Post-glacial sea-level change along the Pacific coast of North America

Shugar, Dan H.; Walker, Ian J.; Lian, Olav B.; Eamer, Jordan B.R.; Neudorf, Christina M.; McLaren, Duncan; Fedje, Daryl W.

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.05.022

Cited by 128 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 130 publications

(235 reference statements)

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“…Near the center of former northern hemisphere ice sheets (e.g., Hudson Bay), the rate of glacio-isostatic uplift exceeded the rate of eustatic sea-level rise during the Holocene [29]. But at the margins of the ice sheet (e.g., western Vancouver Island Canada), the rate of eustatic sea-level rise outpaced glacio-isostatic uplift until ∼7 ka, after which glacio-isostatic uplift became the dominant control on RSL, resulting in a mid-Holocene highstand [30].…”

Section: Spatial Variability Of Holocene Relative Sea-level Changementioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Holocene Relative Sea-Level Change in Preserving Records of Subduction Zone Earthquakes

Dura

Engelhart

Vacchi

et al. 2016

Curr Clim Change Rep

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Eustasy and glacio-and hydro-isostatic adjustment are the main drivers of regional variability of Holocene relative sea-level (RSL) records. These regional variations in Holocene RSL influence the preservation of coastal wetland stratigraphic records of prehistoric earthquakes along subduction zone coasts. The length and completeness of prehistoric earthquake records is intrinsically linked to the accommodation space provided by gradually rising (<3 mm/year) Holocene RSL. In near-field regions that were located beneath northern hemisphere ice sheets (e.g., western Vancouver Island), RSL fall from a mid-Holocene highstand has limited prehistoric earthquake records to the last 1 ka. In intermediate field regions (e.g., southern Washington and central Oregon), gradual RSL rise over the last ∼7 ka has preserved widespread records of prehistoric earthquakes. In far-field regions (e.g., Sumatra, Chile, and Japan), fragmentary stratigraphic evidence of prehistoric earthquakes has been preserved only during periods of gradual RSL rise prior to a mid-Holocene highstand, or during the last 1-3 ka, when RSL was within 2 m of modern sea level, and thus within the tidal frame.

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Section: Spatial Variability Of Holocene Relative Sea-level Changementioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Holocene Relative Sea-Level Change in Preserving Records of Subduction Zone Earthquakes

Dura

Engelhart

Vacchi

et al. 2016

Curr Clim Change Rep

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“…A small RSL highstand <5 m was reached at 5.5 ka, followed by a slow rate of RSL fall of −0.4±1.2 m/ka during the late Holocene from 4 ka to present. The magnitude of the mid-Holocene highstand varies among regions formerly covered by the Cordilleran ice sheet with highstands considerably lower (~1.3 m) in central Alaska than in much of southern Alaska and British Columbia (up to 7.2 m), likely due to the influence of tectonics [94].…”

Section: Pacific Coastmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene Relative Sea-Level Changes from Near-, Intermediate-, and Far-Field Locations

Khan

Ashe

Shaw

et al. 2015

Curr Clim Change Rep

129

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Holocene relative sea-level (RSL) records exhibit spatial and temporal variability that arises mainly from the interaction of eustatic (land ice volume and thermal expansion) and isostatic (glacio-and hydro-) factors. We fit RSL histories from near-, intermediate-, and far-field locations with noisy-input Gaussian process models to assess rates of RSL change. Records from near-field regions (e.g., Antarctica, Greenland, Canada, Sweden, and Scotland) reveal a complex pattern of RSL fall from a maximum marine limit due to the net effect of eustatic sea-level rise and glacio-isostatic uplift with rates of RSL fall as great as −69±9 m/ka. Intermediatefield regions (e.g., mid-Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the USA, Netherlands, Southern France, St. Croix) display variable rates of RSL rise from the cumulative effect of eustatic and isostatic factors. Fast rates of RSL rise (up to 10±1 m/ka) are found in the early Holocene in regions near the center of forebulge collapse. Far-field RSL records exhibit a midHolocene highstand, the timing (between 8 and 4 ka) and magnitude (between <1 and 6 m) of which varies among South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania regions.

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“…However, rising sea level since the last glacial maximum (LGM) has complicated our understanding of this time period by drowning former coastlines and inundating coastal archeological sites (Shackleton et al, 1988;Westley and Dix, 2006;Bailey and Flemming, 2008). Accurate reconstructions of ancient shorelines allow archeologists to understand better the environments in which people lived, to target areas where older sites might still be above water (i.e., Fedje et al, 2005;Shugar et al, 2005;McLaren et al, 2014), and to explore more efficiently the underwater environment for archeological sites.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sea level, paleogeography, and archeology on California's Northern Channel islands

et al. 2015

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Sea-level rise during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene inundated nearshore areas in many parts of the world, producing drastic changes in local ecosystems and obscuring significant portions of the archeological record. Although global forces are at play, the effects of sea-level rise are highly localized due to variability in glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) effects. Interpretations of coastal paleoecology and archeology require reliable estimates of ancient shorelines that account for GIA effects. Here we build on previous models for California's Northern Channel Islands, producing more accurate late Pleistocene and Holocene paleogeographic reconstructions adjusted for regional GIA variability. This region has contributed significantly to our understanding of early New World coastal foragers. Sea level that was about 80-85 m lower than present at the time of the first known human occupation brought about a landscape and ecology substantially different than today. During the late Pleistocene, large tracts of coastal lowlands were exposed, while a colder, wetter climate and fluctuating marine conditions interacted with rapidly evolving littoral environments. At the close of the Pleistocene and start of the Holocene, people in coastal California faced shrinking land, intertidal, and subtidal zones, with important implications for resource availability and distribution.

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Post-glacial sea-level change along the Pacific coast of North America

Cited by 128 publications

References 130 publications

The Role of Holocene Relative Sea-Level Change in Preserving Records of Subduction Zone Earthquakes

The Role of Holocene Relative Sea-Level Change in Preserving Records of Subduction Zone Earthquakes

Holocene Relative Sea-Level Changes from Near-, Intermediate-, and Far-Field Locations

Sea level, paleogeography, and archeology on California's Northern Channel islands

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