Thermoluminescence Dating of the Middle Pleistocene Raised Beach of Sangatte (Northern France)

Abstract

AbstractTL dating of both quartz and potassium feldspar grains from the Pleistocene beach of Sangatte, at the southern limit of the North Sea Basin, give self-consistent ages of 200,000 ± 45,000, 205,000 ± 14,000, and 229,000 ± 18,000 years, respectively. These results allow the beach deposits to be correlated with oxygen isotope stage 7 (244,000–190,000 yr) (Martinson et al., 1987). The existence of a fossil beach cliff line at 10 m above French O.D. demonstrates that the Strait of Dover was open during the penultimate interglaciation.