Abstract
A relative sea-level curve over the Holocene is constructed for the Young Sound region in northeastern Greenland. The reconstruction is derived by dating the heights of raised beach ridges in coastal plains using optically stimulated luminiscence (OSL), and by dating palaeoterrestrial surface levels now buried beneath the intertidal frame using the 14C technique. The relative sea-level curve reveals a rapid fall of at least 10mm a-1 from ca. 9500 to 7500 a ago, which slowed to 2mm a-1 until it reached the present sea level ca. 3000 a ago. This part of the curve is based on the raised beach ridge data. Thereafter, relative sea level continued to fall, to reach a minimum level at about 0.5m below the present sea level ca. 2300 a ago. Since then, relative sea level has experienced a slow rise of about 0.2mm a-1. This part of the curve uses the data from the palaeoterrestrial surfaces. The study supplements other estimates of Holocene relative sea-level changes and supports the observations of a decreasing trend in the timing of the cross point and in minimum relative sea level from South to North Greenland.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Quaternary Science |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Pages (from-to) | 219-226 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| ISSN | 0267-8179 |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2011 |