Relative fall of Holocene sea level and coastal progradation, northeastern Spencer Gulf, S

14C dating of mollusc shells and sea-grass root fibres reveals a 6000-year history of relative sea-level fall in northeastern Spencer Gulf. The dataset, provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network, includes precise elevation measurements of beach ridges and subtidal sea-grass deposits. It details four distinct events from 6000 years B.P. to the present, with sea level falling from a peak of +3-4 meters to near present levels.

Use Cases

• Modeling Holocene sea-level curves based on dated beach ridge and sea-grass deposit elevations.
• Analyzing coastal progradation rates in relation to falling sea levels over the last 6000 years.
• Investigating potential tectonic uplift contributions to relative sea-level change, as suggested by regional seismicity.
• Calibrating paleo-environmental indicators using the established elevations of intertidal and supratidal facies.

Strengths

• Includes 14C dating results from multiple biological sources (mollusc shells, sea-grass root fibres).
• Provides precise elevation measurements relative to the Australian Height Datum (AHD), with beach ridge bases ranging from +1.1m to +1.8m AHD.
• Covers a long temporal range, constructing a history from 6000 years B.P. to the present.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is delivered in PDF/HTML formats, which may require extraction for computational analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Covers the Holocene period, with specific events from 6000 years B.P. to present.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 20:06:27.870286; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northeastern Spencer Gulf, South Australia.