information contained within this presentation is from a currently unpublished thesis, and should...
TRANSCRIPT
Information contained within this presentation is from a currently unpublished thesis, and should not be used or referenced without the expressed permission of the authors
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland
(Iceland)Alex Wright & Dr. Orson van de Plassche
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
RELATIVE SEA-LEVEL: SEA-LEVEL VARIABILITY: with trends trends removed
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
NH TEMPERATURES: SEA-LEVEL VARIABILITY: Mann et al. (2003 trends removed
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
(BRIEF) TALK OUTLINE
CONCEPT: Sea-level from salt-marshes
METHODOLOGY: 5 Steps sea-level reconstruction, with examples(RESULTS &DISCUSSION)
SUMMARY: Conclusions
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
CONCEPT: SALT-MARSHES
• Coastal wetlands• Upper half tidal range (MTL-HHW)
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
CONCEPT: SALT-MARSHES AND SEA-LEVEL
• Surface vertically accretes - maintain position with rising sea level• Sedimentary archive of palaeomarsh surfaces (PMS)
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
CONCEPT: VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF FORAMINIFERA
• Tidal inundation - strong environmental gradient - vertical distribution flora / fauna (MHW)
• Foraminifera occupy narrower vertical ranges• More precise indicators of PRESENT and PAST marsh surface height (MHW)
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 5 STEPS TO SEA-LEVEL RECONSTRUCTION
1) Height PMS’s formed (relative to PMHW)
2) Time the PMS’s formed
1) + 2) = Relative PMHW
3) Sediment compaction correction
4) Palaeotidal range correction
+ 3) + 4) = Relative PMTL
5) Detrend millennial scale relative sea level (GIA)
+ 5) = PMTL
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 1) Height PMS’s formed (relative to PMHW) • Establish contemporary vertical foraminifera distribution • Sample heights known (MHW) – TRANSFER FUNCTION foraminifera-surface
height• QUANTITATIVE PMS height reconstruction from FOSSIL foraminifera
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 1) Height PMS’s formed (relative to PMHW)
• Palaeo-record from core salt-marsh peat
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 1) Height PMS’s formed (relative to PMHW)
• Every (other) cm - assumed PMS • Analyze for fossil foraminifera content
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 1) Height PMS’s formed (relative to PMHW)
• TRANSFER FUNCTION - PMS heights (PMHW)• Variability from rate PMS accumulation or PMHW rise? • PMS accumulation rate - CHRONOLOGY!
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 2) Determine time at which PMS’S formed
• Resample for datable PMS indicators• Last ~200 yrs date sediment - HIGH PRECISION• Remainder data 14C of organics – LOW PRECISION
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 2) Determine time at which PMS’S formed
• PRECISION differences clear from age-PMS depth envelope• High resolution sampling CHECKS record completeness
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
RECONSTRUCTIONS:
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 2) Determine time at which PMS’S formed
• CHALLENGE - Define within envelope PMS accumulation rate• EXAMPLE - 2 LINEAR rates
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 2) Determine time at which PMS’S formed
• Illustrate importance…….
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: COMBINE 1) + 2) = Relative PMHW
• PMS accumulation rate - PMS height variability due to PMHW• Correct? Cannot resolve at this scale• Combined - PMS accumulation rate defines (MULTI-)CENTENNIAL VARIABILITY
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: COMBINE 1) + 2) = Relative PMHW reconstruction
• AGAIN - PMS accumulation rate defines (MULTI-)CENTENNIAL VARIABILITY• Last ~200 yrs high precision chronology - constrains PMS• Enables VALIDATION with instrumental records…..EXTENSION? (GEHRELS)
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
SUMMARY:
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 3) Sediment compaction correction
• COMPACTION – (post-depositional process) alters original PMS elevation• CORRECTION APPLIED - LINEAR PMHW becomes CURVED decreasing trend• (NON-)CORRECTION – impacts MULTI CENTENNIAL TRENDS
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 3) Sediment compaction correction
• CALCULATION? Comparison with basal reconstructed PMHW
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 4) Palaeotidal range correction, COMBINE 3) + 4) = Relative PMTL
• Rising relative sea level - coastline morphology - tidal range changes• Solved with modeling - relative PMHW can infer relative PMTL
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
METHODOLOGY: 5) Detrend (GIA), COMBINE 5) = PMTL
• Reconstructed MTL once MILLENNIAL relative rise removed• Past 1500 yr due to GIA? (assuming no SL trend)• SCENARIO 1 / 2, extent to which SL is STABLE / RISING / FALLING• Preferably long BASAL series with model prediction
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
SUMMARY:
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
RESULTS / DISCUSSION:Summary assessment of reconstructions
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
RESULTS / DISCUSSION:Summary assessment of reconstructions
• Falling SL trend? inc. ~1800
• High freq. variability
• Falling SL trend & oscillation? inc. ~1900• Falling SL trend? inc. ~1800 / ~1900
• inc. ~1900• High freq. variability, inc. ~1700 / ~1900
• EROSION• EROSION
• High freq. variability, inc. ~mid 1700 (PMS) / ~late 1800
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
SUMMARY: CONCLUSIONS
1) ARE RECONSTRUCTIONS COMPARABLE?• Once specific differences in technique/approach are
taken into account
2) MULTI-CENTENNIAL SCALE VARIABILITY?• Dependant on the reconstructed PMS accumulation
rates• Most reliable reconstructions display no coherence in
terms of a discernable influence of MWP / LIA• Due to limitations of reconstruction?
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
SUMMARY: CONCLUSIONS
3) FALLING SEA LEVEL TREND LAST MILLENNIA?• Still open• Trends are the result of PMS rate, (non-)correction
for compaction and detrending method• SOLVABLE?
Extrapolation of multi-millennial scale trends (basal and GIA) independent of data for recent ~1000 yrs compared to high resolution basal trends, e.g. DONNELLY, 2004, for this period
4) RECENT INCREASE LAST CENTURY?• POSTER: Dr Roland Gehrels
• High precision dating past ~200 years, helps resolve rates of sea level rise for the last century that are higher than the trend for the last 1500 years
• Precise timing is problematic• Defining such rates in past 1500 years beyond
resolution achievable with conversational AMS 14C dating techniques
1500-yr-long sea-level reconstructions from North Carolina to Newfoundland (Iceland)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:Dr Orson van de PlasscheDr Roland Gehrels
THANKS TO:Prof Kurt LambeckUNESCO
POSTERS:Wright & van de Plassche: Salt-marsh accumulation rates and relative sea-level changes during the past 1500 years for three sites along the east coast of North America
Gehrels: Coupling instrumental and proxy records of recent sea-level change