Holocene Coastal Changes Research Articles

Holocene coastal evolution and environmental changes in the lower Río Guadiaro valley, with particular focus on the Bronze to Iron Age harbour ‘Montilla’ of Los Castillejos de Alcorrín (Málaga, Andalusia, Spain)

AbstractPhoenicians were the first to systematically develop the area surrounding the Strait of Gibraltar at the end of the 9th century B.C. Following pioneering studies in the Río Guadiaro estuary (Málaga/Cádiz) in the 1980s, a German‐Spanish cooperation project focussed on the role of indigenous people in the Phoenician colonisation trading networks at Los Castillejos de Alcorrín (Manilva, Málaga), one of the most important Early Iron Age settlements in southwestern Iberia. In the recent past, combined with systematic archaeological surveys, geoarchaeological research embedded in the interdisciplinary project ‘Archeostraits’ aimed at (i) deciphering palaeoenvironmental and coastal changes in the surroundings of Los Castillejos de Alcorrín throughout the mid‐ to late Holocene; (ii) constraining palaeoenvironmental conditions during early Phoenician colonisation; and (iii) better understanding human–environment interactions during the Final Bronze and Early Iron Age (i.e., end of 9th and 8th centuries B.C.). Coring transects along the Río Guadiaro allowed for differentiating successive palaeoenvironments and for establishing a chrono‐stratigraphy for the Holocene sedimentary infill of the valley. Based on these results, the deposition of shallow marine sands, overlying deltaic deposits of alternating sand and mud, and the subsequent development of lagoonal conditions in the lower Guadiaro valley took place before the Phoenicians established the first settlements along the coast.

Diatom-based paleoenvironmental reconstruction from the coast of Northern Patagonia, Argentina

Estuaries and deltas are common along modern coasts and are well represented in the geologic record because of the high preservation of their deposits. Worldwide, estuaries are more abundant than deltas because of the relatively short time available for Holocene coastal sedimentation due to sea level variations. The evolution of estuaries and deltas during the recent geological past can be reliably reconstructed. Among others, paleostudies in estuaries aim to reconstruct sea level and freshwater input variations, and the timing and frequency of extreme events (e.g., tsunamis). A significant number of studies have been published in the past 20 years, which used preserved remains of microorganisms accumulated during long intervals in sediments. The preserved record of fossil remains evidences the response of microorganisms to environmental changes at the time of their deposition. Among the proxies preserved in sediments, diatoms are one of the most reliable bioindicators to trace environmental changes. Due to rapid reproduction rate under favourable conditions and their siliceous frustule, they are abundant in recent and older sediments from estuaries and deltas. In this manuscript, results from previous studies were reviewed, integrated and statistically analyzed with the aim to reconstruct Holocene coastal changes in relation to sea level curves. These studies were conducted along a latitudinal transect on four estuarine mesotidal systems from Northern Patagonia, Argentina: Colorado River delta (39°40′S; 62°08′W), San Blas Bay (40°33′S; 62°13′W), Negro River (40°57′S; 62°49′W) and Chubut River estuaries (43°22′S; 65°03′W). The focus is on the preserved diatom assemblages and the paleoecological information they represent. Seven coastal sedimentary cores were correlated. Based on multivariate analysis (NMDS), fossil and modern diatom assemblages were integrated and compared. These estuary systems are dominated by littoral drift, where the plains became flooded by the sea about 7000 14C years BP ago. When the sea transgression occupied the area, Colorado delta and San Blas Bay evolved from tidal channels flooded to tidal flats, sand flats and marshes during the late Holocene regression. At Colorado River, the gradually increase of the fluvial influence is associated with the eastward progradation of the deltaic lobe during the last ca. 7000 14C years BP. At the Negro River estuary, a shallow vegetated brackish/freshwater environment evolved into marine conditions, tidal channels and marshes during the last 2000 14C years BP. A marine coastal environment (estuary) at ca. 4400 14C years BP that evolved into a salt marsh was inferred at the inlet of the Chubut River. Diatom salinity-preferences showed how connections between the wetland and the sea varied over time with sea level changes and gradual infilling. Diatom-inferred paleoenvironments and radiocarbon dates allowed reconstruction of the coastline position to the east in the Early Holocene and to the west during transgressive-regressive events.

Holocene coastal environmental changes inferred by multi-proxy analysis from Lago Formoso sediments in Maranhão State, northeastern Brazil

Little is known about the history of the coastal environment in the northern part of northeastern Brazil and the role of sea level and climate change, as well as the human impact during the past. In order to shed more light on coastal ecosystem dynamics and its influencing factors, a 300 cm long sediment core has been taken from Lago Formoso (LF), located around 150 km distance from the present-day coast in Maranhão State. The core has been radiocarbon dated and analyzed by pollen, spores, charcoal, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD), LOI, and sedimentary characteristics. During the period from 7520 to 6230 cal yr BP occurred a dominance of mangrove vegetation, and a high relative sea level (RSL), indicating that the coast of the Atlantic Ocean was very close to the study area. The following period is characterized by an increased input of marine sediment into LF and vegetational succession, indicating a highstand of RSL between 5500 and 5020 cal yr BP. From 5020 to 2580 cal yr BP, dominant sandy sediments show chemical and mineralogical characteristic typical of continental sources. The study area was represented mainly by herbaceous and arboreal vegetation, while mangroves were absent, indicating an RSL decrease. The period between 2580 and 1350 cal yr BP is marked by the lower water table and the stronger presence of rainforest vegetation, and an increasing presence of palm trees, indicating the beginning of the human settlement. The last period, after 1350 cal yr BP, is marked by an even stronger anthropogenic influence in the study area, as the records of the stilt-house settlements also evidence it. These records together with others from the same region are the only evidence of stilts-houses from the pre-colonial period in South America.

Microfauna- and sedimentology-based facies analysis for palaeolandscape reconstruction in the back-barrier area of Norderney (NW Germany)

AbstractPalaeolandscape reconstructions at the German North Sea coast are essential for the understanding of coastal changes and dynamic landscape-forming processes. This study contributes to reconstructing Holocene coastal changes in the back-barrier area of the East Frisian island of Norderney and draws conclusions on the local palaeogeography. Five sediment cores were analysed in terms of sedimentology (grain-size distribution), geochemistry (TOC, TIC, N, C/N), microfauna (foraminifers and ostracods) and 13 radiocarbon dates. In order to identify driving environmental factors and support the facies interpretation, multivariate statistics (PCA) were carried out. Additional cores from the surrounding area (WASA Project and ‘Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie’ (LBEG) Hannover) enabled correlation of the investigated cores over a transect of ~6 km, showing six depositional environments, which can be used for landscape reconstruction. Deposition starts with periglacial (aeolian and glaciofluvial) Pleistocene sediments, with subsequent pedogenesis followed by swamp conditions that develop into a salt marsh. The overlying tidal-flat sediments are partially cut by (fossil and recent) channel deposits. A hiatus at the base of the tidal-flat deposits that spans some 3000 years hints at their reworking caused by a combination of antrophogenic coastal protection measures and the impact of storms. Furthermore, based on the profile correlation and the age data, a widespread salt-marsh area with a minimum age of ~4000 cal BP is defined for the ‘Hohes Riff’ in the southwestern back-barrier of Norderney Island.

Meadow, marsh and lagoon: Late Holocene coastal changes and human–environment interactions in northern Denmark

This paper presents a study of past coastline dynamics and their consequences for prehistoric societies living in the glacio‐isostatically uplifted central Limfjord area, northern Denmark. The consequences of the gradual relative sea level (RSL) changes have been investigated to develop a local RSL curve, study settlement patterns on newly exposed marine foreland, and estimate changes in the area and quality of grazing and forage for livestock. This was achieved by a multidisciplinary approach involving existing regional and local beach ridges dated by optically stimulated luminescence, a comprehensive database of archaeological finds, and extrapolation based on a digital elevation model. The beach‐ridge dates suggested a near‐linear local RSL change in the study area of ~1.2±0.2 m per 1000 years for the last 3000 years. Based on this, a palaeo‐coastline development model was produced that correlated well with a comprehensive database of archaeological finds. The model indicates that (i) few human settlements moved to the newly exposed marine foreland prior to modern times, though clusters of burial mounds (barrows) suggest that some of the new lands were colonized during the Late Roman Iron Age until 400 CE, (ii) winter‐flooded marine foreland with high‐quality livestock grazing increased steadily until c. 750 CE and then remained stable at approximately 150 km2, and (iii) due to high salinity of the inundating water, the palaeo‐Limfjord probably had Wadden Sea‐like fertile saltmarshes until c. 1 CE. The improved chronologies yield a better understanding of the spatial and temporal prehistoric human–nature interactions in the study area. The findings highlight the need for accurate local RSL curves in order to interpret concomitant terrestrial environment drivers and trajectories, and thereby understand causal relationships and consequences for prehistoric human–environment interactions in coastal areas.

Holocene coastal change at Luce Bay, South West Scotland

ABSTRACTCoastal change during the Mid‐ to Late Holocene at Luce Bay, South West Scotland, is examined using morphological, stratigraphic and biostratigraphical techniques supported by radiocarbon dating. Deglaciation left extensive sediments, providing a source for depositional coastal landforms. Glacio‐isostatic uplift resulted in the registration of evidence for former relative sea levels (RSLs), which support the pattern of Holocene RSL change for the northern Irish Sea as determined by shoreline‐based Gaussian trend surface models. The rate of RSL rise was rapid from before ca. 8600 to ca. 7800 cal a bp, but then slowed, changing by <3 m over the next 3000 years, a pattern reflected in the convergence of shorelines predicted in the models. By ca. 4400 cal a bp RSL was falling towards present levels. As these changes were taking place, coastal barriers developed and dunes formed across them. In the West of the Bay, a lagoon forming to landward of the barriers and dunes acted as a sediment sink for dune sand. Changes in the coastal landscape influenced the occupation of the area by early human societies. This study illustrates the value of combining an understanding of process geomorphology, RSL and archaeology in studies of coastal change.

Holocene coastal environmental changes and human occupation of the lower Hérault River, southern France

Sea-level rise, human impacts and climate change have deeply affected coastal environments during the Holocene. These forcing factors are studied using the Lower Hérault valley, which constitutes a very representative Mediterranean case study because of (i) its very early, intense and continuous land use since Neolithic times, and (ii) its sensitivity to sea-level rise and Mediterranean climate changes over a relatively small watershed. 34 cores and 61 AMS radiocarbon dates, associated with biological and geochemical analyses, have allowed us to precisely reconstruct the Holocene evolution of the lower valley. Until 6500 cal yr BP, a wave-dominated morphology and retrogradational dynamics were reconstructed. During this phase, ephemeral channels and successive river mouths formed and were rapidly submerged by sea-level rise. The progradational phase began after 6500 cal yr BP, and the alluvial plain gradually built seawards with the formation of a beachridge system outside the valley. Growth of the fertile alluvial plain was coeval with the development of Neolithic agriculture. This alluvial progradation gradually filled the estuary with advances of the mouths, several shallow lagoons and sandbar. The high density of information collected allows us to recognize, for the first time, a pronounced fluvial-dominated deltaic morphology, especially 3000 years ago, during the Bronze Age. Lagoonal and coastal shores were continually inhabited. Human land use continually adapted to geomorphological and environmental changes. Around 300 years ago, the delta shifted to a wave-dominated system.

Holocene coastal environmental change and ENSO-driven hydroclimatic variability in East Asia

Understanding the past natural behavior of coastal hydroclimates at multi-centennial time scales is essential for planning coastal strategies in preparation for anticipated climate change. We investigated the elemental and isotopic features of 10-m-long coastal sedimentary cores from Goheung Bay located on the southern coast of Korea to extract such natural variability. Based on the relationships among total organic carbon (TOC), total sulfur (TS) content, and their isotopic values (δ13CTOC and δ34STS), we reconstructed the long-term coastal evolution in the area and compared this with the reported Holocene sea level change. Time series data of the titanium (Ti)/aluminum (Al) ratio, as a proxy for riverine terrigenous input, revealed a strong link to terrestrial plant contribution, as indicated by δ13CTOC variability, suggesting past hydroclimatic change in the study area. The short-term variability of Ti/Al ratios correlated well with flooding events reconstructed for the Nakdong River in Korea. Moreover, periods in which the Ti/Al ratio was higher corresponded to those of stronger El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activity, suggesting ENSO-driven hydroclimatic changes in southern Korea. Especially, the periods of higher Ti/Al ratios during the late Holocene corresponded to a higher frequency of typhoon-driven overwash events along the southwestern coast of Japan. These similarities suggest that past freshwater input events along the southern coast of Korea were influenced considerably by typhoon-driven heavy rains during stronger ENSO activity. Spectral analysis of the Ti/Al ratios revealed significant periodicities of 1550, 780, 140, 120 and 105 years, suggesting centennial to millennial-timescale variability in hydroclimatic change and typhoon activity over East Asia.

Sediment supply and barrier dynamics as driving mechanisms of Holocene coastal change for the southern North Sea basin

The combined effects of climate change and human impact lead to regional and local coastal responses that pose major challenges for the future resilience of coastal landscapes, increasing the vulnerability of communities, infrastructure and nature conservation interests. Using the Suffolk coast, southeast England, as a case study, we investigate the importance of sediment supply and barrier dynamics as driving mechanisms of coastal change throughout the Holocene. Litho-, bio- and chronostratigraphic methods are used to decipher the mechanisms of coastal change from the record preserved within coastal stratigraphy. Results suggest that local coastal configuration and sediment supply were the most influential in determining coastal change during the mid- and late Holocene, against a background control of sea-level rise. The importance of sedimentological and morphological factors in shaping Holocene coastal changes in the southern North Sea basin must therefore be considered when using the database of evidence from this region as an analogue for future change under accelerated sea-level rise.

Human settlement and Mid-Late Holocene coastal environmental change at Cape Krusenstern, Northwest Alaska

Archaeologists hypothesize that mid-late Holocene environmental variability played a role in several significant western Arctic cultural developments including population fluctuations, the evolution of Arctic maritime adaptations, and Arctic-wide migrations. Further evaluation of these hypotheses requires higher resolution archaeological and paleoecological datasets than are currently available. In response, we undertook an interdisciplinary study at Cape Krusenstern, a large coastal site complex in northwest Alaska, which was occupied over the last ca. 5000–6000 years. Our goals were to refine local cultural and paleoenvironmental chronologies and to explore the question of how local environmental change may have influenced local settlement history. The resulting revised chronology and depositional units confirm and refine prior interpretation of the local archaeological settlement history. New geomorphological data on coastal environmental change and post-depositional modification of the Cape Krusenstern beach ridge system also provide information about patterns of archaeological site preservation, indicating periods of potentially poorer site preservation around 3990 cal BP; this informs interpretation of forager settlement data. Furthermore, our findings suggest that climate-driven changes in the coastal environment at Cape Krusenstern may not be as determinative in terms of landscape evolution as previously thought. Future work should focus on further investigating the relationship between beach ridge development and regional climatic patterns on a regional scale, as this has implications for use of beach ridges as a mid-late Holocene climate proxy. Continued efforts to build paleoenvironmental reconstructions of higher temporal and spatial resolution for the region will help address remaining questions about the relationship between local coastal environmental changes and regional patterns, and the impacts of these environmental shifts on local residents.

Holocene coastal changes along the Gironde estuary (SW France): new insights from the North Médoc peninsula beach/dune system

L’Amelie beach is located near the mouth of the Gironde estuary (south-western Atlantic coast of France). It has been greatly eroded by recent storms, especially in the winter of 2013-2014. Erosion of the dune front and beach has uncovered a set of estuarine and aeolian sediment deposits containing numerous archaeological remains. A campaign of topographic surveys was undertaken with DGPS and TLS equipment during the springs of 2014 and 2015 along the 2 km length of L’Amelie beach in order to reconstruct the elevation and stratigraphy of these deposits. Sedimentological analyses (grain size, micro-faunal) were performed to better constrain the depositional environment. Archaeological remains and several radiocarbon dates obtained from sediment samples collected in the field were used to propose a consistent chronological framework for this sedimentary sequence. Ten main lithofacies were distinguished from the lower part of the beach to the top of the dune. The base of the sedimentary sequence is composed of Pleistocene deposits dating from MIS 9 (unit 1a) to MIS 2 (unit 1b) (Bosq et al., 2019). The Holocene sedimentary infilling began around 5000 BC with an accumulation of coarse marine sands, which suggests the presence of a tidal inlet. On both sides of this tidal channel, archaeological remains dating from the early Neolithic period up to the Bronze Age testify to a human occupation of the coastal area. From ca. 5000 to ca. 3500 cal. a BP, a characteristic deposit of intertidal mudflats indicates the transformation of the tidal inlet into estuarine marshes protected by a coastal dune barrier. Between ca. 3500 and ca. 3000 cal. a BP, the dune barrier records a phase of erosion resulting in the exposure of the marsh to stronger hydrodynamic conditions. From ca. 2800 to 1650 cal. a BP, a second phase of estuarine sedimentation is recognized. This period is characterized by significant human occupation as indicated by the presence of numerous archaeological remains of the Iron Age and Gallo-Roman periods, associated with the exploitation of a saltwater-to-brackish environment. From 1650 to 1250 cal. a BP, the estuarine salt marsh is gradually overrun by northward migrating coastal-dune fields. After 1250 cal. a BP, the marsh is completely covered by aeolian sands. These results are consistent with previously published data and allow us to detail the local sequence of palaeogeographic changes of the north-Medoc peninsula. Using the ‘sea-level index points’ method (Hijma et al., 2015), the analysis of radiocarbon dated levels also provides new relative sea level records for this part of the French Atlantic coast. Finally, the phases of coastal dune activity/stability recognized along L’Amelie beach are synchronous with those in the wider Aquitaine coastal region, suggesting a regional driving factor. We propose that the shared sedimentary dynamics are the consequence of the onshore migration of intertidal and subtidal sand banks distributed at the mouth of the Gironde.

Fossil bog soils (‘dwog horizons’) and their relation to Holocene coastal changes in the Jade Weser region, southern North Sea, Germany

After the deceleration of the postglacial marine transgression, the German North Sea coast was subject to deposition of a complex pattern of subtidal to terrestrial facies. This study aims at reconstructing these facies changes in the ‘Land Wursten’ region (Lower Saxony) by focussing on so-called dwog horizons (incipient soil horizons of the pre-engineered salt marshes). We explore their implications for relative sea-level reconstructions and their indication for early settlement activities. Archive drilling data (1960, provided by the ‘Landesamt fur Bergbau, Energie und Geologie’) were analysed to create five high-resolution stratigraphic cross sections. Three new drilling records were subjected to sedimentological and microfaunal investigations and interpreted to verify and calibrate the archive data. Two dwog horizons were found and 14C-AMS dated. We found basal salt marsh deposits inundated by a high-energy event and covered by tidal flat sediments. The thick tidal flat unit is again overlain by salt marsh deposits indicating the transition from a shallow marine to a terrestrial environment where dwogs were developed and covered by episodic marine incursions. The ages of the dwogs (1128–969 cal BC; cal AD 1426–1467) do not correlate with known layers of adjacent settlement sites and are critically discussed. However, we show that they correlate with phases of stagnant regional relative sea level (RSL) and can be used as RSL indicators. The combined archive and modern data provide valuable information for the RSL reconstruction and palaeoenvironmental changes. However, further research is recommended to accomplish more detailed information about coastal response during the Holocene sea-level changes and implications for settlement dynamics.

Towards more robust chronologies of coastal progradation: Optically stimulated luminescence ages for the coastal plain at Moruya, south-eastern Australia

Accurate chronologies are fundamental for detailed analysis of palaeoenvironmental conditions, archaeological reconstructions and investigations of Holocene coastal morphological changes. Chronological data enable estimation of rates of shoreline progradation, and provide appropriate context for forecasting future coastal changes. A previously reported radiocarbon chronology for the Moruya coastal plain in south-eastern Australia indicated a decelerating overall rate of progradation with minimal net seaward shoreline movement in the past ~2500 years. Single-grain and multi-grain aliquot optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) analyses demonstrate that marine sands from this region have excellent luminescence characteristics. A series of OSL ages across this coastal barrier indicates a remarkably linear trend of Holocene shoreline progradation. The linear trend of seaward shoreline movement indicates that the barrier has grown at an average rate of 0.27 m/yr with successive ridge formation every ~110 years. The oldest ridge on the barrier appears to correspond to cessation of rapid post-glacial sea-level rise, and the large foredune at the seaward margin of the barrier is <400 years old. The contrast between the existing radiocarbon chronology and the OSL ages reported in this study implies the need for a more cautious interpretation of coastal barrier chronologies, in Australia and around the world, where they have been based on radiocarbon dating of shell hash.

Prograded foredunes of Western Australia's macro‐tidal coast – implications for Holocene sea‐level change and high‐energy wave impacts

AbstractThe Holocene evolution of the Canning Coast of Western Australia has largely been overlooked so far mainly due to its remoteness and low population density. We report on new data from a sequence of foredunes inside the macro‐tidal Admiral Bay, 110 km southwest of Broome. Based on sediment cores, differential global positioning system (dGPS)‐based elevation transects, and stratigraphical analyses on outcrops of the relict foredunes, we aim at reconstructing Holocene coastal changes and relative sea levels (RSLs), as well as identifying and dating imprints of extreme‐wave events. Sedimentary analyses comprise the documentation of bedding structures, foraminiferal content and macrofaunal remains, grain size distribution, and organic matter. The chronological framework is based on 26 carbon‐14 accelerator mass spectrometry (14C‐AMS) datings.Marine flooding of the pre‐Holocene surface landward of the 2.5 km‐wide foredune barriers occurred 7400–7200 cal bp, when mangroves colonized the area. After only 200–400 years, a high‐energy inter‐tidal environment established and prevailed until c. 4000 cal bp, before turning into the present supralittoral mudflat. During that time, coastal regression led to beach progradation and the formation of aligned foredunes. Drivers of progradation were a stable RSL or gradual RSL fall after the mid‐Holocene and a positive sand budget. The foredunes overlie upper beach deposits located up to >2 m above the present upper beach level and provide evidence for a higher mid‐Holocene RSL. Discontinuous layers of coarse shells and sand are intercalated in the foredunes, indicating massive coastal flooding events. One such layer was traced over three dune ridges and dated to c. 1700–1550 cal bp. However, it seems that most tropical cyclones induce net erosion rather than deposition at aligned foredunes and thus, they are only suitable for reconstructing temporal variability if erosional features or sedimentation reliably tied to these events can be identified and dated accurately. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Holocene coastal change and intertidal mollusc exploitation in the central mediterranean: variations in shell size and morphology at Grotta d’Oriente (Sicily)

Grotta d’Oriente, en la isla de Favignana (NW Italia, Sicilia), presenta evidencias de la explotación humana de los recursos marinos en el periodo cronológico correspondiente al Holoceno antiguo (Mesolítico y transición Mesolítico-Neolítico). Este hecho, se corresponde con el registro de cambios importantes en la costa, ocurridos durante el aislamiento de Favignana de Sicilia. Los depósitos mesolíticos y meso-neolíticos contienen abundantes restos de moluscos intermareales, que ofrecen la oportunidad de explorar los posibles efectos de la explotación humana y de los cambios ambientales en los tamaños de los principales taxones recolectados (Patella caerulea/ulyssiponensis y Osilinus turbinatus). Los resultados morfométricos revelan una disminución significativa en los tamaños de P. caerulea/ulyssiponensis entre la fase Mesolítica y Meso-neolítica, en relación con el momento de mayor explotación. Los datos de O. turbinatus, por el contrario, indican un cambio significativo en la forma que se refleja con conchas más altas y más bajas en el Mesolítico y Meso-Neolítico respectivamente. En el caso de P. caerulea/ulyssiponensis, las variaciones en las medidas parecen relacionadas sea con factores ambientales que con una posible intensificación de la recolección durante la fase Meso-neolítica, mientras que las variaciones en las conchas de O. turbinatus probablemente reflejan un cambio en la formación de la costa, que pasa de protegida a expuesta entre el Mesolítico y Meso-Neolítico respectivamente.

Mid–Late Holocene coastal environmental changes in southeastern Sri Lanka: New evidence for sea level variations in southern Bay of Bengal

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami highlighted the need to better understand the dynamics of the South Asian coastlines. Very little knowledge on paleo-coastal variability hinders the development of a paleo-tsunami chronology of the western Bay of Bengal. Also, limited sea level records for the southern Bay of Bengal are remarkably different from rest of the Indian Ocean due to alternating highstands and lowstands during mid–late Holocene.This study was undertaken to recognize how the coastal environment in tectonically stable eastern and southeastern coasts of Sri Lanka changed during mid–late Holocene and to derive evidence of sea level variability. Sediment cores were collected from Kirinda and Panama estuaries, Okanda lagoon and Vakarai beach ridge plain, situated on the eastern and southeastern coasts of Sri Lanka. Physical and chemical variations in sediments, caused by the coastal environmental changes occurred due to fluctuating eustatic sea level, were determined using X-ray fluorescence, visible reflectance, magnetic susceptibility and grain size. Chronology of events were developed using AMS 14C dates on bulk organic matter, wood, inorganic carbonate and mollusk shells.Results suggest that key periods of transition in the coastal environment in the studied area occurred between about 7300 and 3000 BP. Submergence of coastal environments by mid-Holocene transgression began around 7300 BP. Barrier development initiated at the end of the submergence phase around 4900 BP. Onset of beach ridge development in areas with high sediment supply took place around 4000 BP and continued later than 2400 BP. Marine influence ended around 3000 BP.These coastal environmental changes suggest that Holocene transgression, which started flooding southeastern coastal lowlands, either slowed or the sea level stabilized around 4900 BP. Sea level fell down to its present level at around 3000 BP by the subsequent slow regression. Some cores carry evidence for a possible pause in the transgression or a short lowstand that ended around 5200 BP.

The impact of the Late Holocene coastal changes on the rise and decay of the ancient city of Histria (southern Danube delta)

Histria (Istros) is one of the earliest Milesian colonies founded on the Black Sea coast during the archaic period (7th c. BC). Its remains are located within what is today the Razelm–Sinoe lagoon system which forms the southern part of the Danube Delta. During its 13 centuries of existence, Histria experienced an environment favourable for a prosperous economy (e.g. fishery, farming, grazing, pottery, marine trades) as indicated by numerous archeological finds from both in situ and elsewhere in the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea basins. Moreover, it benefited from a strategic position on an open-coast, which was easy to defend. Important environmental changes occurred both during and after the existence of the ancient city, and the most significant are related to major shoreline displacement.This study reports Late Holocene coastal landscape changes, from the open-coast stage to the present-day lagoon system, based on numerical age determination of the paleoshorelines, stratigraphic records by cores in lagoons and beach ridges and topographic surveys. A new chronological framework is established which reports younger ages than previously suggested for the coastal morphosedimentary units of the Histria region. Further, the findings shed new light upon the evolution of the southern part of the Danube delta. The results point to the development of an ancient deltaic lobe (Dunavăţ lobe, 2000–1300 BP, associated with the southernmost Danube distributary) which was situated 10–20 km north of the settlement. The lobe was subsequently reworked by waves, providing sediments which were accumulated downdrift (southward) as a continuous beach ridge plain (Saele–Chituc) in front of the city, leading to its isolation from the sea. The abandonment of Histria (7th c. AD) coincides with the decoupling of the city from the open coast as a consequence of the shoreline progradation. The new beach ridge plain (Saele–Chituc) is affected by intense neotectonic movements which led to the recent drowning of its central part and the formation of Sinoe lagoon; the same processes affected the downdrift part of the Dunavăţ lobe and Histria and Nuntaşi Lakes. The new sea-level curve obtained for the Histria region shows relative stability within the last four millennia, with oscillations within 0 to −2 m of the current level. This contradicts the concept of a marine regression (Phanagorian) which is suggested to have occurred during the 1st millennium BC. However, a few areas containing archeological remains are currently below sea-level owing to local neotectonics.

Holocene sea level rise, storms, and coastal change in southwestern Cuba

Holocene sea level rise, storms, and coastal change in southwestern Cuba

Holocene coastal vegetation changes at the mouth of the Amazon River

Wetland dynamics in the eastern Amazon region during the past 7000 years were studied using pollen, textural and structural analyses of sediment cores, as well as AMS radiocarbon dating. Four sediment cores were sampled from Marajó Island, which is located at the mouth of the Amazon River. Marajó Island is covered mainly by Amazon coastal forest, as well as herbaceous and varzea vegetation. Three cores were sampled from Lake Arari, which is surrounded by herbaceous vegetation flooded by freshwater. One core was sampled from a herbaceous plain located 15 km southeast of Lake Arari. Pollen preservation in the sedimentary deposits from this lake and from its drainage basin suggests significant vegetation changes on Marajó Island during the mid- and late-Holocene. Between 7328–7168 and 2306–2234 cal. yr BP, mangrove vegetation was more widely distributed on the island than it is today. During the past 2306–2234 cal. yr BP herbaceous vegetation expanded. Sedimentary structures and pollen data suggest a lagoon system until ~ 2300 cal. yr BP. The current distribution of mangroves along the Pará littoral, together with the presence of mangrove pollen and the sedimentary structures of the cores, indicates greater marine influence during the mid-Holocene. This may be attributed to the association between the eustatic sea-level change and the dry period recorded in Amazonia during the early- and mid-Holocene, followed by a wet phase over the past 2000 years.

Rapid Holocene coastal change revealed by high-resolution micropaleontological analysis, Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, USA

Foraminiferal analyses of 404 contiguous samples, supported by diatom, lithologic, geochronologic and seismic data, reveal both rapid and gradual Holocene paleoenvironmental changes in an 8.21-m vibracore taken from southern Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. Data record initial flooding of a latest Pleistocene river drainage and the formation of an estuary 9000 yr ago. Estuarine conditions were punctuated by two intervals of marine influence from approximately 4100 to 3700 and 1150 to 500 cal yr BP. Foraminiferal assemblages in the muddy sand facies that accumulated during these intervals contain many well-preserved benthic foraminiferal species, which occur today in open marine settings as deep as the mid shelf, and significant numbers of well-preserved planktonic foraminifera, some typical of Gulf Stream waters. We postulate that these marine-influenced units resulted from temporary destruction of the southern Outer Banks barrier islands by hurricanes. The second increase in marine influence is coeval with increased rate of sea-level rise and a peak in Atlantic tropical cyclone activity during the Medieval Climate Anomaly. This high-resolution analysis demonstrates the range of environmental variability and the rapidity of coastal change that can result from the interplay of changing climate, sea level and geomorphology in an estuarine setting.