A multidisciplinary study of late Pleistocene-Holocene sediments of the Gaeta Bay continental shelf

Abstract

A multidisciplinary study was carried out on two cores (G93-C5 and G93-C8) from the Gaeta Bay continental shelf to characterize the sediments. Different depositionai units have been distinguished on the basis of sedimentological and geotechnical analyses. These units have characters indicative of deposition in shallow to relatively deep environments. Paleoecological analyses were based on foraminifera, ostracoda, calcareous nannofossils and pollen assemblages. Both cores consist of a lower silty unit with cold climate fossil assemblages. This unit is overlain by a sandy unit which identifies the beginning of temperature increase trend. The fossil assemblages of this unit, in particular benthic foraminifera and ostracoda, are rich in shallow water and sandy bottom species, in both cores the upper unit consists of silly and clayey levels of a late glacial-holocenic sedimentary body with warm climate fossil assemblages