Postglacial crustal movements in southwestern British Columbia and adjacent Washington state

Abstract

Records of former land–sea relationships in southwestern British Columbia and adjacent Washington State have been established in considerable detail by terrestrial and marine stratigraphy, by terrestrial and littoral landforms, and by archeological remains, aided by radiocarbon dating of shells, wood, peat, and charcoal from critical sites. These records indicate submergent conditions at the time of retreat of the Vashon ice sheet, 13 000 y ago, followed by an unusually quick emergence of several hundred feet by about 12 000 y ago. In the north-east and north of the area studied, this emergence was followed by a submergence of some hundreds of feet during the next half millennium preceding the Sumas ice advance. During and following this ice advance, land again became emergent, and during the period 9 000 to 6 000 y ago sea level stood approximately 35 ft (10 m) below the present shore in some parts of the area. The shore has stood close to its present level for the last 5 500 y in all parts of the area.Early movements were dominantly isostatic. The pre-Sumas submergence is of problematical origin. Sea level shifts since 8 000 y ago appear to be dominantly eustatic; isostatic movements were evidently essentially complete by this time. In historic time very small changes shown by tide gauges and precise levelling may be tectonic.