Correlation of Greenland Ice-Core and Ice-Margin δ(18O) Records
Several deep ice cores covering a large part, maybe all, of the last glacial cycle have up till now been drilled in Greenland. From the marginal region of the ice sheet, a few detailed d(18O) records (Paakitsoq and Storstrømmen, Germania Land) and some less detailed d(18O) records (Warming Land, Søndre Strømfjord, Isortuarsup) have been obtained by analysis of surface ice samples. The ice-margin records span similar time periods as the ice-core records. As previously demonstrated by the ice-core researchers, d(18O) records from Greenland ice cores show a high degree of correlation, enabling a relative chronology to be established between the cores. However, correlations can also be established between the detailed ice-margin records and the ice-core records. Over long sections, the ice-margin records appear to be relatively undisturbed. However, at the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary, there seems to be problems with the correlation, the ice-margin records showing indications of folding, maybe caused by different competence of ice deposited in the late glacial period, and ice deposited in early Holocene. Nevertheless, the ice margins have a large potential as locations where large samples of late Pleistocene ice of a limited age range can be retrieved. By means of the above mentioned correlation these samples can be fitted into the ice core chronology.