The Neopleistocene of North European Russia: Stratigraphy, paleogeography, and paleoclimate

Abstract

The Pleistocene sediments of North European Russia have been studied using different methods to establish their composition and identify the enclosed organic remains. The results obtained elucidate natural climatic environments of the Pleistocene and corresponding sedimentation cycles and development stages. Glaciation centers are identified for different Pleistocene epochs based on lithological criteria. The established secular trends characterizing spatial distribution and composition of different-age glacial horizons facilitate their regional correlation. Climatic conditions and paleogeographic settings of sedimentation during interglacial epochs of the middle-late Pleistocene and Holocene are reconstructed. Variations in development of vegetation, temperature, and humidity are detected for the first time in the Timan-Pechora-Vychegda, Arkhangel’sk and Vologda regions with parallel coordination of obtained data. As is concluded, there was a tendency of climate cooling in North European Russia during the Neopleistocene.