The stratigraphic framework for both sites was based initially on magnetostratigraphy from the Leg 162 IR volume (Jansen, Raymo, Blum, et al., 1996). Refining the time scale of the Brunhes Chron was possible for Site 985 (Fig. 2). We cross-correlated the typical shape patterns of the carbonate record with those of ODP Site 643 from the Vøring Plateau and with those of Site 907 from the Iceland Plateau. The carbonate and oxygen isotope data from Site 643 are from Henrich and Baumann (1994), whereas the ages for Site 643 are from Fronval and Jansen (1996) and T. Fronval (pers. comm., 1997). Carbonate data from Site 907 are from Baumann et al. (1996), whereas the oxygen isotope stratigraphy is from Fronval and Jansen (1996). Oxygen isotope Stages 1 to 15 and, thus, age interpretations could be determined relatively easily and correlated at all of these sites. An almost carbonate-barren interval from 16.2 to ~22.0 mcd (meters composite depth) at Site 985 (Fig. 2) was described as a disturbed interval, or slumping, in the initial core descriptions (see Jansen, Raymo, Blum, et al., 1996). Therefore, this interval was regarded as strongly extended either by drilling effects or by slumping. The following carbonate peaks in the depth interval from 24 to 26 mcd are placed in the Brunhes Chron.
For Site 982, an excellent high-resolution carbonate record provided the opportunity to create a time scale by the application of the orbital-tuning technique first proposed by Imbrie et al. (1984). For the tuning target, the summer insolation at 65ºN (Berger, 1978) was used. We tuned the unfiltered carbonate record under the assumption that high carbonate contents are closely related to high summer insolation (Shackleton et al., 1995). This tuning as well as the correlations between the sites were performed with ANALYSERIES (Paillard et al., 1996).