Relative sea-level change in Connecticut (USA) during the last 2200 yrs
Open accessAbstract
We produced a relative sea-level (RSL) reconstruction from Connecticut (USA) spanning the last ∼2200 yrs that is free from the influence of sediment compaction. The reconstruction used a suite of vertically- and laterally-ordered sediment samples ≤2 cm above bedrock that were collected by excavating a trench along an evenly-sloped bedrock surface. Paleomarsh elevation was reconstructed using a regional-scale transfer function trained on the modern distribution of foraminifera on Long Island Sound salt marshes and supported by bulk-sediment δ 13 C measurements. The history of sediment accumulation was estimated using an age-elevation model constrained by radiocarbon dates and recognition of pollution horizons of known age. The RSL reconstruction was combined with regional tide-gauge measurements spanning the last ∼150 yrs before being quantitatively analyzed using an error-in-variables integrated Gaussian process model to identify sea-level trends with formal and appropriate treatment of uncertainty and the temporal distribution of data. RSL rise was stable (∼1 mm/yr) from ∼200 BCE to ∼1000 CE, slowed to a minimum rate of rise (0.41 mm/yr) at ∼1400 CE, and then accelerated continuously to reach a current rate of 3.2 mm/yr, which is the fastest, century-scale rate of the last 2200 yrs. Change point analysis identified that modern rates of rise in Connecticut began at 1850–1886 CE. This timing is synchronous with changes recorded at other sites on the U.S. Atlantic coast and is likely the local expression of a global sea-level change. Earlier sea-level trends show coherence north of Cape Hatteras that are contrasted with southern sites. This pattern may represent centennial-scale variability in the position and/or strength of the Gulf Stream. Comparison of the new record to three existing and reanalyzed RSL reconstructions from the same site developed using sediment cores indicates that compaction is unlikely to significantly distort RSL reconstructions produced from shallow (∼2–3 m thick) sequences of salt-marsh peat.
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Sea-level rise rate was 0.06-0.39 mm/year during the 18th century, changed from 1827-1860 C.E., with a late 19th century rate of 1.22-1.53 mm/year and a secondary change in 1924-1943 C.E., with resultant rise of 1.9-2.22 mm/year.
“A rate of rise of 0.06 -0.39 mm/year during the 18 th century shows a change from 1827 -1860 C.E. with a subsequent late 19 th century rate of 1.22 -1.53 mm/year and a secondary and less pronounced change in 1924 -1943 C. E., with resultant rise of 1.9 -2.22 mm/year ( 87 ).”
From The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene (2016) · cites this paper as [87]
Section 5.2 (p. 10) reports a primary increase at 1827–1860 CE and a secondary increase at 1924–1943 CE in the paper’s analysis of a tide-gauge compilation. The supplied text does not give the claimed rates of 0.06–0.39, 1.22–1.53, or 1.9–2.22 mm/year; the Fig. 9 caption (p. 11) says rates are listed in the figure, but they are not present in our text copy. These change points concern that compilation, whereas the paper dates the change in its Connecticut reconstruction to 1850–1886 CE (section 4.3, p. 7). (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredReconstructions from the Atlantic coast of the USA suggest the rising sea-level rate is not linear.
“But, reconstructions from the Atlantic coast of the USA suggest the rising sea-level rate is not linear ( 87 ).”
From The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene (2016) · cites this paper as [87]
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The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene
Waters, C. N., Zalasiewicz, J., Summerhayes, C., Barnosky, A. D., Poirier, C., Gałuszka, A., Cearreta, A., Edgeworth, M., Ellis, E. C., Ellis, M., et al. (2016) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aad2622 · Cited by 2,375 · see citing works
“Atlantic coast suggest that the rate of sealevel rise is not linear (87).”
Background
- Authors
- Kemp, A. C., Hawkes, A. D., Donnelly, J. P., Vane, C. H., Horton, B. P., Hill, T. D., Anisfeld, S. C., Parnell, A. C., & Cahill, N.
- Affiliations
- Tufts University (US)
- University of North Carolina Wilmington (US)
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (US)
- British Geological Survey (GB)
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- Yale University (US)
- University College Dublin (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Kemp, Andrew C.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Earth and Planetary Science Letters
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-10
- Volume
- 428
- Pages
- 217-229
- ISSN
- 0012-821X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1956482238
- Cited by
- 91
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 7
- FWCI
- 6.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Earth and Planetary Science Letters (acceptedVersion)
- Maynooth University ePrints and eTheses Archive (Maynooth University) (acceptedVersion)
- NERC Open Research Archive (Natural Environment Research Council) (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- NOAA (NA11OAR4310101)
- NSF (EAR-1052848, EAR-0951686, OCE-1154978)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Earth-Surface Processes › Coastal and Marine Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Keywords
- relative sea-level change, Connecticut, salt marshes, sediment compaction, sediment accumulation rates, radiocarbon dating, change-point analysis, sea level acceleration, Atlantic coast, Long Island Sound
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