Rushby, Greg T., Richards, Geoff T., Gehrels, W. Roland et al. (3 more authors) (2019) Testing the Mid-Holocene Relative Sea-Level Highstand Hypothesis in North Wales, United Kingdom. The Holocene. pp. 1-12. ISSN 0959-6836
Abstract
Accurate Holocene relative sea-level curves are vital for modelling future sea-level changes, particularly in regions where relative sea-level changes are dominated by isostatically induced vertical land movements. In North Wales, various glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) models predict a mid-Holocene relative sea-level highstand between 4 and 6 ka, which is unsubstantiated by any geological sea-level data but affects the ability of geophysical models to model accurately past and future sea levels. Here, we use a newly developed foraminifera-based sea-level transfer function to produce a 3300-year-long late-Holocene relative sea-level reconstruction from a salt marsh in the Malltraeth estuary on the south Anglesey coast in North Wales. This is the longest continuous late-Holocene relative sea-level reconstruction in Northwest Europe. We combine this record with two new late-Holocene sea-level index points (SLIPs) obtained from a freshwater marsh at Rhoscolyn, Anglesey, and with previously published regional SLIPs, to produce a relative sea-level record for North Wales that spans from ca. 13,000 BP to the present. This record leaves no room for a mid-Holocene relative sea-level highstand in the region. We conclude that GIA models that include a mid-Holocene sea-level highstand for North Wales need revision before they are used in the modelling of past and future relative sea-level changes around the British Isles.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2019 |
Keywords: | foraminifera,glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA),groundwater,Irish sea,salt marsh |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Environment and Geography (York) The University of York |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 06 Jun 2019 14:40 |
Last Modified: | 16 Oct 2024 15:44 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683619854513 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/0959683619854513 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:147026 |
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