Origin and Geomorphology

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas S. Bianchi
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Interglacial Period ◽  
Continental Margins ◽  
Before Present ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
The Past ◽  
Constant Rate ◽  
Geologic Record ◽  
The U.S

Geologically speaking, estuaries are ephemeral features of the coasts. Upon formation, most begin to fill in with sediments and, in the absence of sea level changes, would have life spans of only a few thousand to tens of thousands of years (Emery and Uchupi, 1972; Schubel, 1972; Schubel and Hirschberg, 1978). Estuaries have been part of the geologic record for at least the past 200 million years (My) BP (before present; Williams, 1960; Clauzon, 1973). However, modern estuaries are recent features that only formed over the past 5000 to 6000 years during the stable interglacial period of the middle to late Holocene epoch (0–10,000 y BP), which followed an extensive rise in sea level at the end of the Pleistocene epoch (1.8 My to 10,000 y BP; Nichols and Biggs, 1985). There is general agreement that four major glaciation to interglacial periods occurred during the Pleistocene. It has been suggested that sea level was reduced from a maximum of about 80 m above sea level during the Aftoninan interglacial to 100 m below sea level during the Wisconsin, some 15,000 to 18,000 y BP (figure 2.1; Fairbridge, 1961). This lowest sea level phase is referred to as low stand and is usually determined by uncovering the oldest drowned shorelines along continental margins (Davis, 1985, 1996); conversely, the highest sea level phase is referred to as high stand. It is generally accepted that low-stand depth is between 130 and 150 m below present sea level and that sea level rose at a fairly constant rate until about 6000 to 7000 y BP (Belknap and Kraft, 1977). A sea level rise of approximately 10 mm y−1 during this period resulted in many coastal plains being inundated with water and a displacement of the shoreline. The phenomenon of rising (transgression) and falling (regression) sea level over time is referred to as eustacy (Suess, 1906). When examining a simplified sea level curve, we find that the rate of change during the Holocene is fairly representative of the Gulf of Mexico and much of the U.S. Atlantic coastline (Curray, 1965).

scholarly journals AN APPROACH TO THE CONTRIBUTION OF ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIONS FOR THE ARARUAMA LAGOONAL SYSTEM (SE BRAZIL) GEOMORPHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION / UMA ABORDAGEM SOBRE A INFLUÊNCIA ANTROPOGÊNICA NA EVOLUÇÃO GEOMORFOLÓGICA DO SISTEMA LAGUNAR DE ARARUAMA (SE, BRASIL)

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-120
Author(s):  
Olegário Nelson Azevedo Pereira ◽  
Maria Antonieta Da Conceição Rodrigues ◽  
João Manuel Alveirinho Dias
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Historical Documents ◽  
Before Present ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Economic Exploitation ◽  
Se Brazil ◽  
Geomorphological Evolution ◽  
Janeiro State ◽  
Cabo Frio

The first studies regarding the constitution of the Araruama lagoonal system, located in the Rio de Janeiro state (SE Brazil), were carried out by Alberto Ribeiro Lamego. This author supported the thesis that it had resulted from the formation of a sand barrier (called Massambaba) due to the longitudinal transport of large quantities of sediments through coastal drift currents, and the growth of spits parallel to the shoreline. However, most recent studies largely rejected it, sustaining that the confinement of these hydric environments was the result of the growth of two sand barriers during the Pleistocene and Holocene times (120.000 to 7.000 years before present - BP) due to the sea level changes. The hypothesis that we suggest, is that both propositions are acceptable and complementary. This study aims to demonstrate that, despite the opinions on the formation of the double sand barrier, deposition of sediments by coastal drift currents at the end of the Holocene, and especially in recent chronologies, also contributed to the establishment of this lagoon system. In our opinion, the increased sediment supplies due to human activities contributed to the formation of the inner spits and the nearby sea sandbar. Its orientation was influenced by the existence of the island of Cabo Frio, that allowed the formation of the tombolo that almost connected it to the continent. Through the analysis of historical and cartographic documents related to the colonization and economic exploitation of the region, it is evident that the anthropogenic actions played a significant role in the sandy spits formation. Of these, special emphasis is placed on the agriculture and deforestation that contributed to the increase of sedimentary accumulation. This work demonstrate that the analysis of historical documents can provide information and contribute to the understanding of recent coastal developments. ResumoOs primeiros estudos sobre a constituição do sistema lagunar de Araruama, localizado no estado do Rio de Janeiro (SE Brasil), foram realizados por Alberto Ribeiro Lamego. Este autor apoiou a tese de que este sistema lagunar resultou da formação de uma barreira arenosa (denominada Massambaba) na sequência do transporte longitudinal de grandes quantidades de sedimentos através das correntes costeiras de deriva litorânea e ao crescimento de flechas arenosas paralelas à linha de costa. No entanto, estudos mais recentes, rejeitaram amplamente esta hipótese, e sugeriram que o confinamento desses ambientes lagunares resultou do crescimento de duas barreiras arenosas na sequência de mudanças no nível do mar ocorridas durante os períodos Pleistocénicos e Holocênico (120.000 a 7.000 anos antes do presente - BP). A hipótese que sugerimos é que ambas as hipóteses são aceitáveis e complementares. Este estudo tem como objetivo demonstrar que, apesar das opiniões sobre a formação da dupla barreira de areia, a deposição de sedimentos por correntes de deriva costeira no final do Holoceno, e principalmente em cronologias recentes, também contribuiu para o estabelecimento deste sistema lagunar. Em nossa opinião, o aumento do fornecimento de sedimentos devido às atividades humanas contribuiu para a formação das flechas arenosas interiores e do banco de areia exterior, próximo do mar. A sua orientação foi influenciada pela existência da ilha de Cabo Frio, que permitiu a formação do tombolo que quase a conectou ao continente.Através da análise de documentos históricos e cartográficos relacionados com a colonização e exploração econômica da região, evidencia-se que as ações antropogênicas tiveram um papel significativo na formação das flechas arenosas. De entre estas, salienta-se especialmente a agricultura e o desmatamento que contribuíram para o aumento da acumulação sedimentar. Este trabalho evidencia que a análise de documentos históricos pode fornecer informações e contribuir para a compreensão da evolução recente do litoral.

Gas hydrate destabilization and sea-level changes: insights from Miocene seep carbonate deposits of the northern Apennines (Italy)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Fontana ◽  
Stefano Conti ◽  
Chiara Fioroni ◽  
Claudio Argentino
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Gas Hydrate ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Accretionary Prism ◽  
Northern Apennines ◽  
Hydraulic Pressure ◽  
Continental Margins ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Level Lowering ◽  
Hydrate Stability

<p>The effects of global warming on marine gas hydrate stability along continental margins is still unclear and discussed within the scientific community. Long-term datasets can be obtained from the geological record and might help us better understand how gas-hydrate reservoirs responds to climate changes. Present-day gas hydrates are frequently associated or interlayered with authigenic carbonates, called clathrites, which have been sampled from many continental margins worldwide. These carbonates show peculiar structures, such as vacuolar or vuggy-like fabrics, and are marked by light δ<sup>13</sup>C and heavy δ<sup>18</sup>O isotopic values. Evidences of paleo-gas hydrate occurrence are recorded in paleo-clathrites hosted in Miocene deposits of the Apennine chain, Italy, and formed in different positions of the paleo foreland system: in wedge-top basins, along the outer slope of the accretionary prism, and at the leading edge of the deformational front. The accurate nannofossil biostratigraphy of sediment hosting paleo-clathrites in the northern Apennines allowed us to ascribe them to different Miocene nannofossil zones, concentrated in three main intervals: in the Langhian (MNN5a), in the upper Serravallian-lower Tortonian (MNN6b-MNN7) and the upper Tortonian-lowermost Messinian (MNN10-MNN11). By comparing paleo-clathrite distributions with 3<sup>rd</sup> order eustatic curves, they seem to match phases of sea-level lowering associated with cold periods. Therefore, we suggest that the drop in the hydraulic pressure on the plumbing system during sea-level lowering shifted the bottom of the gas hydrate stability zone to shallower depths, inducing paleo gas-hydrate destabilization. The uplift of the different sectors of the wedge-top foredeep system during tectonic migration might have amplified the effect of the concomitant eustatic sea-level drop, reducing the hydrostatic load on the seafloor and triggering gas-hydrate decomposition. We suggest that Miocene climate-induced sea-level changes played a role in controlling gas hydrate stability and methane emissions along the northern Apennine paleo-wedge, with hydrate destabilization roughly matching with sea-level drops and cooling events.</p><p> </p>

Saltmarshes in a time of change

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Adam
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Tidal Range ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Ecological Value ◽  
Relative Sea Level ◽  
Global Sea Level ◽  
The Tropics

Saltmarshes are a major, widely distributed, intertidal habitat. They are dynamic systems, responding to changing environmental conditions. For centuries, saltmarshes have been subject to modification or destruction because of human activity. In this review, the range of factors influencing the survival of saltmarshes is discussed. Of critical importance are changes in relative sea level and in tidal range. Relative sea level is affected by changes in absolute sea level, changes in land level and the capacity of saltmarshes to accumulate and retain sediment. Many saltmarshes are starved of sediment because of catchment modification and coastal engineering, or exposed to erosive forces, which may be of natural origin or reflect human interference. The geographical distribution of individual saltmarsh species reflects climate, so that global climatic change will be reflected by changes in distribution and abundance of species, although the rate of change in communities dominated by perennial plants is difficult to predict. Humans have the ability to create impacts on saltmarshes at a range of scales from individual sites to globally. Pressures on the environment created by the continued increase in the human population, particularly in developing tropical countries, and the likely consequences of the enhanced greenhouse effect on both temperature and sea level give rise to particular concerns. Given the concentration of population growth and development in the coastal zone, and the potential sensitivity of saltmarsh to change in sea level, it is timely to review the present state of saltmarshes and to assess the likelihood of changes in the near (25 years) future. By 2025, global sea level rise and warming will have impacts on saltmarshes. However, the most extensive changes are likely to be the direct result of human actions at local or regional scales. Despite increasing recognition of the ecological value of saltmarsh, major projects involving loss of saltmarshes but deemed to be in the public interest will be approved. Pressures are likely to be particularly severe in the tropics, where very little is known about saltmarshes. At the local scale the cumulative impacts of activities, which individually have minor effects, may be considerable. Managers of saltmarshes will be faced with difficult choices including questions as to whether traditional uses should be retained, whether invasive alien species or native species increasing in abundance should be controlled, whether planned retreat is an appropriate response to rising relative sea level or whether measures can be taken to reduce erosion. Decisions will need to take into account social and economic as well as ecological concerns.

scholarly journals What Caused the Accelerated Sea Level Changes Along the U.S. East Coast During 2010–2015?

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Domingues ◽  
Gustavo Goni ◽  
Molly Baringer ◽  
Denis Volkov
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
The U.S

Middle and Late Holocene Sea-Level Changes in Eastern Maine Reconstructed from Foraminiferal Saltmarsh Stratigraphy and AMS 14C Dates on Basal Peat

1999 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.Roland Gehrels
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Tidal Range ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
The Past ◽  
Amplitude Fluctuations ◽  
Vertical Distributions ◽  
Low Amplitude ◽  
Long Term Trend

A relative sea-level history is reconstructed for Machiasport, Maine, spanning the past 6000 calendar year and combining two different methods. The first method establishes the long-term (103 yr) trend of sea-level rise by dating the base of the Holocene saltmarsh peat overlying a Pleistocene substrate. The second method uses detailed analyses of the foraminiferal stratigraphy of two saltmarsh peat cores to quantify fluctuations superimposed on the long-term trend. The indicative meaning of the peat (the height at which the peat was deposited relative to mean tide level) is calculated by a transfer function based on vertical distributions of modern foraminiferal assemblages. The chronology is determined from AMS 14C dates on saltmarsh plant fragments embedded in the peat. The combination of the two different approaches produces a high-resolution, replicable sea-level record, which takes into account the autocompaction of the peat sequence. Long-term mean rates of sea-level rise, corrected for changes in tidal range, are 0.75 mm/yr between 6000 and 1500 cal yr B.P. and 0.43 mm/yr during the past 1500 year. The foraminiferal stratigraphy reveals several low-amplitude fluctuations during a relatively stable period between 1100 and 400 cal yr B.P., and a sea-level rise of 0.5 m during the past 300 year.

Holocene Relative Sea Level Changes along the Seattle Fault at Restoration Point, Washington

2000 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 384-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian L. Sherrod ◽  
Robert C. Bucknam ◽  
Estella B. Leopold
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Hanging Wall ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Diatom Assemblages ◽  
Recent Event ◽  
Plant Seed ◽  
The Past ◽  
The One ◽  
Fossil Diatoms

At a marsh on the hanging wall of the Seattle fault, fossil brackish water diatom and plant seed assemblages show that the marsh lay near sea level between ∼7500 and 1000 cal yr B.P. This marsh is uniquely situated for recording environmental changes associated with past earthquakes on the Seattle fault. Since 7500 cal yr B.P., changes in fossil diatoms and seeds record several rapid environmental changes. In the earliest of these, brackish conditions changed to freshwater ∼6900 cal yr B.P., possibly because of coseismic uplift or beach berm accretion. If coseismic uplift produced the freshening ∼6900 cal yr B.P., that uplift probably did not exceed 2 m. During another event about 1700 cal yr B.P., brackish plant and diatom assemblages changed rapidly to a tidal flat assemblage because of either tectonic subsidence or berm erosion. The site then remained a tideflat until the most recent event, when an abrupt shift from tideflat diatoms to freshwater taxa resulted from ∼7 m of uplift during an earthquake on the Seattle fault ∼1000 cal yr B.P. Regardless of the earlier events, no Seattle fault earthquake similar to the one ∼1000 cal yr B.P. occurred at any other time in the past 7500 years.

Sea Level Fluctuation During the Past 6000 yr at the Coast of Mauritania

1974 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Einsele ◽  
D. Herm ◽  
H.U. Schwarz
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
High Accuracy ◽  
Level Fluctuation ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Tidal Zone ◽  
The Past ◽  
Marine Terraces ◽  
Open Sea ◽  
Sea Level Fluctuation ◽  
Ecological Methods

In an area regarded to be very favorable for the study of Holocene sea level changes one or several eustatic (?) oscillations of sea have been found using sedimentological and ecological methods. After a maximum of +3 m during the Nouakchottian stage (= Middle Flandrian or Late Atlantic) about 5500 YBP a drop of sea to −3.5 ± 0.5 m about 4100 YBP is testified by stromatolitic algae indicating the former sea level within the tidal zone with high accuracy. This evidence is supported by the observation of post-Nouakchottian regressive and transgressive geologic sequences, by buried beach deposits and flooded hardgrounds, post-Nouakchottian marine terraces of different height and age, the cutting off of one large and several small bays from the open sea, etc. Possibly one or two smaller oscillations followed between 4000 and 1500 YBP (derived sea level curve Fig. 3).

scholarly journals A System to Improve Port Navigation Safety and Its Use in Italian Harbours

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 10265
Author(s):  
Maurizio Soldani ◽  
Osvaldo Faggioni
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Atmospheric Pressure ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Traffic Lights ◽  
The Past ◽  
Sea Level Variations ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

This article describes research aimed at developing a system able to support local authorities and port communities in optimizing port navigation, avoiding or managing critical situations induced by sea-level variations in harbours and minimizing environmental damages and economic losses. In the Mediterranean basin, sea-level changes are mostly due to astronomical tides, related to the gravitational attraction between Earth, Moon and Sun. Nevertheless, sea-level variations are also influenced by meteorological tides, which are geodetic adjustments of sea surface due to atmospheric pressure variations above a water basin. So, starting from monitoring or forecasting environmental parameters in harbours, the system updates port bathymetric maps based on sea-level variations (acquired in the past, measured in real-time, or expected in the future) and detects hazardous areas for a certain ship moving inside a port at a given moment, by means of the implementation of “virtual traffic lights”. The system was tested on some real situations, including the analysis of maritime accidents (stranding of ships), providing satisfactory results by correctly signalling potentially dangerous areas variable over time. The architecture of the system and results achieved using it in the ports of Livorno and Bari, in Italy, are herewith described.

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