Ice free conditions or ice cover during MIS 3 in Sweden?

The general view that most parts of Sweden were ice covered during MIS 3 (60,000-30,000 years ago) is under discussion. The evaluation of published radiocarbon dates from sites in southern, central and northern Sweden indicates that large parts of Sweden might have been ice free, at least during the warmest intervals of MIS 3. Read and download the recently released report at:
http://www.skb.se/upload/publications/pdf/TR-09-12webb.pdf

We are currently reinvestigating the stratigraphy at Pilgrimstad, one of the key sites in central Sweden with organic deposits of early Weichselian or mid-Weichselian age. The sediments are analyzed with different methods to obtain a better understanding of their depositional environment, their age assignment and prevailing climatic conditions.

	← View of the section at Pilgrimstad during the excavation in summer 2007.
	↑ The contact between gravel and brecciated gyttja in the lower part of the section

↑ Sampling the lower part of the section	↑ Sampling the upper part of the section

↑ Intensive discussions … Jan Lundqvist and Barbara Wohlfarth	↑ Helena Alexanderson and Tim Johnsen take samples for OSL dating

Sub-samples are currently analyzed for geochemistry, mineral magnetic parameters, and chironomids. New radiocarbon dates and OSL dates are in progress.