镇江位于长江下游、宁镇山脉与长江三角洲平原的过渡带上。本区西南为宁镇山脉,三角洲平原展布于本区东侧,隔江与北岸扬州遥相对望。发育在这里的众多黄土沟谷,大多独流入江,江水的涨落,直接影响沟谷发展和沉积物厚度(图1)。

Based on the results of the sporo-pollen analysis of a 37.5 m drilling core in Zhen-jiang region, the authore try to reconstruct the palaeobotanical development and the palaeogeographic environment changes in this region in the last 15 000 years. This period can he divided into five main stages as follows:1. During 15 000-13 700 years B. P.. the climate was warm with mixed conife-rous and broad-leaf forests. The sea level began to rise.2. During 13 700-11 000 years B. P., the vegetation was mainly forest-steppe or dry steppe, the climate was dry and cold, the sea level contined to rise slowly and steadily.3. During 11 000-9900 B. P. the vegetation was mainly mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests and steppes, the climate became a little warmer and moist, the sea level rose quickly.4. During 9900-4000 years B. P., the vegetation was mixed coniferous-broadleaf forest composed mainly of Fagaceae and Pinaceae. The climate was warm and moist. The sea level continued to rise quickly.5. Since 4000 year B. P. vegetation has become sparser, the climate warm and dry, the sea level has been descending, and the rate of sedimentation slowed down.Prom the characteristics of each stage, the authors considered that around 11 000 year B. P., as the climate was obviously warm, the sea level began to rise and the rate of sedimentation increased. This may be considered as the demarcation line between the Late Pleistecene and the Holoceae. In the Holocene during 5000-4300 year B. P. the climate was warm, subtropical plants propagated. The sea reached its highest level during 8900-6300 years B. P. as evidenced by the appearance of small amount of forminferal fossils and a few sporo-pollen of cold-resistant from some sediments of this period.