Kemp, Andrew C., Wright, Alexander J., Edwards, Robin J., Barnett, Robert, Brain, Matthew J., Kopp, Robert E., Cahill, Niamh, Horton, Benjamin P., Charman, Daniel J., Hawkes, Andrea D., Hill, Troy D. and van de Plaasche, Orson (2018) Relative sea-level change in Newfoundland, Canada during the past 3000 years. Quaternary Science Reviews, 201. pp. 89-110. ISSN 0277-3791
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Abstract
Several processes contributing to coastal relative sea-level (RSL) change in the North Atlantic Ocean are
observed and/or predicted to have distinctive spatial expressions that vary by latitude. To expand the
latitudinal range of RSL records spanning the past ~3000 years and the likelihood of recognizing the
characteristic fingerprints of these processes, we reconstructed RSL at two sites (Big River and Placentia)
in Newfoundland from salt-marsh sediment. Bayesian transfer functions established the height of former
sea level from preserved assemblages of foraminifera and testate amoebae. Age-depth models constrained by radiocarbon dates and chronohorizons estimated the timing of sediment deposition. During
the past ~3000 years, RSL rose by ~3.0 m at Big River and by ~1.5 m at Placentia. A locally calibrated
geotechnical model showed that post-depositional lowering through sediment compaction was minimal.
To isolate and quantify contributions to RSL from global, regional linear, regional non-linear, and localscale processes, we decomposed the new reconstructions (and those in an expanded, global database)
using a spatio-temporal statistical model. The global component confirms that 20th century sea-level
rise occurred at the fastest, century-scale rate in over 3000 years (P > 0.999). Distinguishing the contributions from local and regional non-linear processes is made challenging by a sparse network of reconstructions. However, only a small contribution from local-scale processes is necessary to reconcile RSL
reconstructions and modeled RSL trends. We identified three latitudinally-organized groups of sites that
share coherent regional non-linear trends and indicate that dynamic redistribution of ocean mass by
currents and/or winds was likely an important driver of sea-level change in the North Atlantic Ocean
during the past ~3000 years.
Item Type: | Article |
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Keywords: | sea-level reconstructions; change; Newfoundland; Canada; 3000 years; |
Academic Unit: | Faculty of Science and Engineering > Mathematics and Statistics |
Item ID: | 13162 |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.10.012 |
Depositing User: | Niamh Cahill |
Date Deposited: | 31 Jul 2020 16:51 |
Journal or Publication Title: | Quaternary Science Reviews |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Refereed: | Yes |
Related URLs: | |
URI: | https://mu.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/13162 |
Use Licence: | This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here |
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