Joyce Seals, Leila M.

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Rising rivers and shifting shorelines: Constraining Holocene sea level rise through onshore and archaeological data at Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico
(2014) Joyce Seals, Leila M.; Santos Mercado, Hernán; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; Ramírez, Wilson R.; Gilbes, Fernando; Department of Geology; Acosta, Felipe
Stratigraphic analysis of alluvial deposits near-coastal Coamo River valley in southern Puerto Rico indicates two pulses of sea level rise separated by a period of quiescence. Based on dates obtained from archaeological deposits associated with the site, both pulses occurred between ~4 ka BP and ~1.1 ka BP. When correlated with temporally similar coastal deposits and morphologies, the data suggests the rise was seen across the island and that sea level transgressed ~2 m above present by ~3 ka BP, regressing to slightly below present at ~1.9-1.5 ka BP. This pattern of sea level rise fits eustatic predictions for the time, but is at odds with regional predictions for the Caribbean. The project proposes a more accurate sea level curve for the late Holocene and highlights the importance of onshore data, including archaeological sites, in the construction of regional sea level histories.