The chronostratigraphy of a quaternary sequence at the distal part of the nile littoral cell, Haifa Bay, Israel

The current detailed chronostratigraphic framework of the last 1?Ma of an eastern Mediterranean sequence (Haifa Bay, Israel) aims to examine the relative roles of sea-level changes, climate and tectonics. Seven continuous marine cores, up to similar to 120?m long, were recovered from shallow water depths. The cores were dated by optically stimulated luminescence, 14C, magnetostratigraphy, 230Th/234U, 26Al/10Be, occurrence of index fossils and correlated to the global sea-level curve and Marine Isotope Stages (MIS). The sedimentary sequence accumulated during the last ca. 1.0?Ma consists of 21 transgressionregression units with hiatuses between them. Five marine/terrestrial cycles, which occur in the lower part of the sequence, are attributed to the Jaramillo subchron and the BrunhesMatuyama boundary, and correspond to MIS 2921. The top similar to 50?m includes three sedimentary cycles deposited in the last ca. 400?ka. The regressive phases during this interval correspond to Glacial MIS 8, 6 and 2, while the transgressions correspond to Interglacial MIS 11, 7, 5 and 1. Thus, for the first time, this study documents the longest Quaternary succession dated so far in a key area of the Levant, sensitive to global history of sea-level changes and glacial/interglacial fluctuations. Copyright (C) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.