Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Olivier Cartapanis, Lukas Jonkers, Paola Moffa-Sanchez, Samuel L. Jaccard, Anne de Vernal
Summary: Analysis of a large database of Holocene temperature time series challenges the concept of a globally synchronous Holocene Thermal Maximum. The discrepancies between climate reconstructions and model simulations highlight the need for reevaluation of climate models and proxy temperature records. The heterogeneous response to climate forcing indicates the lack of globally synchronous HTM.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Ane Garcia-Artola, Alejandro Cearreta, Manu Monge-Ganuzas, Daria Nikitina, Tanghua Li, Benjamin P. Horton
Summary: This study reconstructs the Holocene environmental evolution of the Oka estuary in northern Spain using sedimentary cores and a multi-proxy approach. The analysis of sediment and benthic foraminifera shows the transition from near-marine to brackish intertidal to salt-marsh environments. The relative sea-level record indicates a gradual shallowing of the estuary in the late Holocene, consistent with previous studies in northern Spain but with an earlier onset of the Highstand Systems Tract.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Graham Rush, Patrick McDarby, Robin Edwards, Yvonne Milker, Ed Garrett, W. Roland Gehrels
Summary: This study utilizes regional modern training sets and transfer functions based on foraminifera to reconstruct early Holocene sea-level changes. By employing various statistical methods and data processing techniques, the study establishes suitable sea-level indicators and transfer functions.
MARINE MICROPALEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Jennifer S. Walker, Tanghua Li, Timothy A. Shaw, Niamh Cahill, Donald C. Barber, Matthew J. Brain, Robert E. Kopp, Adam D. Switzer, Benjamin P. Horton
Summary: Stratigraphic data from salt marshes accurately reconstruct Holocene relative sea-level change and provide necessary constraints to glacial isostatic adjustment models. A new record of Mid- to Late-Holocene sea-level rise is presented using basal peats from a salt marsh in New Jersey. The sea-level index points range from 1211 to 4414 years BP, and the average rate of sea-level rise from 5000 years BP to present is 1.7 +/- 0.1 mm/year. Comparisons with GIA models show the models tend to overestimate sea-level rise in the past 5000 years.
Article
Geography, Physical
Jason R. Kirby, Ed Garrett, W. Roland Gehrels
Summary: This study investigates the discrepancy between geophysical models and empirical data on the late-Quaternary sea-level history of northwest Ireland. Using a salt-marsh sequence at Bracky Bridge, the research reconstructs the relative sea-level change over the past 2500 years and finds a rise of approximately 2 meters. The results do not support the theory of a Mid-Holocene sea-level highstand and suggest that models incorporating a thick British-Irish Ice Sheet provide the best fit.
Article
Geography, Physical
Alar Rosentau, Volker Klemann, Ole Bennike, Holger Steffen, Jasmin Wehr, Milena Latinovic, Meike Bagge, Antti Ojala, Mikael Berglund, Gustaf Peterson Becher, Kristian Schoning, Anton Hansson, Lars Nielsen, Lars B. Clemmensen, Mikkel U. Hede, Aart Kroon, Morten Pejrup, Lasse Sander, Karl Stattegger, Klaus Schwarzer, Reinhard Lampe, Matthias Lampe, Szymon Uscinowicz, Albertas Bitinas, Ieva Grudzinska, Jueri Vassiljev, Triine Nirgi, Yuriy Kublitskiy, Dmitry Subetto
Summary: This study compiles and analyzes 1099 Holocene relative shore-level indicators around the Baltic Sea, with a focus on data points related to the last marine stage. Results show that regions with negative RSL tendencies dominate, while transitional regions exhibit shifts from positive to negative tendencies in the mid-Holocene. Comparisons with GIA predictions highlight the need for improvements in ice-sheet and Earth-structure models, demonstrating the potential benefits of this new compilation for future studies.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erin Burman, Kate Mulvaney, Nathaniel Merrill, Michael Bradley, Cathleen Wigand
Summary: As salt marshes migrate upland due to rising sea levels, they face challenges in the form of hazardous and contaminated sites (HCSs) that can release toxins if compromised. This study in Rhode Island, USA, inventoried HCSs and found that they are extensive along marsh migration corridors, especially in urban areas. This inventory provides important information for prioritizing and managing salt marshes in the face of accelerated sea level rise.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Joachim Schoenfeld, Isabel Mendes
Summary: Benthic foraminifera in tidally influenced salt marshes show vertical zonation and are influenced by factors such as freshwater influx, salinity, and pore water properties. In this study, the dominance of saltworts and increasing soil salinities indicated the importance of evaporation as an environmental factor. Faunal changes in the salt marsh were related to vegetation zonal boundaries, mean tide or mean high water levels, calcite saturation state, or organic carbon concentrations.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Andrew C. Kemp, Timothy A. Shaw, Christopher G. Piecuch
Summary: Salt-marsh sediments are important for reconstructing Holocene relative sea level. Non-tidal processes have a proportionally larger influence on water levels in regions with small astronomical tides, while tidal range plays a smaller role. Adopting inundation frequency for relative sea-level reconstructions may reduce bias.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yvonne Milker, Tina Dura, Benjamin P. Horton
Summary: This study examines the response of foraminifera to rapid changes in relative sea-level (RSL) using observations from the tidal restoration of Ni-les'tun marsh over a six-year period. The findings suggest that foraminifera show a delayed colonization of new habitats following RSL changes, potentially due to their reproductive cycle and limited food availability. However, postdepositional taphonomic processes have minimal influence on the similarity between modern and fossil assemblages.
Article
Geography, Physical
Rachel B. Stearns, Simon E. Engelhart, Andrew C. Kemp, Troy D. Hill, Matthew J. Brain, Reide Corbett
Summary: Tide-gauge measurements in the western North Atlantic Ocean reveal consistent multi-decadal relative sea-level trends across various scales. Proxy reconstructions from salt-marsh sediments can extend this record, but the coherence of these reconstructions within a region is not well-investigated. In this study, a new relative sea-level reconstruction from Fox Hill Marsh, Rhode Island is developed to complement existing records at nearby sites, using a Bayesian transfer function and radiocarbon dating. The findings replicate regional tide-gauge measurements and other proxy reconstructions, highlighting the importance of continued replication efforts to enhance confidence in sea-level records.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carina Seitz, William F. Kenney, Brittany Patterson-Boyarski, Jason H. Curtis, Maria I. Velez, Katie Glodzik, Jaime Escobar, Mark Brenner
Summary: Florida's coastal salt marshes are susceptible to human impacts, including climate change and sea-level rise. A study was conducted in the Suwannee River Estuary to analyze the effects of sea-level variations. The research found that the salt marsh was relatively stable in the past 320 years, with moderate fluctuations in salinity reflecting changes in sea-level. Despite the resilience of the salt marshes, major ecological changes are expected if sea-level rise continues to accelerate.
JOURNAL OF PALEOLIMNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elizabeth B. Watson, Wenley Ferguson, Lena K. Champlin, Jennifer D. White, Nick Ernst, Habibata A. Sylla, Brittany P. Wilburn, Cathleen Wigand
Summary: Coastal marshes in the Northeastern U.S. are converting to open water due to accelerated sea level rise and historic impacts. The installation of tidal channel extension features, or runnels, has shown promise in promoting vegetation recolonization and reducing water levels. However, there is limited data available to support its advisability.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kendall Valentine, Abbey Hotard, Tracy Elsey-Quirk, Giulio Mariotti
Summary: Coastal salt marshes are productive environments with high potential for carbon accumulation and storage. This study found that benthic photosynthetic biofilms, composed of diatoms and their secretions, can potentially contribute to carbon accumulation in marsh soil. The amount of carbon accumulation increased with higher sedimentation rates.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas E. Kutcher, Kenneth B. Raposa, Charles T. Roman
Summary: Salt marshes are at increasing risk of degradation and loss, and the Salt Marsh Rapid Assessment Method (MarshRAM) provides a science-based approach to gather data and guide management strategies. The method assesses salt marsh characteristics, ecological value, disturbance, integrity, and potential for landward migration. MarshRAM data can inform restoration and conservation efforts, and our findings suggest that inundation stress and high-marsh vegetation loss are indicators of vulnerability and degradation.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Andrew S. Medeiros, Durad Milosevic, Donna R. Francis, Eleanor Maddison, Sarah Woodroffe, Antony Long, Ian R. Walker, Ladislav Hamerlik, Roberto Quinlan, Peter Langdon, Klaus P. Brodersen, Yarrow Axford
Summary: This study evaluated the distribution of chironomids in the Arctic region and found that environmental controls play a major role in influencing chironomid assemblages within each region, while spatial controls are significant only when crossing between regions. Environmental gradients, especially temperature, define species distributions within each region, with spatial processes combining with environmental gradients in determining the mix of species characterizing each broad and unique island region.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Juliet P. Sefton, Sarah A. Woodroffe
Summary: The study found that utilizing mangrove pollen from Mahe, Seychelles would not reduce existing vertical uncertainties in Late Holocene sea-level reconstructions. However, the approach may be successful in other locations if mangrove vegetation is zoned at a more extensive lateral scale, closely associated with modern pollen rain and surface sediments, and if sedimentological conditions promote the preservation of pollen in fossil sequences.
JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yucheng Lin, Fiona D. Hibbert, Pippa L. Whitehouse, Sarah A. Woodroffe, Anthony Purcell, Ian Shennan, Sarah L. Bradley
Summary: The study suggests that the North American and Eurasian Ice Sheets were the primary contributors to the rapid global sea-level rise event, Meltwater Pulse 1A, during the last deglaciation. The results based on sea-level constraints align with field-based ice-sheet reconstructions, supporting the idea that the freshwater causing the sea-level rise mainly came from North America and Eurasia.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Robert J. Nicholls, Susan E. Hanson, Jason A. Lowe, Aimee B. A. Slangen, Thomas Wahl, Jochen Hinkel, Antony J. Long
Summary: This paper discusses the impact of new sea-level rise information on coastal risk and adaptation assessments, emphasizing the importance of regular review and update of assessments, as well as highlighting the uncertainty of high-end sea-level response and long-term decision-making.
WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-CLIMATE CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Peter J. K. Puleo, Andrew L. Masterson, Andrew S. Medeiros, Grace Schellinger, Regan Steigleder, Sarah Woodroffe, Magdalena R. Osburn, Yarrow Axford
Summary: This study investigates climate changes during the Younger Dryas period in Greenland by examining lake sediment in south Greenland. The results show that climate changes in south Greenland during the Younger Dryas were larger than in central Greenland, indicating a greater sensitivity to changes in North Atlantic Ocean circulation. Additionally, the study finds that the winter warming at the end of the Younger Dryas in south Greenland was stronger compared to the summer warming.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Yucheng Lin, Pippa L. Whitehouse, Fiona D. Hibbert, Sarah A. Woodroffe, Gustavo Hinestrosa, Jody M. Webster
Summary: The continental shelf along northeastern Australia, where the Great Barrier Reef is located, has experienced extensive sediment deposition due to carbonate and terrigenous siliciclastic sediments. This sediment loading can alter the relative sea level, which is poorly constrained in the region. Using a glacial isostatic adjustment model, this study provides a sediment loading history for the Great Barrier Reef and quantifies the effect on relative sea level. The results highlight the importance of considering sediment-induced sea level changes in postglacial sea-level studies.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Sarah A. Woodroffe, Jon Hill, Emmanuel Bustamante-Fernandez, Jerry M. Lloyd, Jake Luff, Sarah Richards, Ian Shennan
Summary: This study evaluates new and previous data to investigate the impact of the Storegga tsunami on northwest Scotland. Through a modelling study using a 2D non-linear solver, the predicted run-up ranges from 2.7 to 9.4 m above mean tide level, with the highest impact on the west coast of the Outer Hebrides and the east coast of Skye. The study suggests that the Storegga tsunami is likely responsible for erosion, deposition, and changes in microfossil assemblages in the early Holocene.
JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. A. Clare, A. Lichtschlag, S. Paradis, N. L. M. Barlow
Summary: The sequestration of organic carbon in seafloor sediments plays a key role in regulating global climate. Here, the authors present an assessment of organic carbon disturbance related to the globally-extensive subsea telecommunications cable network.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yucheng Lin, Pippa L. Whitehouse, Andrew P. Valentine, Sarah A. Woodroffe
Summary: Glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) modeling is important for understanding past and future sea-level change. However, predictions are uncertain due to input ice history. This study developed a deep-learning-based emulator to reduce uncertainty and provided two applications for sea-level research.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert L. Barnett, Jacqueline Austermann, Blake Dyer, Matt W. Telfer, Natasha L. M. Barlow, Sarah J. Boulton, Andrew S. Carr, Roger C. Creel
Summary: By analyzing observational data from Britain, France, and Denmark, it has been found that during the Last Interglacial, the Antarctic had a significant contribution to global sea-level rise, peaking in the early phase of the interglacial. These findings are important for understanding the response of ice sheets to climate warming.
Article
Geology
Jon Hill, Graham Rush, Jeff Peakall, Michael Johnson, Luke Hodson, Natasha L. M. Barlow, Elisabeth T. Bowman, W. Roland Gehrels, David M. Hodgson, Georges Kesserwani
Summary: Tsunamis are major hazards along coastlines around the world. To understand their impact, previous events need to be studied through their sedimentary deposits. By analyzing sediment cores and using statistical analysis, it is possible to identify multiple waves in the tsunami deposits, indicating a high-concentration basal component and capacity-driven deposition. A high-resolution numerical model confirms the presence of multiple waves, and the reconstruction of paleogeomorphology is crucial to understanding the hydrodynamics of a tsunami wave group.
DEPOSITIONAL RECORD
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Sarah A. Woodroffe, Leanne M. Wake, Kristian K. Kjeldsen, Natasha L. M. Barlow, Antony J. Long, Kurt H. Kjaer
Summary: The Greenland Ice Sheet has been losing mass at an accelerating rate over the past 2 decades. Salt marsh sediments collected at the mouth of Dronning Marie Dal in southeastern Greenland provide records of relative sea level changes over the past ca. 300 years. The modeled relative sea level predictions do not match the salt marsh observations, suggesting regional differences in the response of the Greenland Ice Sheet to climate change.
CLIMATE OF THE PAST
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Kim M. Cohen, Victor Cartelle, Robert Barnett, Freek S. Busschers, Natasha L. M. Barlow
Summary: This paper summarizes a database of Last Interglacial sea-level data points in NW Europe, providing valuable information for glacial isostatic adjustment modeling and identifying the melting pattern of the Last Interglacial ice sheets.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2022)