Dating quaternary sediments

Access to society journal content varies across our titles.If you have access to a journal via a society or association membership, please browse to your society journal, select an article to view, and follow the instructions in this box.The Quaternary subdivisions were defined based on biostratigraphy instead of paleoclimate.This led to the problem that the proposed base of the Pleistocene was at 1.805 Mya, long after the start of the major glaciations of the northern hemisphere.The Great Lakes formed and giant mammals thrived in parts of North America and Eurasia not covered in ice.These mammals became extinct when the glacial period Age ended about 11,700 years ago. During the Quaternary Period, mammals, flowering plants, and insects dominated the land.

The Quaternary Period is typically defined by the cyclic growth and decay of continental ice sheets associated with Milankovitch cycles and the associated climate and environmental changes that occurred.

Unfortunately, glacial sediments are typically difficult to date.

Most methods rely on indirect methods of dating subglacial tills, such as dating organic remains above and below glacial sediments.

The ICS then proposed to abolish use of the name Quaternary altogether, which appeared unacceptable to the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA).

In 2009, it was decided to make the Quaternary the youngest period of the Cenozoic Era with its base at 2.588 Mya and including the Gelasian stage, which was formerly considered part of the Neogene Period and Pliocene Epoch.