Relative sea-level change in Newfoundland, Canada during the past ~3000 years
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Andrew Kemp, Alexander Wright, Robin Edwards, Robert Barnett, Matthew Brain, Robert Kopp, Niamh Cahill, Benjamin Horton, Dan Charman, Andrea Hawkes, Troy Hill, Orson van de Plassche, 'Relative sea-level change in Newfoundland, Canada during the past ~3000 years', 2018, Quaternary Science Reviews;, 201;, 1 December 2018;Download Item:
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Abstract:
Several processes contributing to coastal relative sea-level (RSL) change in the North Atlantic Ocean are
observed and/or predicted to have distinctive spatial expressions that vary by latitude. To expand the
latitudinal range of RSL records spanning the past ~3000 years and the likelihood of recognizing the
characteristic fingerprints of these processes, we reconstructed RSL at two sites (Big River and Placentia)
in Newfoundland from salt-marsh sediment. Bayesian transfer functions established the height of former
sea level from preserved assemblages of foraminifera and testate amoebae. Age-depth models constrained
by radiocarbon dates and chronohorizons estimated the timing of sediment deposition. During
the past ~3000 years, RSL rose by ~3.0mat Big River and by ~1.5mat Placentia. A locally calibrated
geotechnical model showed that post-depositional lowering through sediment compaction was minimal.
To isolate and quantify contributions to RSL from global, regional linear, regional non-linear, and localscale
processes, we decomposed the new reconstructions (and those in an expanded, global database)
using a spatio-temporal statistical model. The global component confirms that 20th century sea-level
rise occurred at the fastest, century-scale rate in over 3000 years (P > 0.999). Distinguishing the contributions
from local and regional non-linear processes is made challenging by a sparse network of reconstructions.
However, only a small contribution from local-scale processes is necessary to reconcile RSL
reconstructions and modeled RSL trends. We identified three latitudinally-organized groups of sites that
share coherent regional non-linear trends and indicate that dynamic redistribution of ocean mass by
currents and/or winds was likely an important driver of sea-level change in the North Atlantic Ocean
during the past ~3000 years.
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http://people.tcd.ie/edwardsrDescription:
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Author: Kemp, Andrew; Wright, Alexander; Edwards, Robin; Barnett, Robert; Brain, Matthew; Kopp, Robert; Cahill, Niamh; Horton, Benjamin; Charman, Dan; Hawkes, Andrea; Hill, Troy; van de Plassche, Orson
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Quaternary Science Reviews;201;
1 December 2018;
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sea level changeSubject (TCD):
Smart & Sustainable Planet , BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA , SALT-MARSH , SALTMARSH , relative sea-level changeDOI:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.10.012Licences: