New data from terp excavations on sea-level index points and salt marsh sedimentation rates in the eastern part of the Dutch Wadden Sea

Nieuwhof, Annet; Vos, P.C.

doi:10.1017/njg.2018.2

Cited by 5 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Sea level research like that of De Groot et al . () on the Wadden islands during the last 2000 years and that of Nieuwhof and Vos () using MHW index points from beneath man‐made terps show promising results to bridge the gap between instrumental records (e.g. tide gauges) and palaeo‐observation‐based reconstructions (Vermeersen et al ., accepted).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene relative mean sea‐level changes in the Wadden Sea area, northern Netherlands

Meijles

Kiden

Streurman

et al. 2018

J Quaternary Science

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Although the Netherlands has a long tradition of sea-level research, no Holocene relative sea-level curve is available for the north of the country. Previous studies hypothesized that the relative sea-level reconstruction for the western Netherlands is also valid for the northern part of the country. However, glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) models predict a lower and steeper relative sea-level curve because of greater postglacial isostatic subsidence. Long-term data of relative sea-level change are important to inform GIA models and understand postglacial vertical land motion related to the rebound of Fennoscandia and neotectonic activity. We compiled and evaluated a set of basal peat radiocarbon dates to reconstruct the Holocene relative mean sealevel rise in the Dutch Wadden Sea area. For the early Holocene, this reconstruction is lower than the western Netherlands curve. After 6400 cal a BP, the curve for the Wadden Sea is statistically indistinguishable from that for the western Netherlands, a result that conflicts with GIA model results. It remains to be investigated whether the problem lies with the GIA model predictions or with the quality of the available data. Additional basal peat radiocarbon dates from suitable sites should be collected to further resolve this problem.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene relative mean sea‐level changes in the Wadden Sea area, northern Netherlands

Meijles

Kiden

Streurman

et al. 2018

J Quaternary Science

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“…Especially for archaeological research, the salt marshes play an important role. Whereas the lower parts, the pioneer zones, were not appropriate for settling, the highly silted-up parts of the upper salt marshes with their high biological productivity were very attractive for habitation (Vos & Knol, 2015;Nieuwhof & Vos, 2018). Existing approaches for landscape reconstruction on the German North Sea coast are mainly based on the so-called 'Küstenprofilkarten' derived from the descriptions of the archive core data published by the LBEG (Streif, 1998(Streif, , 2004Goldhammer & Karle, 2015;Karle et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microfauna- and sedimentology-based facies analysis for palaeolandscape reconstruction in the back-barrier area of Norderney (NW Germany)

Elschner

Scheder

Bungenstock

et al. 2021

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences

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Palaeolandscape reconstructions at the German North Sea coast are essential for the understanding of coastal changes and dynamic landscape-forming processes. This study contributes to reconstructing Holocene coastal changes in the back-barrier area of the East Frisian island of Norderney and draws conclusions on the local palaeogeography. Five sediment cores were analysed in terms of sedimentology (grain-size distribution), geochemistry (TOC, TIC, N, C/N), microfauna (foraminifers and ostracods) and 13 radiocarbon dates. In order to identify driving environmental factors and support the facies interpretation, multivariate statistics (PCA) were carried out. Additional cores from the surrounding area (WASA Project and ‘Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie’ (LBEG) Hannover) enabled correlation of the investigated cores over a transect of ~6 km, showing six depositional environments, which can be used for landscape reconstruction. Deposition starts with periglacial (aeolian and glaciofluvial) Pleistocene sediments, with subsequent pedogenesis followed by swamp conditions that develop into a salt marsh. The overlying tidal-flat sediments are partially cut by (fossil and recent) channel deposits. A hiatus at the base of the tidal-flat deposits that spans some 3000 years hints at their reworking caused by a combination of antrophogenic coastal protection measures and the impact of storms. Furthermore, based on the profile correlation and the age data, a widespread salt-marsh area with a minimum age of ~4000 cal BP is defined for the ‘Hohes Riff’ in the southwestern back-barrier of Norderney Island.

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“…Recent salt and gas extraction have caused considerable subsidence over the last decennia. Subsidence near Wijnaldum amounted to as much as −0.13 m between 1997 and 2013, after salt extraction started in 1996 (Nieuwhof & Vos, 2018), and c.−0.2 m between 1988, when gas extraction started in the Harlingen gas field, and 2008, at the location of the excavation (Muntendam-Bos et al, 2009: fig. l).…”

Section: Palaeo-mhw Sea-level Diagram Of Westergomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…l). The excavation in Wijnaldum, however, took place between 1991 and 1993, before salt extraction started, and before gas extraction could cause subsidence (see Nieuwhof & Vos, 2018: suppl. 1).…”

Section: Palaeo-mhw Sea-level Diagram Of Westergomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ongoing sedimentation had caused accretion, up to 0.30 m þNAP. He concluded that RSLR could not have been more than 0.03-0.04 m per century over this 1500 year period, assuming that habitation had started c.300 BC (Van Giffen, 1933; see also Nieuwhof & Vos, 2018). What he did not realise was that there is no one-toone relationship between sea level and the rate of sedimentation of the salt marsh.…”

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Late-Holocene sea-level reconstruction (1200 BC–AD 100) in the Westergo terp region of the northern Netherlands

Vos¹,

Nieuwhof

2021

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences

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In the early 20th century, archaeological research in the terp (artificial dwelling-mound) region of the northern Netherlands focused, besides settlement history, on natural salt-marsh dynamics and sea-level rise. In particular Van Giffen used salt-marsh deposits under dated terp layers to reconstruct the rate of sedimentation of the developing salt marsh and relative sea-level rise. This line of research in archaeology was rekindled during excavations in the terp of Wijnaldum-Tjitsma between 1991 and 1993. Since then, geology has become an integral part of archaeological research in the terp region. This paper focuses on the northwestern part of the province of Friesland (Westergo), where most archaeological terp research during the past three decades has been carried out, owing to several research programmes by the Province of Friesland. The primary aim of the geoarchaeological research is to better understand the interaction between human inhabitants and the salt-marsh landscape. The sedimentary record exposed in the excavation trenches makes it possible to collect data on the development of the coastal environments of the Wadden Sea prior to habitation, including data on sea-level rise. The sea-level data collected in the geoarchaeological studies in Westergo are the topic of this paper. The measured levels of the tidal-flat/salt-marsh boundary underneath the terps make it possible to reconstruct palaeo-Mean High Water (palaeo-MHW) levels. Such sea-level index points (SLIPs), based on marine shell data points from 12 locations, now make it possible to establish a palaeo-MHW diagram for this part of the Wadden Sea, for the period between 1200 BC and AD 100. In this period the palaeo-MHW in the Westergo region rose from c.1.8 m to 0.3 m −NAP: a mean sea-level rise of c.0.12 m per century. We discuss the fact that elevation of the palaeo-MHW SLIP is not only determined by relative sea level (RSL), but also by the magnitude of the tidal amplitude. The tidal range, and therefore the MHW elevations in a tidal basin, can change from place to place and also in time. Also in a single tidal basin the tidal range is variable, due to the distortion of the tidal wave as a result of the morphology of the tidal system. Such local tidal range fluctuations – not related to sea-level rise – influence the palaeo-MHW curve of Westergo and other tidal basins in the Wadden Sea and need to be taken into account when interpreting the curve. In this paper, we will go into the causes of changes in palaeotidal ranges in meso- and macrotidal systems, analyse the tidal range variations in recent and subrecent basins and estuaries and discuss the implications of these changes on the sea-level curve of the Westergo region in NW Friesland.

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New data from terp excavations on sea-level index points and salt marsh sedimentation rates in the eastern part of the Dutch Wadden Sea

Cited by 5 publications

References 14 publications

Holocene relative mean sea‐level changes in the Wadden Sea area, northern Netherlands

Holocene relative mean sea‐level changes in the Wadden Sea area, northern Netherlands

Microfauna- and sedimentology-based facies analysis for palaeolandscape reconstruction in the back-barrier area of Norderney (NW Germany)

Late-Holocene sea-level reconstruction (1200 BC–AD 100) in the Westergo terp region of the northern Netherlands

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