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At least 1,045 records · Page 58Linked to original sources
USGS2025

Predictive regressive models of recent marsh sediment thickness improve the quantification of coastal marsh sediment budgets

Coastal marsh wetlands experience variations in vertical gains and losses through time, which have allowed them to infill relict topography and record variations in drivers. The stratigraphic unit associated with the development of the marsh also reflects the long-term importance of key ecosystem services supplied by the marsh environment, including carbon storage and storm mitigation. Mapping these coastal wetland sediments and the marsh unit thickness is challenging as traditional coastal geophysical tools are not easily deployable (acoustic methods) or are unreliable in saline-soil environments (e.g., ground-penetrating radar), leaving core-based methods the most viable mapping method. In the present study, we utilized prior information on the geologic architecture of the region to select spatial and physical metrics that likely persisted throughout evolution of the marsh during the late Holocene. We then assessed the individual and collective power of these metrics to predict marsh thickness observed from cores. Employing regressive predictive models powered by these data, we improve the quantification of marsh thickness for a coastal fringing marsh within the Grand Bay estuary in Mississippi and Alabama (USA). The information gained from this approach yields improved estimates of the carbon stocks in this environment. Additionally, the stored sediment masses reflect the past, and potential future, persistence of the Grand Bay marsh under historical and present marsh-estuarine sediment exchange fluxes. Such improvements to both the sediment budget of recent marsh stratigraphic units and the spatial extent provide new resources for comparison with large-scale landscape models, the latter of which may be used, when validated, to predict future change and ecosystem transformations.

Alabama. Mississippi↗
USGS2013

Loess origin, transport, and deposition over the past 10,000 years, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska

Contemporary glaciogenic dust has not received much attention, because most research has been on glaciogenic dust of the last glacial period or non-glaciogenic dust of the present interglacial period. Nevertheless, dust from modern glaciogenic sources may be important for Fe inputs to primary producers in the ocean. Adjacent to the subarctic Pacific Ocean, we studied a loess section near Chitina, Alaska along the Copper River in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, where dust has been accumulating over the past ∼10,000 years. Mass accumulation rates for the fine-grained (<20 μm) fraction of this loess section are among the highest reported for the Holocene of high-latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Based on mineralogy and geochemistry, loess at Chitina is derived from glacial sources in the Wrangell Mountains, the Chugach Mountains, and probably the Alaska Range. Concentrations of Fe in the silt-plus-clay fraction of the loess at Chitina are much higher than in all other loess bodies in North America and higher than most loess bodies on other continents. The very fine-grained (<2 μm) portion of this sediment, capable of long-range transport, is dominated by Fe-rich chlorite, which can yield Fe readily to primary producers in the ocean. Examination of satellite imagery shows that dust from the Copper River is transported by wind on a regular basis to the North Pacific Ocean. This Alaskan example shows that high-latitude glaciogenic dust needs to be considered as a significant Fe source to primary producers in the open ocean.

Alaska↗
USGS2009

Estimating selenium removal by sedimentation from the Great Salt Lake, Utah

The mass of Se deposited annually to sediment in the Great Salt Lake (GSL) was estimated to determine the significance of sedimentation as a permanent Se removal mechanism. Lake sediment cores were used to qualitatively delineate sedimentation regions (very high to very low), estimate mass accumulation rates (MARs) and determine sediment Se concentrations. Sedimentation regions were defined by comparison of isopach contours of Holocene sediment thicknesses to linear sedimentation rates determined via analysis of 210 Pb, 226 Ra, 7 Be and 137 Cs activity in 20 short cores (<5 cm), yielding quantifiable results in 13 cores. MARs were developed via analysis of the same radioisotopes in eight long cores (>10 cm). These MARs in the upper 1-2 cm of each long core ranged from 0.019 to 0.105 g sed /cm 2 /a. Surface sediment Se concentrations in the upper 1 or 2 cm of each long core ranged from 0.79 to 2.47 mg/kg. Representative MARs and Se concentrations were used to develop mean annual Se removal by sedimentation in the corresponding sedimentation region. The spatially integrated Se sedimentation rate was estimated to be 624 kg/a within a range of uncertainty between 285 and 960 kg/a. Comparison to annual Se loading and other potential removal processes suggests burial by sedimentation is not the primary removal process for Se from the GSL. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd.

Applied Geochemistry↗
USGS2014

A multiple-tracer approach to understanding regional groundwaterflow in the Snake Valley area of the eastern Great Basin, USA

Groundwater in Snake Valley and surrounding basins in the eastern Great Basin province of the western United States is being targeted for large-scale groundwater extraction and export. Concern about declining groundwater levels and spring flows in western Utah as a result of the proposed groundwater withdrawals has led to efforts that have improved the understanding of this regional groundwater flow system. In this study, environmental tracers (del2H, del18O, 3H, 14C, 3He, 4He, 20Ne, 40Ar, 84Kr, and 129Xe) and major ions from 142 sites were evaluated to investigate groundwater recharge and flow-path characteristics. With few exceptions, del2H and del18O show that most valley groundwater has similar ratios to mountain springs, indicating recharge is dominated by relatively high-altitude precipitation. The spatial distribution of 3H, terrigenic helium (4Heterr), and 3H/3He ages shows that modern groundwater (<60 yr) in valley aquifers is found only in the western third of the study area. Pleistocene and late-Holocene groundwater is found in the eastern parts of the study area. The age of Pleistocene groundwater is supported by minimum adjusted radiocarbon ages of up to 32 ka. Noble gas recharge temperatures (NGTs) are generally 1–11 degrees C in Snake and southern Spring Valleys and >11 degrees C to the east of Snake Valley and indicate a hydraulic discontinuity between Snake and Tule Valleys across the northern Confusion Range. The combination of NGTs and 4Heterr shows that the majority of Snake Valley groundwater discharges as springs, evapotranspiration, and well withdrawals within Snake Valley rather than continuing northeastward to discharge at either Fish Springs or the Great Salt Lake Playa. The refined understanding of groundwater recharge and flow paths acquired from this multi-tracer investigation has broad implications for interbasin subsurface flow estimates and future groundwater development.

Nevada, Utah↗
USGS2009

Vertical distribution of total carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in riparian soils of Walnut Creek, southern Iowa

Subsurface lithology plays an important role in many riparian zone processes, but few studies have examined how sediment nutrient concentrations vary with depth. In this study, we evaluated concentrations of nutrients (N, C and P) with depth in a riparian zone of the glaciated Midwest. A total of 146 sediment samples were collected from 24 cores that extended to a maximum depth of 3.6??m at eight sites in the riparian zone of Walnut Creek. Subsurface deposits were predominantly silt loam, becoming coarser and more variable with depth. Nitrogen and carbon content ranged from < 0.01 to 0.42% and < 0.01 to 7.08%, respectively, and exhibited a strong trend of decreasing nutrient content with depth. In contrast, P concentrations averaged 574??mg/kg and did not vary systematically. Systematic variations in texture and nutrient content with depth largely corresponded to stratigraphic differentiation among the Camp Creek, Roberts Creek and Gunder members of the regionally recognized Holocene-age DeForest Formation. Variations in subsurface nutrient content were not found to be significantly related to present land cover, but land cover may have influenced nutrient content at the time of original sediment accumulation. Subsurface lithology and stratigraphy should be considered an important component in riparian zone studies where nutrient losses to streams via streambank erosion or groundwater discharge are assessed. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Catena↗
USGS2006

Shallow stratigraphy and sedimentation history during high-frequency sea-level changes on the central California shelf

Analyses of high-resolution seismic-reflection data and sediment cores indicate that an extensive sediment deposit on the central California continental shelf is comprised of several late-Pleistocene to Holocene age facies. Offshore of the littoral zone, in water depths of 30-90 m, a 3-6 m thick veneer of fine sediment referred to as the mid-shelf mudbelt has formed along 50-100 km of the coast. The mudbelt drapes a parasequence characterized by prograding clinoforms that in places overlies a 1-3 m thick basal transgressive lag deposit. These facies overlie a prominent erosional unconformity that extends from the shore to the outer shelf. Eighteen calibrated 14CAMS ages of marine molluscs and terrestrial wood detritus sampled in cores range 15,800 yr BP to modern indicating a postglacial age for these sediments (one >55,000 yr BP represents relict sand). We model accumulation of these facies using (1) the topography of the underlying erosional unconformity interpreted from seismic reflection profiles, (2) observed sediment facies (grain size) distribution across the shelf (a proxy for wave/current sediment partitioning), and published estimates of (3) eustatic sea-level history, and (4) regional tectonics. Our model and data indicate that deposition of the transgressive lag began during early, slow postglacial sea-level rise and that a notable change in depositional environment occurred across an area of more than 200 km2 of the outer shelf likely in response to abrupt drowning during Meltwater Pulse 1B (11,500 yr BP). We propose that rapid progradation of clinoforms may have occurred during transgression because of the unique interaction of modest rates of sediment input and tectonic uplift, variable rates of eustatic sea-level rise and a complex stepped antecedent topography.

Continental Shelf Research↗
USGS2015

Geologic control on the evolution of the inner shelf morphology offshore of the Mississippi barrier islands, northern Gulf of Mexico, USA

Between 2008 and 2013, high-resolution geophysical surveys were conducted around the Mississippi barrier islands and offshore. The sonar surveys included swath and single-beam bathymetry, sidescan, and chirp subbottom data collection. The geophysical data were groundtruthed using vibracore sediment collection. The results provide insight into the evolution of the inner shelf and the relationship between the near surface geologic framework and the morphology of the coastal zone. This study focuses on the buried Pleistocene fluvial deposits and late Holocene shore-oblique sand ridges offshore of Petit Bois Island and Petit Bois Pass. Prior to this study, the physical characteristics, evolution, and interrelationship of the ridges between both the shelf geology and the adjacent barrier island platform had not been evaluated. Numerous studies elsewhere along the coastal margin attribute shoal origin and sand-ridge evolution to hydrodynamic processes in shallow water (<20 m). Here we characterize the correlation between the geologic framework and surface morphology and demonstrate that the underlying stratigraphy must also be considered when developing an evolutionary conceptual model. It is important to understand this near surface, nearshore dynamic in order to understand how the stratigraphy influences the long-term response of the coastal zone to sea-level rise. The study also contributes to a growing body of work characterizing shore-oblique sand ridges which, along with the related geology, are recognized as increasingly important components to a nearshore framework whose origins and evolution must be understood and inventoried to effectively manage the coastal zone.

Continental Shelf Research↗
USGS2013

Geomorphic characterization of four shelf-sourced submarine canyons along the U.S. Mid-Atlantic continental margin

Shelf-sourced submarine canyons are common features of continental margins and are fundamental to deep-sea sedimentary systems. Despite their geomorphic and geologic significance, relatively few passive margin shelf-breaching canyons worldwide have been mapped using modern geophysical methods. Between 2007 and 2012 a series of geophysical surveys was conducted across four major canyons of the US Mid-Atlantic margin: Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington, and Norfolk canyons. More than 5700 km 2 of high-resolution multibeam bathymetry and 890 line-km of sub-bottom CHIRP profiles were collected along the outer shelf and uppermost slope (depths of 80-1200 m). The data allowed us to compare and contrast the fine-scale morphology of each canyon system. The canyons have marked differences in the morphology and orientation of canyon heads, steepness and density of sidewall gullies, and the character of the continental shelf surrounding canyon rims. Down-canyon axial profiles for Washington, Baltimore and Wilmington canyons have linear shapes, and each canyon thalweg exhibits morphological evidence for recent, relatively small-scale sediment transport. For example, Washington Canyon displays extremely steep wall gradients and contains ~100 m wide, 5–10 m deep, v-shaped incisions down the canyon axis, suggesting modern or recent sediment transport. In contrast, the convex axial thalweg profile, the absence of thalweg incision, and evidence for sediment infilling at the canyon head, suggest that depositional processes strongly influence Norfolk Canyon during the current sea-level high-stand. The north walls of Wilmington, Washington and Norfolk canyons are steeper than the south walls due to differential erosion, though the underlying cause for this asymmetry is not clear. Furthermore, we speculate that most of the geomorphic features observed within the canyons (e.g., terraces, tributary canyons, gullies, and hanging valleys) were formed during the Pleistocene, and show only subtle modification by Holocene processes active during the present sea-level high-stand.

Cape Hatteras;Georges Bank;Hudson Canyon↗
USGS2024

Palaeontological signatures of the Anthropocene are distinct from those of previous epochs

The “Great Acceleration” beginning in the mid-20th century provides the causal mechanism of the Anthropocene, which has been proposed as a new epoch of geological time beginning in 1952 CE. Here we identify key parameters and their diagnostic palaeontological signals of the Anthropocene, including the rapid breakdown of discrete biogeographical ranges for marine and terrestrial species, rapid changes to ecologies resulting from climate change and ecological degradation, the spread of exotic foodstuffs beyond their ecological range, and the accumulation of reconfigured forest materials such as medium density fibreboard (MDF) all being symptoms of the Great Acceleration. We show: 1) how Anthropocene successions in North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Europe, and Asia can be correlated using palaeontological signatures of highly invasive species and changes to ecologies that demonstrate the growing interconnectivity of human systems; 2) how the unique depositional settings of landfills may concentrate the remains of organisms far beyond their geographical range of environmental tolerance; and 3) how a range of settings may preserve a long-lived, unique palaeontological record within post-mid-20th century deposits. Collectively these changes provide a global palaeontological signature that is distinct from all past records of deep-time biotic change, including those of the Holocene.

Earth Science Reviews↗
USGS2010

Geologic controls on the recent evolution of oyster reefs in Apalachicola Bay and St. George Sound, Florida

Apalachicola Bay and St. George Sound contain the largest oyster fishery in Florida, and the growth and distribution of the numerous oyster reefs here are the combined product of modern estuarine conditions in the bay and its late Holocene evolution. Sidescan-sonar imagery, bathymetry, high-resolution seismic profiles, and sediment cores show that oyster beds occupy the crests of a series of shoals that range from 1 to 7 km in length, trend roughly north-south perpendicular to the long axes of the bay and sound, and are asymmetrical with steeper sides facing to the west. Surface sediment samples show that the oyster beds consist of shelly sand, while much of the remainder of the bay floor is covered by mud delivered by the Apalachicola River. The present oyster reefs rest on sandy delta systems that advanced southward across the region between 6400 and 4400 yr BP when sea level was 4–6 m lower than present. Oysters started to colonize the region around 5100 yr BP and became extensive by 1200 and 2400 yr BP. Since 1200 yr BP, their aerial extent has decreased due to burial of the edges of the reefs by the prodelta mud that continues to be supplied by the Apalachicola River. Oyster reefs that are still active are narrower than the original beds, have grown vertically, and become asymmetrical in cross-section. Their internal bedding indicates they have migrated westward, suggesting a net westerly transport of sediment in the bay.

Florida↗
USGS2019

Late Quaternary slip rate of the Central Sierra Madre fault, southern California: Implications for slip partitioning and earthquake hazard

The Sierra Madre fault system accommodates contraction within a large restraining bend area of the San Andreas fault along the northern margin of the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. Reverse slip along this fault system during earthquakes controls growth of the San Gabriel Mountains and poses a significant seismic hazard to the region. Here, we measure the late Quaternary slip rate of the Central Sierra Madre fault (CSMF) using analysis of high-resolution topography combined with cosmogenic 10Be surface exposure dating and post-IR IRSL geochronology. We mapped terrace and fan surfaces from three drainages that cross the CSMF and correlate them based on soil development and geomorphic position. Cosmogenic nuclide and luminescence ages are consistent amongst the three prominent surfaces offset ~5 to 28 m across the fault zone. We devised a new strategy to estimate surface ages, incorporating data from two dating methods at three locations, refined by inset age relationships, that yields surface age estimates of 54 +21/-13 ka, 36 ± 8 ka, and 12 ± 4 ka. Estimated slip for these geomorphic markers is more uncertain than the measured vertical separation due to uncertainties in fault dip and ranges from 7.5 +5.4/-3.1 m to 58.5 +46.3/-14.4 m. Incremental dip-slip rate estimates from different age surfaces and locations overlap within uncertainty, with median values ranging from 0.7 to 1.1 mm/yr. The average slip rate for all three generations of markers is 1.1 +1.2/-0.4 mm/yr. This late Quaternary slip rate for the CSMF is slower than estimates based on interseismic geodetic data, and emphasizes the importance of contraction distributed across multiple structures south of the Sierra Madre fault when assessed against the geodetic shortening budget. Despite being the central portion of the broader Sierra Madre fault system, the CSMF has a slip rate similar to or lower than neighboring sections, suggesting that slip transfer onto other nearby faults control the along-strike pattern of deformation rate. Paleoseismic evidence indicates that the last earthquake on the CSMF was in the early Holocene, and the slip rate we estimate suggests that the accumulated elastic strain could produce many meters of slip in future earthquakes.

California↗
USGS2008

Characterization of calcium isotopes in natural and synthetic barite

The mineral barite (BaSO4) accommodates calcium in its crystal lattice, providing an archive of Ca-isotopes in the highly stable sulfate mineral. Holocene marine (pelagic) barite samples from the major ocean basins are isotopically indistinguishable from each other (??44/40Ca = -2.01 ?? 0.15???) but are different from hydrothermal and cold seep barite samples (??44/40Ca = -4.13 to -2.72???). Laboratory precipitated (synthetic) barite samples are more depleted in the heavy Ca-isotopes than pelagic marine barite and span a range of Ca-isotope compositions, ??44/40Ca = -3.42 to -2.40???. Temperature, saturation state, a Ba2 + / a SO42 -, and aCa2+/aBa2+ each influence the fractionation of Ca-isotopes in synthetic barite; however, the fractionation in marine barite samples is not strongly related to any measured environmental parameter. First-principles lattice dynamical modeling predicts that at equilibrium Ca-substituted barite will have much lower 44Ca/40Ca than calcite, by -9??? at 0 ??C and -8??? at 25 ??C. Based on this model, none of the measured barite samples appear to be in isotopic equilibrium with their parent solutions, although as predicted they do record lower ??44/40Ca values than seawater and calcite. Kinetic fractionation processes therefore most likely control the extent of isotopic fractionation exhibited in barite. Potential fractionation mechanisms include factors influencing Ca2+ substitution for Ba2+ in barite (e.g. ionic strength and trace element concentration of the solution, competing complexation reactions, precipitation or growth rate, temperature, pressure, and saturation state) as well as nucleation and crystal growth rates. These factors should be considered when investigating controls on isotopic fractionation of Ca2+ and other elements in inorganic and biogenic minerals. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd.

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta↗
USGS2010

Automated feature extraction and spatial organization of seafloor pockmarks, Belfast Bay, Maine, USA

Seafloor pockmarks occur worldwide and may represent millions of m 3 of continental shelf erosion, but few numerical analyses of their morphology and spatial distribution of pockmarks exist. We introduce a quantitative definition of pockmark morphology and, based on this definition, propose a three-step geomorphometric method to identify and extract pockmarks from high-resolution swath bathymetry. We apply this GIS-implemented approach to 25 km 2 of bathymetry collected in the Belfast Bay, Maine USA pockmark field. Our model extracted 1767 pockmarks and found a linear pockmark depth-to-diameter ratio for pockmarks field-wide. Mean pockmark depth is 7.6 m and mean diameter is 84.8 m. Pockmark distribution is non-random, and nearly half of the field's pockmarks occur in chains. The most prominent chains are oriented semi-normal to the steepest gradient in Holocene sediment thickness. A descriptive model yields field-wide spatial statistics indicating that pockmarks are distributed in non-random clusters. Results enable quantitative comparison of pockmarks in fields worldwide as well as similar concave features, such as impact craters, dolines, or salt pools.

Geomorphology↗
USGS2014

The notion of climate-driven strath-terrace production assessed via dissimilar stream-process response to late Quaternary climate

Previous research results from the Gabilan Mesa are combined with new optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) age estimates and sedimentological analyses with the aim of identifying factors that inhibit climate-driven strath-terrace production, and factors that make possible strath-terrace production independent of climate forcing. The factors are revealed by comparing the morphostratigraphy and OSL age estimates of terraces in the adjacent San Lorenzo Creek and Pancho Rico Creek drainage basins of the central California Coast Ranges. OSL age estimates on San Lorenzo Creek fill-terrace alluvium overlying bedrock at two paleofluvial levels range between 50.5 and 41.3 ka and between 33.4 and 18.2 ka. These OSL age estimates indicate that although the channel of Pancho Rico Creek was degrading at these times, San Lorenzo Creek aggradation was synchronous with previously documented regional, climatically driven aggradation that elsewhere in southern California led to strath production and alluvial deposition. The regional-scale climate forcing events had different effects on San Lorenzo and Pancho Rico Creeks because of the influences of drainage-basin lithology on bedload size and tectonic tilting direction on base-level fall. The Holocene history of channel denudation and strath production of Pancho Rico Creek is also different from that of San Lorenzo Creek, and different from that of many other streams in southern California. After Pancho Rico Creek captured the upper part of the drainage basin of San Lorenzo Creek sometime after 15.5 to 11.7 ka, Pancho Rico Creek has been producing unpaired, erosional strath terraces. The weak, clay rich, fine-grained sedimentary rock underlying Pancho Rico Valley is an ideal substrate in which to form straths. The meandering channel of Pancho Rico Creek produces straths, and weathering resistant, relatively hard bedload introduced by stream capture ensures their preservation as strath terraces.

California↗
USGS2019

New geochemical evidence for the origin of North America's largest dune field, the Nebraska Sand Hills, central Great Plains, USA

The Nebraska Sand Hills region is the largest dune field in North America and has diverse aeolian landforms. It has been active during both the late Pleistocene and late Holocene. Despite decades of study, the source of sediment for this large sand sea is still controversial. Here we report new trace element compositions of aeolian sand that are compared to four hypothesized sediment sources, Tertiary rocks of the Arikaree Group and Ogallala Group, unconsolidated sands of Pliocene age, and Platte River system sands. All four potential sources have a mineralogy that is similar to the Nebraska Sand Hills. K/Rb, K/Ba, Sc-Th-La, Eu/Eu*, La N /Yb N , As/Sb, and Fe/Sc values show, however, that Pliocene sediments and sands from the Platte River system are not likely sources. The Arikaree Group could be a minor contributor, but sands from the Ogallala Group appear to have the best compositional fit to the Nebraska Sand Hills. Although past studies have proposed the Ogallala Group as an important sand source, the hypothesis has been questioned, because the unit is well cemented by calcrete in its upper part. However, examination of the landscape upwind of the Nebraska Sand Hills shows that the Ogallala Group, where it occurs at the land surface, is highly dissected in much of this region, which makes sand-sized particles available for aeolian entrainment whenever drought conditions diminish a protective vegetation cover.

Nebraska↗
USGS2023

Multi-decadal erosion rates from glacierized watersheds on Mount Baker, Washington, USA, reveal topographic, climatic, and lithologic controls on sediment yields

Understanding land surface change in and sediment export out of proglacial landscapes is critical for understanding geohazard and flood risks over engineering timescales and characterizing landscape evolution over geomorphic timescales. We used automated Structure from Motion software to process historical aerial photographs and, with modern lidar data, generated a high-resolution DEM time series with coverage over 10 glacierized watersheds on Mount Baker, Washington, USA for the time period between 1947 and 2015. We measured basin-wide sediment yields and sediment redistribution on hillslopes and in stream channels. Slopes within most measured erosion sites are above theoretical and observed debris-flow thresholds. We observed significant erosion of hillslopes and limited deposition on hillslopes and in stream channels. Sediment delivery ratios during time periods with net erosion averaged 0.73. We determined, consistent with previous field observations, that debris flows originating from moraines are a primary erosion mechanism in proglacial zones on Mount Baker. Time series measurements indicate that temporal variability in erosion rates is associated with climate oscillations, with higher erosion rates during cooler-wetter periods. Basin-wide sediment yield is positively correlated with lithology (r 2 = 0.54), hillslope angle (r 2 = 0.52), drainage area (r 2 = 0.82), and negatively correlated with stream channel slope (r 2 = 0.67). Topographic differences between high and low yielding basins indicate that spatial variability in erosion on Mount Baker is sensitive to Pleistocene and Holocene glacial and volcanic activity. Specific sediment yields in six basins averaged 4600 ton/km 2 /yr, consistent with global measurements in glacierized catchments. Specific sediment yield decreased with increasing basin area, with total loads in the downstream main stem Nooksack River estimated between 480 and 820 ton/km 2 /yr. Proglacial sediment yields account for between 18 and 32 % of total sediment load in the main stem Nooksack River and exceed contributions by bluff and terrace erosion, which account for between 8 and 13 % of total load. Our findings indicate that erosion in glacierized basins is sensitive to decadal climate oscillations and that high proglacial sediment yields provide an important contribution to river systems downstream, particularly in catchments where upland topography and lithology is favorable.

Washington↗
USGS2009

Sea-level rise in New Jersey over the past 5000 years: Implications to anthropogenic changes

We present a mid to late Holocene sea-level record derived from drilling the New Jersey coast that shows a relatively constant rise of 1.8??mm/yr from ~ 5000 to 500 calibrated calendar years before present (yrBP). This contrasts with previous New Jersey estimates that showed only 0.5??mm/yr rise since 2000??yrBP. Comparison with other Mid-Atlantic sea-level records (Delaware to southern New England) indicates surprising uniformity considering different proximities to the peripheral bulge of the Laurentide ice sheet, with a relative rise throughout the region of ~ 1.7-1.9??mm/yr since ~ 5000??yrBP. This regional sea-level rise includes both: 1) global sea-level (eustatic) rise; and 2) far-field geoidal subsidence (estimated as ~ 0.8-1.4??mm/yr today) due to removal of the Laurentide ice sheet and water loading. Correcting for geoidal subsidence, the U.S. east coast records suggest a global sea-level (eustatic) rise of ~ 0.4-1.0??mm/yr (with a best estimate of 0.7 ?? 0.3??mm/yr) since 5000??yrBP. Comparison with other records provides a best estimate of pre-anthropogenic global sea-level rise of < 1.0??mm/yr from 5000 until ~ 200??yrBP. Tide gauge data indicate a 20th century rate of eustatic rise of 1.8??mm/yr, whereas both tide gauge and satellite data suggest an increase in the rate of rise to ~ 3.3??mm/yr from 1993-2006 AD. This indicates that the modern rise (~ 3.3??mm/yr) is significantly higher than the pre-anthropogenic rise (0.7 ?? 0.3??mm/yr). ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New Jersey↗
USGS2020

Global physical controls on estuarine habitat distribution during sea levelchange: Consequences for genetic diversification through time

Determining the extrinsic (physical) factors controlling speciation and diversification of species through time is of key interest in paleontology and evolutionary biology. The role of sea-level change in shaping species richness patterns of marginal marine species has received much attention, but with variable conclusions. Recent work combining genetic data and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)-based habitat modeling yielded a framework for how geomorphology of continental margins mediates genetic connectivity of populations during sealevel change. This approach may ultimately yield insights on how distinct lineages, species, and biodiversity accumulate in coastal settings. Here, we expand this GIS work globally to different geomorphic settings to model estuarine habitat in a larger geographic framework and test how tectonic setting, oceanographic setting, climate, and margin age affect habitat distribution during sea-level change. In addition, independent of estuaries we explore paleobiologic (e.g. Olsson, 1961) and neontolologic effects of sea-level change on evolution, and test the relation between overall shelf area and species richness using data of 1721 fish species. We find 82% global reduction of estuarine habitat abundance at lowstand relative to highstand, and find large habitats change in size much more than small habitats. Consistent with prior work, narrow continental margins have significantly less habitat at highstand and lowstand than wide margins, and narrow margins significantly associate with fore-arc settings, effectively linking tectonic setting to habitat abundance. Surprisingly, narrow margins host greater species richness, a finding which violates the canonical species-area relation. This finding can be explained if: 1) the physical isolation imposed by narrow margins facilitates the formation of new species over time; 2) the sizestability of small habitats, which disproportionately occur on narrow margins, accumulate and retain species extirpated in the more variable habitats on wide margins; or 3) the smaller habitats on narrow margins facilitate greater species richness through greater habitat heterogeneity. These results are generally at odds with prior interpretations, but the combination of richness data and population genetic principles offer a different perspective on these long-studied questions. Finally, we emphasize that the nuance of Pleistocene-Holocene sea level oscillations should be more explicitly considered in genetic studies.

Global and Planetary Change↗