Holocene Marine Deposits Research Articles

Age, height, and deformation of Holocene marine terraces at Mahia Peninsula, Hikurangi Subduction Margin, New Zealand

Mahia Peninsula is a prominent coastal landmark in eastern North Island and is the closest point of land in the North Island to the Hikurangi Trough, where the Pacific plate plunges beneath the subduction complex at the eastern margin of the Australian plate. Uplifted Holocene marine deposits of both estuarine and open beach affinities are found in many parts of the peninsula and provide the basis for Holocene tectonic characterization. Estuarine deposits record the later part of the postglacial transgression that culminated about 6500 years B.P. in New Zealand. The deposits have been differentially uplifted since that time at a rate of 2.5 ± 0.3 mm/yr in the central north coast area, decreasing to 0.7 ± 0.2 mm/yr about 6 km to the west. The coastal plain is characterised in many places by a stepped sequence of emergent shore platforms overlain by fossiliferous beach deposits. Extensive radiocarbon dating of samples from beach deposits shows that terraces in widespread parts of the peninsula are of five distinct ages. Each of the terraces is inferred to have formed in conjunction with a large prehistoric earthquake because of the stepped terrace morphology, clustering of ages on each terrace, differential uplift of terraces across the peninsula, and historic coseismic uplift events in this tectonic setting. Paleoseismic events of Mw 7.5–8.0 are estimated to have occurred approximately 250, ∼1600, ∼1900, ∼3500, and ∼4500 years B.P. Uplift distribution of the Holocene and late Pleistocene marine terraces shows that the peninsula lies on the west (gentle) flank of the active Lachlan anticline, which is cored by a major west dipping reverse fault (the Lachlan fault). Holocene active deformation at Mahia Peninsula and other coastal areas of eastern North Island is a continuation of structures developed in Pleistocene time in the landward part of the subduction complex adjacent to the Hikurangi subduction zone.

Neogene-Quaternary Sequence in Gujarat: A Review

Abstract The constituent rocks of Neogene are conglomerates, grits, silty sandstones, marls and argillaceous limestones. Marine Quaternaries are represented by the miliolite rocks of Saurashtra (Middle Pleistocene) and younger Holocene Rann sediments, mudflats and beach rocks. The transition of Neogene to Quaternary is not fully understood. Perhaps regressive conditions prevailed during the close of Pliocene and in the early Pleistocene. Evidences point to a bw strandline during the Lower Pleistocene. The Quaternary period is marked by two major transgressions-one in Ihe Middle Pleistocene and the other at the advent of Holocene. The Middle Pleistocene transgression gave rise to the miliolites, whereas the Holocene marine deposits are related to the last post glacial transgression. The Neogene-Quaternary sequence requires further examination, particularly the so-called Pliocene, Plio-Pleistocene and Lower Pleistocene rocks. As the N-Q sea levels were related to climatic changes, a close scrutiny of the onshore continental record just above the marine Neogene rocks might provide some information towards fixing the nature of transition of Neogene to Quaternary. It would be essential to apply alternative criteria such as palaecmagnetic and therrnoluminiscence measurements and radicmetric age determinations for obtaining a clearer picture.

6500 BP Oldsquaw Duck (<i>Clangula hyemalis</i>) from Northern Ellesmere Island, Arctic Archipelago, Canada

A nearly complete skeleton, including partially preserved feathers, of an Oldsquaw duck (Clangula hyemalis L.) was recovered from Holocene marine deposits in Clements Markham Inlet, Ellesmere Island, N.W.T., Canada. The specimen was 2 m lower in the section than allochthonous terrestrial plants previously dated at 6400 ± BP (Sl-4314) and is estimated to be 6500 years old. These deposits represent a marine, prodeltaic sedimentary environment that emerged from the fiord as the result of postglacial isostatic uplift. Comparison of the specimen's present elevation and age with the inlet's emergence curve indicates the duck was buried in a paleowater depth of 38 m. Isostatic uplift is ubiquitous in the Canadian Arctic, exposing ocean bottoms and prodeltas. The deposits from these environments deserve closer scrutiny for fossils by Quaternary scientists, as they can contribute to a better understanding of the biologic development of the Canadian Arctic.

掘削調査にもとづく伊豆半島南部における完新世相対的海水準変化

Excavations by drilling, mechanised digger, and peat-corer were carried out in two coastal lowoands near the southern tip of Izu Peninsula on the Pacific coast of central Japan. The Holocene relative sea-level change was determined by sediment facies, 14C dating and environmental assesment of the fauna in Holocene deposits.Izu Peninsula is situated at the northern tip of the Philippine Sea Plate which is being subducted beneath the Japanese island of Honshu at the Suruga Trough along the west coast of the peninsula. Because the tectonic setting is different from other areas facing subduction zones along the Pacific coast, the record at coastal uplift in the Quaternary might also be expected to differ.In the lower reaches of the Okamo River, approximately 5m amsl (above mean sea level), a borehole reached the base of the Holocene marine deposits at-11.3m amsl. Sediment facies analysis and 14C dates of shell and wood samples from the core indicate the transgression reached this location ca. 7, 500yBP, and was followed by a gradual increase in water depth accompanied by deposition of silt and clay, which continued until ca. 4, 000yBP. Water depth shallowed after this time, judged by sandy deposits containing an intertidal molluscan fauna. The upper limit of marine deposits is about 2.0m amsl. Emergence above marine condition is inferred to be younger than ca. 3, 000yBP, because the youngest 14C date of mollusc shells (3, 860yBP) is -5.2m amsl and Kawagodaira Pumice of ca. 2, 800 to 3, 200yBP age is about -1m amsl. In addition, 14C dates of mollusc shells have been obtained from -8.0m amsl (6, 490yBP) and -7.0m amsl (5, 400yBP). The wide-spread Ah tephra of ca. 6, 300yBP occurs at -9.1 to -9.2m amsl. The time of culmination of the Post-glacial (Jomon) transgression is widely believed to have occurred ca. 6, 000yBP but here marine deposits of that age are at -7 to -8m amsl. In most coastal areas of Japan the paleo sea level of ca. 6, 000yBP occurs at an altitude of 2 to 3m amsl or higher, as the highest Holocene marine terrace or emergent shoreline.The upper limit of marine deposits estimated by the sediment facies and molluscan and diatom analysis at three locations beneath the terrace along the Okamo River range from 2-3m amsl. The time of emergence of the terrace inferred from 14C dates of paet, just above marine deposits, and of molluscs within the uppermost marine bed at these locations, is 3, 000-2, 600yBP.At an altitude of less than 5m amsl in the lower reaches of the Aono River, about 4km southwest of the Okamo area, bore hole stratigraphy and 14C dates of wood and mollusc shells show that the transgression reached this location at ca. 14, 000yBP at the earliest. The upper limit of marine deposits in this lowland and the time of its emergence are estimated at about 2m amsl and ca. 2, 000yBP, respectively. Sparse data in this area suggest the upper limit of marine deposits may be slightly lower and younger than those in the Okamo area. The marine deposits of ca. 6, 000yBP are buried about -9m amsl.The presence of uplifted late Pleistocene marine terraces in the southern part of Izu Peninsula indicates a general tendency of uplift at this area through the late Pleistocene period. The present study revealed, however, that the area was subsiding from at least about 6, 000yBP until uplift began at 3, 000-2, 000yBP. The emergence of the two lowlands may have been due to coseismic uplift because the long-term subsidence appear to have reversed and uplift occurred almost simultaneously in both lowland areas.

Quaternary geology of parts of central and western North Greenland: a preliminary account

The whole region, perhaps except for northem Nansen Land, was covered by the Inland Ice in ?pre-Eemian time. A much younger stage, characterised by fresh moraines at the fjord mouths and along Robeson Kanal, is assigned a Late Weichselian age. Deglaciation began c. 10 000 years B.P. Reworked pre-Holocene shelIs are rather common, and Holocene marine deposits occur sporadieally. The marine limit varies from Co 125 m to c. 60 m.

Holocene marine deposits on the south coast of Viti Levu, Fiji

Holocene marine deposits on the south coast of Viti Levu, Fiji

銚子半島およびその周辺地域の完新世における環境変遷

The Choshi Peninsula, located at the eastern margin of the Kanto tectonic basin, is composed of a series of late Pleistocene marine terraces except for a small older bedrock hill, Mt. Atago. Near Cape Inubo at the eastern tip of the peninsula, the last interglacial terrace is about 60m high, and the average rate of uplift is estimated to be 0.4m/1, 000 years. Holocene terraces are developed in the valley of the Tone River flowing eastward on the north side of the peninsula, and in the Takagami lowland in the Choshi Peninsula (Fig. 1).Excavations were carried out in these Holocene terraces in order to take systematic samples for reconstruction of environmental changes based on facies observation, 14C dates, and analysis of biological assemblages. Along the Tone River (Fig. 2), the Holocene terrace is well developed, and its upper limit of marine deposits ranges from 4.0 to 5.0m amsl. It is estimated that this surface emerged earlier than ca. 3, 500y.B.P. at the latest, judging from the presence of an archeological site of the late Jomon Period. Stratigraphic sections based upon excavation and bore hole are shown in Fig. 3.Takagami lowland, at an altitude of 9-10m amsl (Fig. 4), is overlain by a terrestrial peat bed up to 5m in thickness. The upper limit of the marine deposits, identified by facies observation and diatom analysis, is 4.8m amsl at the eastern margin of the lowland and is slightly lower northwestward (Figs. 5 and 6). In contrast with the unidirectional slope of the surface topography (Fig. 4), the basal topography beneath the Holocene marine deposits includes two buried valleys sloping in opposite directions (Fig. 5), and a former divide is found near Loc. 10. The eastward-sloping buried valley is called “Paleo Takagami Bay”. While the westward-sloping valley is filled with sandy deposits, Paleo Takagami Bay is filled with fine marine silt or clay deposited in a bay-head of a shallow drowned valley. 14C dates from Paleo Takagami Bay are 8, 380 and 10, 410y.B.P. for the basal marine deposits, 6, 520, 6, 960 and 5, 220y.B.P. for an analyzed marine clay, and six dates from the base of overlying peat deposit ranging from 6, 600 to 3, 580y.B.P. (Fig. 5 and Table 1). The transgression resulting in deposition of the marine sediments mentioned above is correlated with the post-glacial (Jomon) transgression. The emergence of Paleo Takagami Bay is considered to have taken place immediately prior to the deposition of the lowest part of the peat, that is, ca. 5, 000-5, 500y.B.P.Analysis of assemblages of molluscs, ostracods, diatoms and pollen from the longest core of Loc. 2 permits the reconstruction of the paleoecology of Paleo Takagami Bay during the Holocene (Fig. 7). Using molluscan assemblage as an example, a brackish water or shallow-marine assemblage from the intertidal zone is found in the lower part of the core. In the middle part of the core, an assemblage consisting of species common to a muddy bottom deeper than several meters predominates. The upper part of the core includes the shallow-marine assemblage characteristic of the base of the core as well as other assemblages characteristic of a shallow, sandy-bottom intertidal environment. Changes in water depth and environment deduced from the molluscan assemblages are concordant with those estimated from the analysis of diatoms, ostracods, and pollen. The upper limit of marine deposits obtained by different indices (Fig. 7) shows a good agreement, that is 3.3m amsl by facies observation, 2.3m by molluscan assemblages, 1.8m by ostracods, and 3.3m by diatoms.Three stages in the paleogeographic evolution of the Choshi Peninsula are depicted in paleogeographic maps in Fig. 8. Stage I is the early stage of the Jomon transgression.

Upper Pleistocene and Holocene marine deposits and faunas on the north coast of Nûgssuaq, West Greenland

Field relations and the composition of the Quaternary molluscan and barnacle faunas at Pátorfik, Kûtsiaq and Sarfâgfik on the north coast of Nûgssuaq, West Greenland, are described. The marine Quaternary deposits at Pátorfik are older than 35 000 years. The lower part of the deposits seems to represent a prodelta environment, whereas the middle and upper parts apparently correspond to a delta slope. The rich fauna and the field relations differ essentially from what we know from other localities in Greenland where Late Wisconsian or Holocene marine fossiliferous deposits have been found. The faunal composition indicates prevailing water temperatures during deposition similar to those at the boundary between the arctic and boreal faunal regions today and somewhat higher than those in Umanak Fjord at present. It is suggested that the Pátorfik deposits were formed during the last interglacial stage (Sangamon/Eemian). The marine beds at Kûtsiaq and Sarfâgfik are of Early Holocene ages and apparently represent delta deposits.

Seismic reflection profiling in very cShallow waters in the upper Waitemata Harbour, New Zealand

Abstract A marine seismic reflection survey was conducted in the upper Waitemata Harbour, using a high-resolution acoustic prafiling system. The depths to the identified seismic reflectors agree dosely with the measured strata depths from borehole data, the differences between the two sets having a standard deviation of ± O-9 m. This is despite the paar signal-to-noise ratio resulting hecause the water depth was at tirnes less than 2 m. The structure of the area is complex, but three principal stratifications have been identified. Waitemata Formation sandstones of the Miocene Period are overlain by Pleistocene materials (days and silts, with mucl- fine sand), which vary in thickness fram 0 to more than 30 m. Most of the area is covered with up to 18 rn of Recent marine deposits, typically a very soft, silty day. Each zone, especially the Pleistocene, exhibits internal structure. The two rnajor boundaries have been contoured. Two anomalous features were recorded in the Recent marine sedirnents : astrang re...

Holocene Shell Bed in Imari City, Saga Prefecture, Kyûshû, Japan

The Holocene marine deposits, here called the Imari Shell Bed, was exposed by digging for construction of a water reservoir near the head of Imari Bay, northwestern Kyushu. The marine deposits measure 3.4 meters in thickness and its upper surface is 0.4 meters above the sea level. The deposits consist mainly of silty sediments in which abundant marine molluscan shells and poorly carbonized plant fragments are contained.The molluscan fauna comprised of 22 species (Table 3), including eight of gastropods, one of scaphopods and 13 of pelecypods. All of these species are dwellers of an embayment environment and are known to range from the high tide down to the shallow neritic zone. Among the distinguished species, Anadara granosa bisenensis has been accepted as an index subspecies marking the Holocene transgression phase in Japan. Although no diatom fossils were discovered in the shell bed, pollen and spore fossils could be extracted from the silty sediments, and these are listed in Table 5. The fossil floras points to a warm climate during deposition of the Imari Shell Bed.The radiocarbon dating on the carbonized wood piece occurred from the upper part of the Imari Shell Bed indicates an age of 4430±85 yrs. B.P. (GaK-4486).A relict sea cliff characterized by such erosive features as, notch, pit, cave, crevice and overhang is well preserved along the inner margin of the alluvial plain of the Imari Bay area, and occur up to about four meters above sea level. Honeycomb structures were also recognized in the cliff.From the paleontological and topographical evidences, it is considered that the Imari Shell Bed was deposited during the rising of sea-level up to less than four meters above the present sea level. This marine transgression probably corresponds to the middle stage of the Jomon Period.

The Effect of Interfacial Films on the Displacement of Oil by Water Porous Media

Abstract Many crude oils contain surface active compounds that will collect at an oil-water interface to form a rigid film. Since interfacial forces are important in the displacement of oil by water in reservoir rock, the presence of rigid films in the reservoir could alter the recoverable oil by water invasion. Experimental work in water-wet Porous media indicates that the presence of interfacial films decrease the amount of recoverable oil in highly heterogeneous porous medial but usually has no effect in nearly homogeneous systems. Introduction It is generally accepted today that petroleum is derived from sedimentary organic matter. Meinschein, working with several soils and recent marine deposits, found that nonhydrocarbon organic compounds, similar to compounds found in living things, made up about 80 percent of the extracted organic material. Porphyrins, percent of the extracted organic material. Porphyrins, amino acids, and sulfur compounds were the main constituents found. Amino acids are the basic units of protein and, as such, are an essential part of all organisms. Erdman shows several possible reactions for the conversion of amino acids and carbohydrates to the common low molecular weight hydrocarbons. Baker, as well as Hodgson and Hitchon, gives evidence that complex natural organic compounds act as "solubilizers" to allow the movement of hydrocarbons by ground water from the source bed to the reservoir. Trace amounts of soluble polar organic compounds are usually found in reservoir water. Thus, the high molecular weight surface active material found in crude oils (such as the porphyrinmetal complexes, esters, ketones, aldehydes, porphyrinmetal complexes, esters, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids and organic nitrogen compounds) are probably remnants of the organic matter from which the crude oil originated. With many crudes, the presence of significant quantities of surface active material can result in the formation of a rigid film at an oil-water interface. If the interfacial area is reduced, the film will often wrinkle, indicating the formation of a solid membrane. The presence of film material has an important effect in the formation and stability of oilfield emulsions, and in the deposition of paraffin in oilfield equipment. Fig. 1 is a paraffin in oilfield equipment. Fig. 1 is a photograph taken during a microscopic examination photograph taken during a microscopic examination of film material obtained after breaking a water-in-oil emulsion. Shown in the photograph are ruptured film sacs that once stabilized two droplets of water in the emulsion. Interfacial forces are important in the displacement of oil by water in reservoir rock, and the presence of rigid Elms could alter these forces. Since much of the available laboratory data on the displacement of oil by water in porous media was obtained using relatively pure water and oil, the effect of rigid films should be known if we are to apply these data to reservoir systems.

Proposed Model for Cenozoic Sedimentary History of Bering Sea: ABSTRACT

The Bering Sea consists of an abyssal basin and a large continental shelf area. The basin apparently was isolated from the Pacific Ocean by the development of the Aleutian ridge near the end of Cretaceous time; the continental shelf area first became submerged near the middle of the Tertiary Period. It is postulated that the sediment eroded from Alaska and Siberia during Cenozoic time (1) was trapped mainly in subsiding basins on the Bering shelf during the Tertiary, (2) was collected mostly in continental rise and abyssal plain deposits of the deep Bering Sea during the low sea levels of the Quaternary, and (3) was transported generally from the Bering shelf northward through the Bering Straits during periods of high sea levels in Pleistocene and Holocene times. Basin-filling was dominated by continental sedimentation in the early Tertiary and by marine deposition in the later Tertiary. Miocene uplift of the Alaska Range more than doubled the drainage area of the Yukon River and established it as the dominant river source (up to 90%) of the Bering Sea; this greatly increased sedimentation in the submergent basins. Subaerial drainage of this and other major river sediment sources during the glacial stages of the Pleistocene resulted in channeling great amounts of sediment across the shelf to the deep Bering Sea basin and cutting of the largest submarine canyons in the world. Occurrence of the thin Holocene marine deposits near the present Yukon delta, of mainly relict sediments in the northern Bering Sea north of St. Lawrence Island, and of several meters of Holocene sediment in the Chukchi Sea permits speculation that now, as in the past, large volumes of Yukon sediment are flushed from the northern Bering Sea into the Chukchi Sea. End_of_Article - Last_Page 629------------

Recent marine deposits from Cape Barne, McMurdo sound, Antarctica

Abstract A marine deposit has been discovered at 30 m above sea level near Cape Barne. A faunal analysis indicates that it was probably deposited in 180 m (100 fm) of water, and a C-14 determination indicates that it is approximately 35,000 yr old. This age places the time of deposition in one of the mid-Wiirm interstadials of Europe. It is concluded that this deposit has been elevated to its present position through isostatic rebound following the removal of an ice sheet which extended to at least 300 m above the present sea level.

Problems on the Lithological Facies and Subdivision of the so-called Alluvial Marine Deposits in Japan

It is current opinions in Japan that the Alluvial or Holocene marine deposits distributed in the coastal regions are represented by younger deposits than the Wurm maximum. In this paper, the writers made a discussion on the lithological facies and subdivision of the marine deposits, based on the results of study in Tokyo and western Kyushu, as follows:-(1) In the lowland area of Tokyo, the so-called Alluvial deposits are subdivided into three lithological units, namely I, II, and III formaions as shown in Fig. 1. Among these, the third one is correlated with the Pleistocene volcanic ash, as judged from the mineralogical analysis and radiocarbon dating.(2) In the Ariake and Shiranui Bay areas, western Kyushu, the Alluvial deposits are subdivided into the Ariake and the Shimabarakaiwan formations respectively.(3) From the results of the analyses on micro-fossil fauna, mineral composition, chemical components and engineering properties of the announced formations (Figs. 2 and 3), it would be emphasized that the so-called Alluvial marine deposits may be subdivided into two major lithological or stratigraphical units. The interrelation between the units is considered to be unconformable which might have resulted from the lowering of sea level.

Recent Marine Deposits Near Basrah

Relative to a paper by R. G. S. Hudson and others, it is pointed out that silty clays which correlate well within the Hammar formation occur in the vicinity of Najaf, Iraq, indicating that Recent marine transgression may have extended that far.

The Fauna of Some Recent Marine Deposits Near Basrah, Iraq

AbstractThe fauna, mainly small gastropods and lamellibranchs, of the sands and silts (the Hammar Formation) occurring near the surface in various borings in the Basrah area is shown to be marine and of Recent age. It is suggested that the Persian Gulf sea in Recent times extended a considerable distance north of its present shoreline: its silting-up is considered to be due to cessation of subsidence. The subsequent geography of the area, with its fluviatile, lacustrine, and estuarine sediments, is possibly due to localized subsidence and elevation.

On the Occurrence of Fish Remains in Fossil and Recent Marine Deposits

The number of fish remains occurring in fossil marine deposits varies within wide limits. In many deposits they are rather scarce, sometimes even wholly absent, whereas in some deposits they are common or abundant. According to DEECKE (1913, p. 90) they are scarce in many mesozoic marls, and they are wanting even completely in the devonian Helderberg and Oriskany beds and in the jurassic Opalinus and Renggeri clays. The deposits with a. great number of fish remains are divided by DEECKE into different groups. (The groups that refer to brackish and to supersaline water I shall leave out of consideration). The most important group is represented by certain finegrained sediments that probably were deposited near to the shore; very often these are shales (PAUCA, 1933, p. 11). Many of these socalled fish shales are bituminous (permian Kupferschiefer, triassic fish shales of the eastern Alps and Italy, miocene Monterey shales of California, etc.). Besides isolated parts of fish these shales often contain more or less complete specimens.

東京市の鑿泉水に含まれる化学成分に就て

The writer studied some chemical ingredients (Cl', CaO and KMnO4-cons.) of the waters from the deep-bored wells generally 30-40m deep, occa ionally as deep as 120m. The data are supplied by the Hygienic Laboratory of Tokyo City.Attention should be paid to the fact that the amounts of mineral contents, such as total solids, chlorides and calcium oxide, dissolved in the ground water of the region along Tokyo Bay are very large, while those from western upland, Musasino, are extremely small.The distribution of the chlorides in water is closely related with the distribution of fossil valleys which are found 30-40m below the present sea level, overlain by the recent marine deposits.

The Influence of the Desert on the Deposits in the Red Sea

THE study of recent sediments has yielded important data bearing on the extent and conditions of deposition in ancient seas, but the collection of similar data relating to the ancient continents is more difficult. However, one may find in marine deposits some indirect evidence of the constitution of the neighbouring continents. The effect of the proximity of deserts on the composition of recent marine deposits does not appear to have been studied. With a view to collecting data bearing on this particular point, I have made an examination of the deposits of the Red Sea.

On the Glacial Phenomena of the Long Island, or Outer Hebrides. Second Paper

On the Glacial Phenomena of the Long Island, or Outer Hebrides. Second Paper