Holocene Sea Level and Coastal Progradation in Northeastern Spencer Gulf, South Australia

6000 years B.P. to present sea-level history for northeastern Spencer Gulf, constructed from precisely measured intertidal environments and 14C dating of mollusc shells and sea-grass fibers. The dataset, hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network, details a relative fall in sea level and the construction of beach ridges over four distinct periods. It was last updated on 2026-05 05.

Use Cases

• Modeling Holocene sea-level curves based on dated beach ridge and sea-grass deposit elevations.
• Analyzing coastal progradation rates in carbonate-rich environments over the last 6000 years.
• Investigating the potential influence of tectonic uplift on relative sea level, as suggested by regional seismicity.
• Calibrating paleo-environmental indicators using the established relationship between tidal range and intertidal facies.

Strengths

• Provides precise elevation measurements for key indicators like beach ridges (+1.1m to +1.8m A.H.D.) and Posidonia sea-grass (-2m A.H.D.).
• Includes a detailed, event-based Holocene sea-level history spanning four periods from 6000 years B.P. to present.
• Data is supported by 14C dating of biological materials (mollusc shells, sea-grass fibers).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Primary file formats are PDF and HTML, which may require extraction for quantitative analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Field measurements and 14C dating of samples from transects across intertidal and supratidal plains.

Time Range

6000 years B.P. to present

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-05 00:02:24.109002; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northeastern Spencer Gulf, South Australia