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Challenges and Opportunities in Coastal Geomorphology. Andrew Cooper University of Ulster. December 2010, Dunkeld. Geoscience – understanding the coastal system. Defining Relative Sea level (past and future) Understanding Ice-Earth-Ocean interaction
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Challenges and Opportunities in Coastal Geomorphology Andrew Cooper University of Ulster December 2010, Dunkeld
Geoscience – understanding the coastal system • Defining Relative Sea level (past and future) • Understanding Ice-Earth-Ocean interaction • Coastal Response to RSL (and other) forcing Environment and Society • Adaptation • Sustainable shorelines
Gaussian quadratic trend surface models of Holocene land uplift in Scotland. Smith D E et al. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2006;364:949-972
Slow RSL change Rapid RSL change
Constraints on ‘terrestrial’ approach Limited by depth of incised valley under contemporary estuaries (Late glacial/early Holocene shoreline deposits located well offshore in deep water) Usually guided by contemporary environment (Early shorelines are submerged) Demands high precision in vertical resolution (early RSL rise was rapid)
x Morecambe From Brooks et al. (2008)
Brooks et al. Jour Quat. Sci. (2008) X X X X Lambeck J. Geol Soc. (1996)
The challenge of identifying (much) lower than present sea level indicators Find; Sample; Assign indicative RSL meaning; Age-constrain
The challenge of identifying (much) lower than present sea level indicators Seismic stratigraphy & swath bathymetry Coring Interpretation (RSL indicative meaning) Dating
RSL Indicators Lowstand deltas Maine, USA From Barnhardt et al. (2004)
Incised valleys -56m
-50m KwaZulu-Natal Continental shelf Shoreline deposits KwaZulu-Natal Coast
Northwest Florida 10km Shoreline deposits From Gardiner et al. (2004)