Holocene Sea Levels in Southeast Alaska: Preliminary Results
Natural raised marine deposits and archaeological sites recently discovered in southeastern Alaska have been measured relative to mean sea level and radiocarbon dated. Plots of sites on Heceta and Prince of Wales islands are compared to those developed for British Columbia. The Heceta Island curve i...
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1988
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ftunivcalgaryojs:oai:journalhosting.ucalgary.ca:article/64784 2023-05-15T14:17:51+02:00 Holocene Sea Levels in Southeast Alaska: Preliminary Results Mobley, Charles M. 1988-01-01 application/pdf https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64784 eng eng The Arctic Institute of North America https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64784/48698 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64784 ARCTIC; Vol. 41 No. 4 (1988): December: 261–336; 261-266 1923-1245 0004-0843 Archaeology Geological time Glacial epoch Palaeogeography Quaternary period Radiocarbon dating Recent epoch Sea level Sediments (Geology) Glaciation Alaska Southeastern British Columbia Northern info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion research-article 1988 ftunivcalgaryojs 2022-03-22T21:21:59Z Natural raised marine deposits and archaeological sites recently discovered in southeastern Alaska have been measured relative to mean sea level and radiocarbon dated. Plots of sites on Heceta and Prince of Wales islands are compared to those developed for British Columbia. The Heceta Island curve is comparable to that of the Queen Charlotte Islands, in which pre-Holocene shorelines were lower than present until about 10,000 B.P. and then rose to a maximum of 15 m asl by 8500 B.P., when gradual emergence began to bring the sea level down to its present position. In contrast, the Prince of Wales Islands data indicate that sea level remained a few metres above its present position between 10,000 and 7000 B.P. - a time when the shores of mainland British Columbia were as much as 15 m below present sea level. Because Holocene sea levels are a function of isostatic rebound due to removal of glacial ice, as well as global sea level changes and tectonic activity, the implication is that whereas Heceta Island underwent processes and magnitudes of glaciation and isostatic rebound similar to the Queen Charlotte Islands, Prince of Wales Island was subjected to a pattern of glaciation and isostatic rebound different from that of the Queen Charlotte Islands and mainland of British Columbia.Key words: Alaska, Alexander Archipelago, archaeology, eustacy, geomorphology, glaciation, Holocene, isostacy, sea level, Quaternary Mots clés: Alaska, archipel Alexander, archéologie, eustatisme, géomorphologie, glaciation, holocène, isostasie, niveau de la mer, quaternaire Article in Journal/Newspaper Archipel Archipelago Arctic Prince of Wales Island Alaska University of Calgary Journal Hosting Prince of Wales Island ENVELOPE(-99.001,-99.001,72.668,72.668) Queen Charlotte ENVELOPE(-132.088,-132.088,53.255,53.255) ARCTIC 41 4 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Calgary Journal Hosting |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcalgaryojs |
language |
English |
topic |
Archaeology Geological time Glacial epoch Palaeogeography Quaternary period Radiocarbon dating Recent epoch Sea level Sediments (Geology) Glaciation Alaska Southeastern British Columbia Northern |
spellingShingle |
Archaeology Geological time Glacial epoch Palaeogeography Quaternary period Radiocarbon dating Recent epoch Sea level Sediments (Geology) Glaciation Alaska Southeastern British Columbia Northern Mobley, Charles M. Holocene Sea Levels in Southeast Alaska: Preliminary Results |
topic_facet |
Archaeology Geological time Glacial epoch Palaeogeography Quaternary period Radiocarbon dating Recent epoch Sea level Sediments (Geology) Glaciation Alaska Southeastern British Columbia Northern |
description |
Natural raised marine deposits and archaeological sites recently discovered in southeastern Alaska have been measured relative to mean sea level and radiocarbon dated. Plots of sites on Heceta and Prince of Wales islands are compared to those developed for British Columbia. The Heceta Island curve is comparable to that of the Queen Charlotte Islands, in which pre-Holocene shorelines were lower than present until about 10,000 B.P. and then rose to a maximum of 15 m asl by 8500 B.P., when gradual emergence began to bring the sea level down to its present position. In contrast, the Prince of Wales Islands data indicate that sea level remained a few metres above its present position between 10,000 and 7000 B.P. - a time when the shores of mainland British Columbia were as much as 15 m below present sea level. Because Holocene sea levels are a function of isostatic rebound due to removal of glacial ice, as well as global sea level changes and tectonic activity, the implication is that whereas Heceta Island underwent processes and magnitudes of glaciation and isostatic rebound similar to the Queen Charlotte Islands, Prince of Wales Island was subjected to a pattern of glaciation and isostatic rebound different from that of the Queen Charlotte Islands and mainland of British Columbia.Key words: Alaska, Alexander Archipelago, archaeology, eustacy, geomorphology, glaciation, Holocene, isostacy, sea level, Quaternary Mots clés: Alaska, archipel Alexander, archéologie, eustatisme, géomorphologie, glaciation, holocène, isostasie, niveau de la mer, quaternaire |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mobley, Charles M. |
author_facet |
Mobley, Charles M. |
author_sort |
Mobley, Charles M. |
title |
Holocene Sea Levels in Southeast Alaska: Preliminary Results |
title_short |
Holocene Sea Levels in Southeast Alaska: Preliminary Results |
title_full |
Holocene Sea Levels in Southeast Alaska: Preliminary Results |
title_fullStr |
Holocene Sea Levels in Southeast Alaska: Preliminary Results |
title_full_unstemmed |
Holocene Sea Levels in Southeast Alaska: Preliminary Results |
title_sort |
holocene sea levels in southeast alaska: preliminary results |
publisher |
The Arctic Institute of North America |
publishDate |
1988 |
url |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64784 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-99.001,-99.001,72.668,72.668) ENVELOPE(-132.088,-132.088,53.255,53.255) |
geographic |
Prince of Wales Island Queen Charlotte |
geographic_facet |
Prince of Wales Island Queen Charlotte |
genre |
Archipel Archipelago Arctic Prince of Wales Island Alaska |
genre_facet |
Archipel Archipelago Arctic Prince of Wales Island Alaska |
op_source |
ARCTIC; Vol. 41 No. 4 (1988): December: 261–336; 261-266 1923-1245 0004-0843 |
op_relation |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64784/48698 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64784 |
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ARCTIC |
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