Radiocarbon dating of shells from marine Holocene deposits in the Disko Bugt area, West Greenland

Abstract

Shells were collected from marine sediments in the area youth of Disko Bugt from various altitudes up to 50 m. Radiocarbon dates showed that only some of the shells were from sands and gravels formed at or near sea level and could be used to date the land/sea level changes. The shell dates show a regression from about 43 m at 7000 B.P. to about 8 m at 4000 B.P. All sediments with shells are Holocene in age, the oldest date being nearly 9000 B.P. The date of the Fjord Stage moraine in Orpigsoq is estimated at about 8000 B.P. on the basis of the altitude of the marine limit at 62 m. Extrapolations dated the older marine limits, falling from an altitude of 130 m to 80 m, at about 11,000 B.P. to 9000 B.P. These are approximate dates for the deglaciation of the area outside the Fjord Stage moraine. The distribution of shells in the sediments was shown to be largely dependent on habitat and water depth. At least some changes ill fauna were caused by a decrease of water depth due to the relative uplift of land. No tilting or warping of the land surface could he detected in the at‐ea about 100 km long from the coast towards the Inland Ice.