Zbl. Grot. Palao nt. Teil I Stuttgarl, Jun i 19 95 Change in atmospheric and oceanic circulation reflected in North Sea sed iments during the late Holocene By H. CHRISTIA N HASS, Freiberg, and MICHA EL A. KAMINSK I, London With 5 figures in the t ex t HASS, H. C. & KAM INSK I, M. A. (1995): Change in atmospheric and oceanic circulat ion reflected in North Sea sediments du rin g the l ate Ho- locene. - Zbl. Geo!. Paiaont. Teil I, 1994 (1 /2): 51-65; Stuttgart. Abstract: The results from twO of a total of four long sed iment cores fr om high accumulation areas of the southern flank of the Skagerrak (NE North Sea) are given to further elucidate the interp lay of atmospheric and ocean current circulation during the past ca. 1300 years . Str ong westerlies, emerging from the Northern Hemisphere main westerly wi nd stream (MWWS), are likely to amplify current intensities, while easterly wind directions can hamper the water mass circulation in the Skagerrak . Changes in curr ent energ ies can be traced by the granulo- metric composition of the sediments. Earlier invest igat ions regarding the movement of the cyclone tracks (northwards during warm and southw ards during co ld per iods; see e. g. LAMB 1969) can be confirme d: the Medieval War m Period (ca. 800/1000- 1350 AD) is characterized by gene rally finer sediments indicating lower bottom cu rr ent energies. Thus, minor wind-forcing and a no rthern position of the MWWS can be inferred . During the Little I ce Age (ca. 1350-1900 AD) a south ward movement of the MWWS as fa r south as the Skagerrak system and probably further south can be traced. Zusammenfassung: Am Beispiel zweier von vier langen Sedimentkernen aus Hochakkumulati onsgebieten der Sudflanke des Skagerraks (NE-Nordsee) wird das Zusammenspiel von atmospharischen und Wassermassenzirkul a- ti onsmustern wahrend der letzten ca. 1300 Jahre dargestellt. Starke Winde der nordhemispharischen Westwinddrift (MWWS) sind in der Lage, die Wassermassenzirkulation im Skagerr ak zu versta rken, wahrend Winde aus as tli chen Richtungen die Zirkulation behindern konnen. Ver- ii nderungen in der ' Stromungsenergie dokumentieren sich dUTch Veriinde- rungen in der granulometr ischen Zusammensetzung der Sedimente. Friihere Untersuchungen der N-S -Bewegungen de r Zyklonenzugbahnen (nordwiirts wiihrend warmer und sudwarts wahrend kalter Kl imaperioden; 034 0-51 09/9511994-(1()5 1 S 3.75 C 1995 E. 0 ·70176 Stuttgart