lagoon system in th e cen tra l p a r t of T rom per Wiek, w here th e b a r ­rie rs are composed of gravel. A b a rr ie r is also p re sen t in our study area. So th e barrier-lagoon system probably extended tow ards th e no rth . N evertheless, in our study a rea th e gravel deposits do no t correspond to LT3, b u t to th e younger u n it (LT5). T herefore th e re should have been several periods of gravel deposition w ith a sh ift of th e cen tre of deposition tow ards th e no rth .

A th ird erosive surface is ind ica ted by S4. T his surface could have been form ed during th e la s t d ra inage a fte r 10.3 ky BP. O nlaps, w hich are ch a rac te ris tic for a tran sg ressiv e facies, a re p resen t on S4 (F igures 4 and 8E). As such, LT4 is a t r a n s ­gressive facies w hich should have been form ed during th e first p a r t of th e w ater-level rise about 10-9.5 ky BP. The channel- filling con tinued as well, as also th e construction of th e b a rr ie r w hich is a lready p resen t in LT3. A back-barrier/lagoon facies is p re sen t also (F igure 6).

A bout 9.5 ky BP, th e speed of th e w ater-level rise slowed down and rem ained stab le a t a level of 23-25 m msl, w hich is about 10 m below th e back -barrie r system . N evertheless, if we consider an up lift of 6 m afte r 7 ky BP, th e n th e gravel deposits w ould have been located a round 16-20 m msl, w hich w as th e dep th of th e shoreface 9.5 ky BP ago (Figure 9A). The shape of th e gravel confirm s th is fact, as observations by scuba divers revealed th a t th ese ridges are composed of w ell-rounded peb ­b les an d cobbles of up to 25 cm in d iam eter (S chw arzer , D ie s ­in g , an d T riesch m a n n , 2000).

The w ater-level s tagna tion m ay have favoured th e fo rm a­tion of a wave erosion surface (S5) a t th e top of LT4 (F igures 8F and 9A). D ue to stab le w ater-level conditions du ring sev­era l centuries, a b arrie r, la rg e r th a n th e form er ones, h ad been developed. B ehind th is b a rrie r, a facies sim ilar to th e LT4 facies h a s been deposited. The LT5 deposit is o rien ted p a ra l­lel to th e b a rr ie r (F igure 7). LT5 w ould correspond to a b a rr ie r an d a back -barrie r facies w ith channels a lte rn a tin g in terfluves show ed by re trog rad ing or p rograd ing reflections.

The nex t w ater-level rise, a fte r 9 ky BP, w as likely re la ­tively fast. D ue to th e very coarse m ateria l, th e gravel deposits w ere p reserved partly . N evertheless, th e b a rr ie r w as probably in p a r t eroded due to its shallow w a te r location, an d its m or­phology evolved in a berm system (steep slope sh ifted la n d ­w ards; F igure 9B). The deposition of gravel probably decreased quickly w ith increasing w ater depth. No gravel is p re sen t on th e ac tua l coast, below -15 m msl. New system s of b a rr ie rs an d berm s m ight have form ed on th e gravel deposits (Figure 9C). P rio r to th e up lift approxim ately 5-7 ky BP, th e gravel deposits w ere probably located in 22 m w ater-dep th . The onshore boundary is m ore difficult to estab lish , but, by com­parison w ith th e ac tu a l depth, it w as likely in approxim ately

15 m w ater-dep th . LTplift ra ised R ügen Is lan d w ith about 6 m (S c h um acher and B ayerl , 1999; S chw arzer , D ie sin g , and T r ie ­sch m ann , 2000). T hen th e gravel deposits w ere located betw een 8 and 16 m msl, w hich is th e ac tua l dep th (F igure 9D an d E). D ue to th e very coarse g ranu lom etry of th e b a rr ie r sedim ents, it w as m ostly preserved.

The la s t un it, LT6, is a th in cover of fine sand, w hich rep re ­sen ts th e ac tu a l sed im en ta tion onshore. Offshore, it can be sub­divided in several sub-units, w hich have probably recorded th e oscillations of th e w ater-level since 9000 years BP (F igure 8G). T his u n it probably corresponds to th e u n it E5 of S chw arzer, D ie sin g , and T riesch m a n n (2000), w hich shows typ ical deposits of th e post-L itto rina b rack ish m arine B altic Sea.

Gravel deposits: Barrier and back-barrier faciesWe found a b a rr ie r facies in four of th e six u n its (LT2, LT3, LT4

and LT5), generally in th e ir u p p er part/top . In our study area, a back-barrier/lagoon facies is p re sen t in two u n its (LT4 and U5) and o ther investiga tions (L e m k e , S chw arzer , and D ie sin g , 2002; S chw arzer , D ie sin g , and T riesch m a n n , 2000) show ed th e presence of a lagoon in E3/LT3 in th e cen tra l p a r t of T rom per Wiek. Two of th ese u n its crop ou t on th e sea floor (LT3 in th e cen tra l p a r t of T rom per W iek and LT5 in our study area) show ­ing b a rr ie rs composed of gravely sed im ents w ith a no rthw est- so u th east o rien ta tion for LT3 and a n o rth east-so u th w est o rien ­ta tio n for LT5.

The w ith gravel bu ilt-up u n it LT5 is in tensively dredged, show ing p its of up to a few m deep (D ie sin g , 2003) (F igure 7). The th ickness of th e gravel u n it (LT5) reaches 6 m s tw t on our seism ic profiles (about 5 m thick) (F igure 7). LT5 sp reads over m ore th a n 3500 m in a NE-SW direction an d from about 300 m (in th e north ) to m ore th a n 1000 m (in th e south) in a NW -SE direction.

I t is possible th a t each of th ese u n its (LT2, LT3, LT4 and LT5) shows gravel deposits on th e ir u p p e r part, especially in th e b a rr ie r facies. T h a t m eans th a t th e to ta l g ravel deposit is p rob­ably m uch m ore sp read th a n th e gravel deposits on th e sea bottom shows.

G enerally, th e re a re two sources of gravel: th e seafloor itse lf and th e erosion of th e cliffs (An th o n y , 2002; C aviola , 1997; J o h n so n , 1919; O rfo r d , F o r bes, and J e n n in g s , 2002; R eg n a u ld , M auz, an d M o rzadec-K e r fo u r n , 2003; S c h ro ttk e , 2001). The gravel deposits form ed w hen th e w ater-level w as about 15-20 m msl, considering th e up lift of about 15-10 m m odern msl. Moreover, th e b a rr ie r deposit b u ilt du ring quite h igh and s ta ­ble w ater-levels. If th e seafloor w as th e only source of th e grav ­el, we should find gravel deposits in th e ou ter basin ; th is is not th e case. So, th e m ost probable source of th e gravel deposits is th e erosion of W ittow cliff, composed of chalk, m eltw a te r sedi­m ents, bou lder an d clay, p re sen t close to our study area. This erosion is only possible w hen th e w ater-level w as about 15-20 m msl. Following, th e cliff w as eroded by wave and cu rren t action and supplied th e gravel needed for th e form ation of th e gravel deposits.

CONCLUSIONS

Six u n its (LU to LT6) have been identified in th e w estern p a r t of T rom per W iek and are bounded by 5 surfaces (S2 to S6). LU is a ttr ib u te d to th e presence of Pleistocene till; its u p ­p e r p a r t w as eroded by th e form ation of channels (S2), p roba­bly re la ted to th e w ater-level drop during th e L a te G lacial. The

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184 Belle c, et al.

filling of th e se channels (U2) began by fluviatile sedim ents, w hich w ere la te r rep laced w ith finer a n d hom ogeneous sedi­m ents. U2 show s a beach b a rr ie r facies deposited during or a fte r th e filling of th e channel. The location of th is b a r r ie r is sligh tly offshore of th e m odern b a rr ie r . The firs t reac tiva tion of th e channels (S3) occurred probably during th e B altic lee L ake about 11 ky BP. T he ir filling (U3) is very s im ila r to U2. A t th e top of U3, a b a rr ie r is found a t m ore or less th e sam e position as th e ac tu a l ba rr ie r . O utside of th e study area, investiga tions have show n th a t U3 is p a rt ly com posed of g ravel b a rr ie rs . S4 corresponds to th e la s t reac tiva tion of th e channels form ed by S2 an d could h ave been form ed about 10 ky BP. The filling of th e channels (U4) occurred during th e Yoldia Sea an d th e A ncylus L ake. I t is sligh tly d ifferen t as it show s tr a n s gres sive deposits a n d a b a r r ie r an d b ack -b a rrie r facies. S 5 w ould be an erosional surface caused by w aves as th e w ater-level rise speed decreased. U5 also show s a b a rr ie r a n d a b ack -b a rrie r facies s im ila r to th e U 4 facies. T his u n it is now adays dredged in te n ­sively, because of its h igh gravel content. D ue to th e up lift of 6 m about 5-7 ky BP, th e gravel deposited orig inally a round 15- 20 m m sl depth, w hich a re th e m ean dep th of th e h igh w ater- level betw een 9 an d 13 ky BP, a re now a t about 10-15 m msl. U6 w ould correspond to th e la s t L itto rin a deposits.

F o u r of th e six u n its (U2, U3, U 4 an d U5) show b a rr ie r deposits. The tw o u n its (U3 a n d U5), outcropping on th e sea bottom , an d show ing a b a rr ie r , a re com posed of gravelly sedi­m ents. I t is possible th a t th e tw o o th e rs u n its (U2 an d U4), show ing a b a rrie r, a re also composed, a t le a s t p a rt ly of gravel. T he gravel cam e from th e erosion of th e W ittow cliff du ring periods of h igh w ater-level. The volum e of g ravel resources can be m ore im p o rtan t th a n e s tim a ted before.

ACKNOW LEDGEM ENTS

T his study fram es in to th e research objectives of th e project EUM ARSAND (“E uropean M arine S an d a n d G ravel R esourc­es: E va lua tion an d E n v ironm en ta l Im pact of E x trac tion”, con­tra c t HPRN-CT-2002-00222). The cap ta in an d th e crew of th e R.V. A lko r a re th a n k e d for th e ir flexibility a n d ass is tance d u r­ing th e cam paigns.

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