Modeling the effect of late Quaternary interglacial sea levels on wave-cut shore platforms

Abstract

Abstract A mathematical wave erosional model was used to study the effect of high sea levels during the penultimate (oxygen isotopic stage 7) and last interglacials (substage 5e), and in the late Holocene (stage 1), on the present morphology of wave-cut shore platforms. Sea level was considered to have been either the same as today or 2.25 m lower during the penultimate interglacial, and 2.25, 4.5 or 6.75 m higher than today during the last interglacial stage. The model suggested that inherited, gently sloping shore platforms in resistant rocks may be essentially protected today from erosion by high storm waves. The lowest platform gradients were in runs with mesotidal (3 m) range, and usually with low wave periods, low surf attenuation rates and weak rocks. Modern platform gradients increased with the difference in elevation between sea levels during successive interglacial stages. Shore platforms were widest in runs in which sea level was the same as today in the penultimate interglacial and 4.5 m higher than today during the last interglacial. Constant sea level, and high, last interglacial sea levels with considerable overlapping between the zones of high duration values between the mean neap high and low tidal levels in stages 7, 5e and 1, were conducive to the development of wide shore platforms, whereas sea levels lower than today's in stage 7 tended to produce narrower platforms. In general, higher sea levels during the last interglacial tended to produce higher cliff–platform junctions than constant sea level, unless the sea was lower than today during the penultimate interglacial stage. There was a lack of supratidal ledges in macrotidal (9 m) model runs with high initial gradients; this suggests that gently sloping, inherited shore platforms are essential for the subsequent development of supratidal, nonstructural ledges in high tidal environments during periods of higher sea level. Intertidal ledges developed in the upper portion of the modern intertidal zone, under a variety of tidal and sea level conditions. These ledges can develop independently of lithological or structural influences, and without any change in sea level. A single high sea level may also simultaneously produce two ledges at different supratidal elevations in mesotidal environments.