Working Groups

The SQS is currently working to establish a working group on defining the GSSP for the Upper Pleistocene Subseries and its corresponding stage

  • The boundary marking the Upper/Late Pleistocene is generally well-recognized, as it aligns with the warming phase leading into the last interglacial, Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e. However, achieving precise correlation within this interval is challenging due to temporal discrepancies between various stratigraphic settings, particularly between marine and terrestrial records (Shackleton et al., 2003).

  • One proposed candidate for this stratotype was the Fronte section in Taranto, Italy. This section features a thick pelitic sequence of marine deposits with continuous onshore exposure and excellent accessibility (Negri et al., 2015, 2016). It provides a detailed record of the peak interval of MIS 5.5, containing foraminifera (and associated oxygen isotope data), a palaeomagnetic record, and some palynomorphs. However, like many onshore sites from this period, it exhibits incomplete sedimentation from MIS 6 to MIS 5. This gap includes the absence of a continuous foraminiferal isotopic record and the lack of evidence for Termination II.

  • Another proposed alternative is the EPICA Dome C ice core from Antarctica, as suggested by Head (2019). This core reveals a prominent and abrupt methane increase, likely originating from equatorial regions, which correlates with a period of rapid global warming. This signal is globally significant and may have detectable counterparts in other stratigraphic records (Head, 2019, fig. 9).

  • Ongoing work aims to evaluate these and other additional marine and terrestrial sites to prepare a comprehensive stratotype proposal for the Upper Pleistocene boundary.

Other informal groups

GELSTRAT

see here for further information
Continuing re-investigation of the GSSP Gelasian (and lower Pleistocene Subseries, Pleistocene series, Quaternary System).