New relative sea-level curves for the southern Scott Coast,Antarctica: evidence for Holocene deglaciation of the western Ross Sea |
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| Authors: | Brenda L Hall George H Denton |
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| Abstract: | Here we present new relative sea-level (RSL) curves developed from Holocene-aged raised beaches along the southern Scott Coast of the western Ross Sea, Antarctica. Fifty-four dates of marine shells, seal skin and elephant seal remains incorporated within raised beaches during storms afford a chronology for these curves. All of the curves show the same pattern and timing of RSL change within a small range of error. The best-dated curve suggests that final unloading of grounded Ross Sea ice from the southern Scott Coast and McMurdo Sound region occurred shortly before 6500 14C yr BP. This age is consistent with glacial geological evidence that places deglaciation between 5730 and 8340 14C yr BP. Our data strongly suggest that grounding-line retreat of the Ross Sea ice sheet southward through the McMurdo Sound region occurred in mid- and late Holocene time. If this is correct, then rising sea level could not have driven ice recession to the present-day grounding line on the Siple Coast, because global deglacial sea-level rise was essentially accomplished by mid-Holocene time. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | Antarctica relative sea-level curves raised beaches West Antarctic Ice Sheet Ross Sea |
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