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

A Holocene sea-level history constructed for north-east Spencer Gulf shows a relative fall from a peak 6000-4000 years B.P. Beach ridge elevations range from +1.1 m to +1.8 m A.H.D., and the upper limit of Posidonia sea-grass growth is below -2 m A.H.D. This dataset from the Australian Ocean Data Network includes precise measurements of intertidal environments and 14C dating of mollusc shells and sea-grass root fibres.

Use Cases

• Modeling Holocene sea-level curves based on dated beach ridge and sea-grass deposits.
• Reconstructing coastal progradation rates based on the described regressive carbonate shorelines.
• Investigating tectonic uplift influences on relative sea level based on the high seismicity of the adjacent Flinders Ranges.
• Calibrating paleo-environmental indicators using the established elevation ranges of beach ridges and Posidonia growth limits.

Strengths

• Precise elevation measurements for beach ridges (+1.1 m to +1.8 m A.H.D.) and sea-grass deposits (<-2 m A.H.D.).
• Includes 14C dating of unaltered mollusc shells and sea-grass root fibres.
• Provides a constructed Holocene sea-level history with events defined from 6000 years B.P. to present.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Field measurements and 14C dating of coastal facies.

Time Range

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 07:49:43.365317; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northeastern Spencer Gulf, South Australia.