Lateglacial and Holocene relative sea-level changes and first evidence for the Storegga tsunami in Sutherland, Scotland

Long, A.J.; Barlow, N.L.M.; Dawson, S.; Hill, J.; Innes, J.B.; Kelham, C.; Milne, F.D.; Dawson, A.

doi:10.1002/jqs.2862

Lateglacial and Holocene relative sea-level changes and first evidence for the Storegga tsunami in Sutherland, Scotland

Long, A.J.; Barlow, N.L.M.; Dawson, S.; Hill, J.; Innes, J.B.; Kelham, C.; Milne, F.D.; Dawson, A.

Authors

Professor Antony Long a.j.long@durham.ac.uk
Emeritus Professor

N.L.M. Barlow

S. Dawson

J. Hill

J.B. Innes

C. Kelham

F.D. Milne

A. Dawson

Abstract

We reconstruct one of the longest relative sea-level (RSL) records in northwest Europe from the north coast of mainland Scotland, using data collected from three sites in Loch Eriboll (Sutherland) that we combine with other studies from the region. Following deglaciation, RSL fell from a Late Glacial highstand of +6-8 m OD (Ordnance Datum = c. mean sea level) at c. 15 k cal a BP to below present, then rose to an early Holocene highstand and remained at c. +1 m OD between c. 7 and 3 k cal a BP, before falling to present. We find no evidence for significant differential Holocene glacio-isostatic adjustment between sites on the northwest (Lochinver, Loch Laxford), north (Loch Eriboll) and northeast (Wick) coast of mainland Scotland. This suggests that the region was rapidly deglaciated and there was little difference in ice loads across the region. From one site at the head of Loch Eriboll we report the most westerly sedimentary evidence for the early Holocene Storegga tsunami on the Scottish mainland. The presence of the Storegga tsunami in Loch Eriboll is predicted by a tsunami wave model, which suggests that the tsunami impacted the entire north coast of Scotland and likely also the Atlantic coastline of northwest Scotland.

Citation

Long, A., Barlow, N., Dawson, S., Hill, J., Innes, J., Kelham, C., …Dawson, A. (2016). Lateglacial and Holocene relative sea-level changes and first evidence for the Storegga tsunami in Sutherland, Scotland. Journal of Quaternary Science, 31(3), 239-255. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.2862

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Apr 6, 2016
Online Publication Date	May 18, 2016
Publication Date	Apr 1, 2016
Deposit Date	Apr 6, 2016
Publicly Available Date	Apr 7, 2016
Journal	Journal of Quaternary Science
Print ISSN	0267-8179
Electronic ISSN	1099-1417
Publisher	Wiley
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	31
Issue	3
Pages	239-255
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.2862

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Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Quaternary Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
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