How past sea-level changes can inform future planning: A case study from the Macleay River estuary, New South Wales, Australia

McGowan, S.A.; Baker, R.

doi:10.1177/0959683614544055

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…The study of Holocene sea-level histories and coastal landscape response is fundamental to our understanding of how coastal environments will respond to future sea-level and climate change (McGowan and Baker, 2014; Williams et al, 2018). The Gulf of Carpentaria is an ideal locality for investigating changes in sea-level over the last glacial cycle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene sea-level change and coastal landscape evolution in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia

et al. 2018

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A revised Holocene sea-level history for the southern Gulf of Carpentaria is presented based on new data from the South Wellesley Archipelago and age recalibration of previous research. Results confirm that rising sea levels during the most recent post-glacial marine transgression breached the Arafura Sill ca. 11,700 cal. yr BP. Sea levels continued to rise to ca. -30 m by 10,000 cal. yr BP, leading to full marine conditions. By 7700 cal. yr BP, sea-level reached present mean sea-level (PMSL) and continued to rise to an elevation of between 1.5 m and 2 m above PMSL. Sea level remained ca. + 1.5 between 7000 and 4000 cal. yr BP, followed by rapid regression to within ± 0.5 m of PMSL by ca. 3500 cal. yr BP. When placed into a wider regional context results from this study show that coastal landscape evolution in the tropical north of Australia was not only dependent on sea-level change but also show a direct correlation with Holocene climate variability. Specifically, the formation and preservation of beach-rock deposits, intertidal successions, beach and chenier ridge systems hold valuable sea-level and Holocene climate proxies that can contribute to the growing research into lower latitude Holocene sea-level and climate histories.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene sea-level change and coastal landscape evolution in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia

et al. 2018

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“…Sea-level changes strongly control the evolution of coastal environments during the late Quaternary (Clavé, 2001;Traini et al, 2013;McGowan and Baker, 2014). In particular, eustatic changes mainly control the accommodation space and therefore the morphology of estuarine systems (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mid- to late-Holocene environmental evolution of the Loire estuary as observed from sedimentary characteristics and benthic foraminiferal assemblages

Durand

Mojtahid

Maillet

et al. 2016

Journal of Sea Research

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International audienceWe used sedimentological and foraminiferal characteristics of four sedimentary cores, supported by paleogeographical and historical data, to reconstruct the depositional history of the inner Loire estuary (Near Saint-Nazaire, France) and the response of benthic foraminifera to the mid- to late-Holocene marine flooding of the incised valley. These were further used to evaluate the consequent changes in estuarine morphological and hydro-sedimentary patterns during this time period. Our results described significant changes in hydro-sedimentary dynamics over the past ~ 6 kyrs BP. At our location, these changes expressed the combined influence of marine (e.g., tide, storm waves) and fluvial dynamics (e.g., floods), which are linked, on a broader scale, to sea-level variations and the regional climate regime. Three main periods stand out: (1) from ~ 6.0 to ~ 2.5 kyrs BP, when the sea-level rise slowed down, a large brackish bay extended over and around the study area. The fine-grained tidal rythmites recorded north of the Bilho bank (the main tidal bar located in our study area) indicated a calm depositional environment, protected from the main riverine influence. The presence of thick flood deposits from ~ 5.4 to ~ 4.0 kyrs BP near the Bilho bank indicates further the dominance of humid conditions. (2) From ~ 2.5 kyrs BP to ~ 1850 CE (pre-industrial state), sea-level stabilized at its present value, and the pre-existing bay was progressively infilled. North of the Bilho bank, near a major mudflat (Méan), the generally homogenous sedimentation composed of silty muds rich in organic matter indicated a sheltered environment; the main water flow channel being located south of the Bilho bank. Within this overall homogenous sedimentation, foraminiferal assemblages described rather accurately the progressive infilling of the valley (indicated by a decrease in the proportions of outer estuarine species), accompanied with the channelization of the main entering marine currents (tide, storm waves) (indicated by an increase in the proportions of transported species from the adjacent upper continental shelf), and finally the buildup of the Méan mudflat and the stabilization of the environment to its present day configuration (indicated by the dominance of autochthonous inner estuarine species). (3) Since 1850 CE, the human impact progressively modified the general landscape of our study area with the construction of the Saint-Nazaire shipyard, the digging of the northern navigation channel and the polderization of the northern Bay. The southern channel was progressively abandoned by the main water flow in favor of the newly dug northern channel, causing the southern migration of the Bilho sandbank and the progressive filling of the southern channel

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“…These models were supported by the seminal work of using coral microatoll data from the GBR which demonstrated a mid-Holocene highstand of 1.0 -1.5m above modern levels by ~6000 years before present (yBP), followed by a linear (smooth fall) RSL regression to modern levels. However, reports of an oscillating or stepped RSL signal both relative to Australia , Baker et al, 2005, Fairbridge, 1961, McGowan and Baker, 2014 and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific are numerous , Compton, 2001, Compton, 2006, Rashid et al, 2013.…”

Section: Efforts To Reconstruct Eustatic Sea Level (Esl) Since the Tementioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene sea level and climate variability on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Leonard¹

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The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a natural, social and economic asset synonymous with Australia; however, there are concerns regarding both the frequency and extent of modern reef decline, especially in regions within close proximity to the coastline. With the future of coral reefs uncertain, elucidating the controls on reef growth and decline in the recent geological past prior to anthropogenic impacts is imperative to future management strategies. Numerous reef cores have revealed a substantial hiatus period or reef "turn-off" event during the mid-Holocene (~4600 years before present; yBP 1950) clearly prior to anthropogenic influence. Previously published research has suggested that changes in sea level, climate, and/or environmental conditions caused this reef "turn-off", but the exact cause is still tentative.Whether sea level varied significantly during the Holocene has been debated for over half a century, with oscillations generally dismissed as dating artefacts due to large age errors or to the misinterpretation or inaccuracies of the sea level indicator. Coral microatolls, one of the most reliable sea level indicators, were used to test whether relative (RSL) oscillations could be detected during the Holocene. Elevation surveys of sub-fossil coral microatolls (n=32) and non-microatoll reef flat corals (n=10) were conducted on three separate sites in the Keppel Islands, southern GBR and dated using high precision uranium thorium (U-Th) techniques. The resultant palaeo-sea-level reconstruction revealed a rapid lowering of RSL of at least 0.4 m from 5500 to 5300 yBP following a RSL highstand of ~0.75 m above present from ~6500 to 5500 yBP. RSL then returned to higher levels before a 2000-yr hiatus in reef flat corals after 4600 yBP.To determine if this was a local scale response, or part of a broader regional signal, the same methodology was applied to another 8 sites from a wide latitudinal range along the GBR (11˚S to 20˚S). The 94 U-Th dates of sub-fossil microatolls from this research adds support to the RSL lowering event at 5500 yBP, with microatolls close to present sea level found at ~5100 yBP. A second oscillation of ~ -0.3m at 4600 yBP was also detected in the northern GBR, with microatolls at three sites close to modern SL between 4600 -4000 yBP. The RSL oscillations at 5500 yBP and 4600 yBP coincide with both substantial reduction in reef accretion and wide spread reef "turn-off", respectively, thereby suggesting that oscillating sea level was the primary driver of reef shut down on the GBR.Understanding the coeval palaeo-climate and -environmental conditions may reveal both the cause of these sea level oscillations and further modes of stress placed on coral reefs prior to the midHolocene hiatus. In the first instance one of the simplest and most efficient methods of extracting information from the annual bands of massive Porites sp. coral cores is by using the growth characteristics (i.e. linear extension) and ultra violet (UV) luminescent intensity which are linked to II sea surface ...

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How past sea-level changes can inform future planning: A case study from the Macleay River estuary, New South Wales, Australia

Cited by 6 publications

References 63 publications

Holocene sea-level change and coastal landscape evolution in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia

Holocene sea-level change and coastal landscape evolution in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia

Mid- to late-Holocene environmental evolution of the Loire estuary as observed from sedimentary characteristics and benthic foraminiferal assemblages

Holocene sea level and climate variability on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

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