关键词: 硬土层, 年代, 宁波地区

Abstract: Several dark-green or yellow-brown layers with different thickness have been found in the late Quaternary strata in the area of the Changjiang River and Jiantangjiang River. They are very hard,called “hard clay”. The top hard clay layer is called the first hard clay. There are the marine sediments on the first hard clay. The boundary of Holocene has been discussed based on the first hard clay. The first hard clay is found in Ningbo region too. 19 samples from the first hard clay,the marine sediments on the first hard clay and the layer under the first hard clay,were dated using optical luminescence and 14 C dating method to provide age control of its development. According to our dating results,the age of the original material of the first hard clay is 45～55ka BP. The first hard clay is uncontinuously distributed,being eroded by the later stages transgression in some places,and unconformable with the upper marine sediments. The lower limit of the marine bed may not be simply delineated as the Holocene boundary. It is possible that the marine sediments occurred at the end of late Pleistocene.

Key words: the hard clay, age, Ningbo region