Abstract
We collected modern diatom samples from Currituck Barrier Island, Oregon Inlet and Pea Island marshes, Outer Banks, North Carolina, USA, which have different salinity regimes due to their varying distances from a major barrier island inlet. Multivariate analyses separate the saltmarsh diatom assemblages into distinct elevational zones, dominated by differing abundances of polyhalobous, mesohalobous and oligohalobous taxa, suggesting that the distribution of saltmarsh diatoms is a direct function of elevation, with the most important controlling factors being the duration and frequency of subaerial exposure. We developed the first diatom-based transfer function for the east coast of North America to reconstruct former sea levels based upon the relationship between diatom assemblage and elevation. Results imply that this is possible to a precision of ±0.08 m, superior to most similar studies from temperate, mid-latitude environments. The transfer function is used to construct a relative sea-level curve from fossil assemblages from Salvo, North Carolina. These results suggest a sea-level rise of 0.7 m over the last c. 150 years, at an average of c. 3.7 mm year-1. This is consistent with existing sea-level data, and illustrates the utility of the transfer function approach. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 381-394 |
| Journal | Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science |
| Volume | 69 |
| Issue number | 3-4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2006 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publication details (e.g. title, author(s), publication statuses and dates) are captured on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis at the time of record harvesting from the data source. Suggestions for further amendments or supplementary information can be sent to [email protected].Funding
We thank S. Riggs, D. Mallinson, D. Ames, J. Watson, C. Smith, S. Horton and A. Horton for their support and camaraderie. Permission to work on the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the Pine Island Hunt Club (Jeff Davenport) and funding from the USGS cooperative agreement award 02ERAG0044 and NOAA award NA05NOS4781184 is gratefully acknowledged. This research is part of the North Carolina Coastal Geology Cooperative Program (NCCGC). The paper is a contribution to IGCP Project 495 “Quaternary Land-Ocean Interactions: Driving Mechanisms and Coastal Responses.”
Research Keywords
- diatoms
- lead-210
- North Carolina
- radiometric dating
- salt marshes
- sea level changes
- transfer functions