Holocene Sea Level History and Neotectonics of the United States Mid-Atlantic Region: Applications and Corrections

Abstract

Published local relative Holocene sea level histories, derived from various dated materials at positions along the United States east coast, fail to agree on the timing and magnitude of sea level change. Published eustatic curves suffer the same disagreement and have lead to recent declarations in the literature that a true eustatic history is unattainable. This has been generally accepted by workers in light of the myriad of complicating factors which have been identified as influencing the position of sea level through time. In this study, a single local relative sea level curve (Kraft 1976) has been analyzed for elevation and temporal errors resulting from fine sediment compaction, paleotidal-range, and neotectonic phenomena. Additionally, the cross-latitude history of vertical crustal velocity along the United States east coast is suggested as providing a means of correlating adjacent curves which have been corrected in such a manner. This enhances the applicability of a local relative curve for purposes of understanding the regional sedimentology and stratigraphy associated with Holocene sea level rise. It is suggested that the pursuit of eustasy may best be conducted through the use of corrected, globally distributed, local relative sea level histories which together define regional trends and non-eustatic factors. In this way the histories of eustatic and non-eustatic phenomena may be separated.