The 2026 NORDQUA Field Excursion took place directly following the 1st International ARCPaC Conference in Aarhus Denmark, on May 30th, 2026. The excursion focused on some of the key geomorphological, sedimentological, and geological sites in NW Jutland, with evidence of Elsterian, Saalian, and Weichselian glaciations. The group of c. 21 participants was guided by Prof. Jan Piotrowski and Asst. Prof. Timothy Lane from Aarhus University. The field excursion bus was kindly paid for by NORPALL – The Nordic Palaeo Alliance.
The 2026 NORDQUA Field Excursion informally began the afternoon of the 29th of May when Prof. Jan Piotrowski and Asst. Prof. Timothy Lane introduced the group of participants to the general field plan for the following day. This short lecture provided a nice overview of the key sites and background on the planned localities. This was followed up by some valuable socializing in the square by fairbar in mid-town Aarhus.
Nice weather and good company in the plaza outside of fairbar, mid-town Aarhus (Photo courtesy of Ívar Örn Benediktsson).
The excursion took us from Aarhus to Hald Sø, to several localities near Flyndersø and finally to Knud Strand. Ultimately, the last stop at Hanklit was postponed for the next DK excursion to allow everyone time to dig around in the different sedimentary units exposed at Knud Strand.
Participants ranging from early career researchers up to senior scientists and professors joined the excursion, representing institutions from Norway, Iceland, Italy, Poland, United Kingdom, United States and of course, Denmark.
The gently undulating terrain around Flyndersø exhibits a series of sub-parallel, asymmetric, east-west oriented, round-crested ridges. Jan made it clear (with the aid of LiDAR printouts) that while the ridges and the crop fields were pleasant on the excursion day in late May, this was the site of a dramatic and catastrophic flood during the last deglaciation of Denmark.
Excavations have been undertaken – through brutal geologic means – to gain a window in the ridge sediment structure and to date the landform formation. Investigated ridges were comprised entirely of sands and outsized gravels exhibiting bedding and crossbedding (dip to the north), suggestive of transport from south to north. The series of OSL ages run on the sands yielded inconclusive and challenging ages to say the least.
Following a visit to the proposed mega-ripples, the group walked across a nice outwash plain until we reached series of kettle holes. It turns out there are approximately 177 of these basins mapped in the area. One of the larger basins became a perfect amphitheater for us to eat lunch and discuss the formation and timing of the pitted outwash plain. The discussion had a range in terminology used to describe the basins including: kettle holes, melt water vortex, pot holes and palaeo-pingos.
Asst. Prof. Tim Lane introduced us to Knud Strand – the final stop of the excursion. The exposures along the southern coast of Limfjorden are suggested to present the most complete glacial-interglacial succession in Denmark. The locality exhibited a series of glacial-interglacial sediments ranging from the Elsterian (MIS 12) to the Saalian (MIS 6) and up until the Late Weichselian.
Glacial diamicts interpreted as till were sandy and shell rich, exhibiting fissility and preferred fabric. This units were capped in outwash sands. Biostratigrpahy on interstadial sediments from the Holsteinian (MIS 11; marine clay) and Eemian (MIS 5e; rafts of peat and lignite) have been used to develop the overall stratigraphic framework. All units have been glacially deformed and tectonised by Late Weichselian ice (from NE). The group walked along the beach enjoying views of the glaciotectonised sedimentary units and poked around at the fossiliferous and contorted beds before jumping back on the bus and returning to Aarhus.
The NORDQUA committee would like to extend their utmost thanks to both Prof. Jan Piotrowski and Asst. Prof. Timothy Lane for organizing and running such a nice and enjoyable field excursion. Furthermore, we would like to acknowledge financial support from NORPALL for funding the bus and making the excursion so affordable.
Text: Wes Farnsworth
Photos: Wes Farnsworth / Ívar Örn Benediktsson.