Department of Earth and Environmental Science

Holocene sea-level change in Southeast Asia and Australasia

The most important feature of Holocene sea-level records from far field locations is the magnitude and timing of the mid Holocene highstand (up to 6m above current sea level between 6-2ka BP). This highstand results from the interplay between glacio and hydro isostasy, and geoidal eustasy, and differs in timing and magnitude across the Indo Pacific.  In addition, evidence in selected locations across the Indo-Pacific points towards a second, smaller magnitude late Holocene highstand occurring, which cannot be predicted by current geophysical models. 

Our research of far field locations has however, shown that the fundamental criteria to produce an accurate sea-level curve are hardly ever met. There are serious problems associated with the correct interpretation of mean sea level and the quality of age determinations. Thus, further sea-level analysis from far field locations must involve the application of a consistent methodology. This will result in a new generation of sea-level records being produced to improve our understanding of the driving mechanisms behind Holocene sea-level change and coastal evolution over a range of spatial and temporal scales, and to provide meaningful comparison with the emerging high-precision paleoenvironmental records from the ice sheets, the oceans and other terrestrial archives.

Publications

Horton, B. P., Culver, S. J., Hardbattle, M. I. J., Larcombe, P., Milne, G. M., Morigi, C., Whittaker, J. E., and  Woodroffe, S. A., in press.

Reconstructing Holocene sea-level change for the Great Barrier Reef using subtidal foraminifera. Journal of Foraminiferal Research.

Berkeley, A., Perry, C.T. Smithers, S., Horton, B. P., Taylor, K. G., 2007. Microfossil-based paleoenvironmental records in intertidal environments: a review of the ecological and taphonomic controls on foraminiferal assemblage development. Earth Science Reviews, 83, 205-230.

Engelhart, S. E., Horton, B. P., Roberts, D. H., Bryant, C. L. and Corbett, D. R., 2007. Mangrove Pollen of Indonesia and its suitability as a sea-level indicator. Marine Geology, 242, 65-81.

Horton, B. P., Zong, Y., Hillier, C. and Engelhart, S., 2007. Diatoms from Indonesian mangroves and their suitability as sea-level indicators for tropical environments. Marine Micropaleontology, 63, 155-168.

Horton, B. P., Gibbard, P. L., Milne, G. M., Stargardt, J. M., 2005, Holocene sea levels and palaeoenvironments of the Malay-Thai Peninsula, Southeast Asia. The Holocene, 15, 1199-1213.

Horton, B. P., Thomson, K., Woodroffe, S. E., Whittaker, J. E., Wright, M. W., 2005. Contemporary foraminiferal distributions, Wakatobi National Park, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, Journal of Foraminiferal Research, 35, 1-14.

Woodroffe, S. A. and Horton, B. P., 2005. Late and post glacial sea-level changes of the Indo-Pacific: a review. Journal of Asian Earth Science, 25, 29-43.

Woodroffe, S. A., Horton, B. P., Larcombe, P. and Whittaker, J. E., 2005. Contemporary intertidal foraminiferal distributions of mangrove environments from Cleveland Bay, Great Barrier Reef Shelf, Australia: implications for sea-level reconstructions. Journal of Foraminiferal Research, 35, 259-270.

Horton, B. P., Larcombe, P., Woodroffe, S. E., Whittaker, J. E., Wright, M. W. and Wynn, C., 2003. Contemporary foraminiferal distributions of the Great Barrier Reef coastline, Australia: implications for sea-level reconstructions. Marine Geology, 3320, 1-19.