Littorina transgression in the western Baltic Sea: pathway, timing, and possible implications for human settlement

波罗的海作为一个整体的冰后期历史上最引人注目的环境变化之一是从淡水到咸淡水海盆的转变在Litorina海侵。对于整个波罗的海盆地来说，自从10多万年前的最后一次（Eemian）间冰期结束时海洋影响消失以来，这种情况从未出现过。主要是由于冰后期海平面的大幅上升，丹麦海峡被淹没，海洋沃茨可以进入波罗的海盆地。这一过程改变了整个水文系统以及整个波罗的海地区的海岸结构。这一发展的总体情况是众所周知的，但许多细节仍然与一些尚未解决的基本问题相矛盾。这不仅是正确的Litorina海侵的准确定年，但也在带的阈值和回声被淹没的时间顺序。后一个问题对于研究波罗的海南部海岸的中石器时代晚期和新石器时代早期的环境和定居历史尤为重要。该项目的目的是在卡特加特海峡和波罗的海之间的水文关键过渡区详细重建Litorina海侵的空间和时间。为了我们研究的目的，适当的沉积物序列，包括从淡水到半咸水条件的过渡将采样，日期和解释。将利用地震声学剖面数据和其他现有的区域信息选择适当的取样地点。除了对考古研究的好处外，还可以期待对重大海侵阶段地质系统行为的新见解。此外，我们期望提高我们对该地区可能的新构造活动的认识。

One of the most dramatic environmental changes in the postglacial history of the Baltic Sea as a whole was the transformation from fresh-water into a brackish-marine basin during the Litorina transgression. For the entire Baltic basin, such conditions had not prevailed since the disappearance of marine influences at the end of the last (Eemian) interglacial, more than 100,000 years ago. Mainly due to the post-glacial large eustatic sea level rise the Danish Straits were inundated and marine waters could enter the Baltic Basin. This process changed the complete hydrographic system as well as the coastal configuration throughout the entire Baltic region. The general picture of this development is well known, but many details remain contradictory with a number of essential questions unsolved. This is true not only for the accurate dating of the Litorina transgression, but also for the chronological order in which the thresholds in the Belts and the Øresound were flooded. The latter question is especially crucial for investigations dealing with the late Mesolithic and early Neolithic environment and settlement history of the southern coasts of the Baltic Sea. The aim of this project is a detailed reconstruction of the Litorina transgression in space and time in the hydrographically crucial transitional area between Kattegat and the Baltic Proper. For the purpose of our study appropriate sediment sequences comprising the transition from fresh water to brackish conditions will be sampled, dated and interpreted. Suitable sampling sites will be chosen using seismo-acoustical profiling data and other existing regional information. Apart from the benefits for archaeological research, new insights about the behaviour of geological systems during a major transgressional phase can be expected. In addition, we expect to improve our knowledge of possible neotectonic activity in the region.