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Lateglacial to Holocene relative sea-level changes in the Stykkishólmur area, northern Snæfellsnes, Iceland

Brader, M.; Lloyd, J.M.; Bentley, M.; Newton, A.

Lateglacial to Holocene relative sea-level changes in the Stykkishólmur area, northern Snæfellsnes, Iceland Thumbnail


Authors

M. Brader

A. Newton



Abstract

Comparatively little research has been undertaken on relative sea-level (RSL) change in western Iceland. This paper presents the results of diatom, tephrochronological and radiocarbon analyses on six isolation basins and two coastal lowland sediment cores from the Stykkishólmur area, northern Snæfellsnes, western Iceland. The analyses provide a reconstruction of Lateglacial to mid-Holocene RSL changes in the region. The marine limit is measured to 65–69 m above sea level (asl), with formation being estimated at 13.5 cal ka BP. RSL fall initially occurred rapidly following marine limit formation, until ca. 12.6 cal ka BP, when the rate of RSL fall decreased. RSL fell below present in the Stykkishólmur area during the early Holocene (by ca. 10 cal ka BP). The rates of RSL change noted in the Stykkishólmur area demonstrate lesser ice thicknesses in Snæfellsnes than Vestfirðir during the Younger Dryas, when viewed in the regional context. Consequently, the data provide an insight into patterns of glacio-isostatic adjustment surrounding Breiðafjörður, a hypothesized major ice stream at the Last Glacial Maximum.

Citation

Brader, M., Lloyd, J., Bentley, M., & Newton, A. (2015). Lateglacial to Holocene relative sea-level changes in the Stykkishólmur area, northern Snæfellsnes, Iceland. Journal of Quaternary Science, 30(5), 497-507. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.2795

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jun 3, 2015
Online Publication Date Jul 14, 2015
Publication Date Jul 16, 2015
Deposit Date Jul 28, 2015
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Quaternary Science
Print ISSN 0267-8179
Electronic ISSN 1099-1417
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 30
Issue 5
Pages 497-507
DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.2795
Keywords Diatom, Iceland, Isolation basin, Reconstruction, Sea level.

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Copyright Statement
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.






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