Comparison of Environments of the Last Interglacial and Holocene in the Lofoten Basin (Norwegian Sea)

Abstract Based on sedimentological, isotope-geochemical, and micropaleontological parameters of bottom sediments of the AMK-5188 core, differences in the natural environment of the last interglacial of the Late Pleistocene (marine oxygen isotope substage 5e) and the Holocene in the Lofoten Basin of the Norwegian Sea were revealed. The local thermal optimum of the last interglacial was shifted to the second half of substage 5e ~124–115 ka and consisted of two short intervals separated by strong cooling ~122–120 ka. In the Early–Middle Holocene ~10–3 ka, a long stable climate optimum was noted for the main identified parameters, and a short paleotemperature minimum occurred in the Late Holocene ~3–2 ka during the regional Neoglacial cooling.