Holocene land-ocean interaction and environmental change around the North Sea

333 Pages·2000·30.42 MB·English

by  Ian Shennan

Holocene Land-Ocean Interaction and Environmental Change around the North Sea
Geological Society Special Publications
Series Editors
A. J. HARTLEY
R. E. HOLDSWORTH
A. C. MORTON
M. S. STOKER
It is recommended that reference to all or part of this book should be made in one of the following
ways:
SHENNAN, I. & ANDREWS, J. (eds) 2000. Holocene Land-Ocean Interaction and Environmental
Change around the North Sea. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 166.
HORTON, B .P., EDWARDS, R. J. & LLOYD, J. M. 2000. Implications of a microfossil-based transfer
function in Holocene sea-level studies. In: SHENNAN, I. & ANDREWS, J. (eds) Holocene Land-Ocean
Interaction and Environmental Change around the North Sea. Geological Society, London. Special
Publications, 166, 41-54.
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY SPECIAL PUBLICATION NO. 166
Holocene Land-Ocean Interaction and
Environmental Change around the North Sea
EDITED BY
IAN SHENNAN
University of Durham, UK
AND
JULIAN ANDREWS
University of East Anglia, UK
2000
Published by
The Geological Society
London
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Contents
SHENNAN, I. & ANDREWS, J. E. An introduction to Holocene land-ocean interaction and 1
environmental change around the western North Sea
RIDGWAY, J., ANDREWS, J. E., ELLIS, S., HORTON, B. P., INNES J. B., O'B. KNOX, R. W., 9
MCARTHUR, J. J., MAHER, B. A., METCALFE, S. E., MITLEHNER, A., PARKES, A., REES,
J. G., SAMWAYS, G. M. & SHENNAN, I. Analysis and interpretation of Holocene sedimentary
sequences in the Humber Estuary
HORTON, B. P., EDWARDS, R. J. & LLOYD, J. M. Implications of a microfossil-based transfer 41
function in Holocene sea-level studies
BAILIFF, I. K. & TOOLEY, M. J. Luminescence dating of fine-grain Holocene sediments from 55
a coastal setting
CLARKE, M. L. & RENDELL, H. M. The development of a methodology for luminescence 69
dating of Holocene sediments at the land-ocean interface
MACKLIN, M. G., TAYLOR, M. P., HUDSON-EDWARDS, K. A. & HOWARD, A. J. Holocene 87
environmental change in the Yorkshire Ouse basin and its influence on river dynamics and
sediment fluxes to the coastal zone
METCALFE, S. E., ELLIS, S., HORTON, B. P., INNES J. B., MCARTHUR, J., MITLEHNER, A., 97
PARKES, A., PETHICK, J. S., REES, J., RIDGWAY, J., RUTERFORD, M. M., SHENNAN, I. &
TOOLEY, M. J. The Holocene evolution of the Humber Estuary: reconstructing change in a
dynamic environment
REES, J. G., RIDGWAY, J., ELLIS, S., O'B. KNOX, R. W., NEWSHAM, R. & PARKES, A. 119
Holocene sediment storage in the Humber Estuary
ANDREWS, J. E., SAMWAYS, G., DENNIS, P. F. & MAHER, B. A. Origin, abundance and 145
storage of organic carbon and sulphur in the Holocene Humber Estuary: emphasizing
human impact on storage changes
PLATER, A. J., RIDGWAY, J., RAYNER, B., SHENNAN, I., HORTON, B. P., HAWORTH, E. Y., 171
WRIGHT, M. R., RUTHERFORD, M. M. & WINTLE, A. G. Sediment provenance and flux in
the Tees Estuary: the record from the Late Devensian to the present
ORFORD, J. D., WILSON, P., WINTLE, A. G., KNIGHT, J. & BRALEY, S. Holocene coastal 197
dune initiation in Northumberland and Norfolk, eastern UK: climate and sea-level changes
as possible forcing agents for dune initiation
ANDREWS, J. E., BOOMER, I., BAILIFF, I., BALSON, P., BRISTOW, C.,CHROSTON, P. N., 219
FUNNELL, B. M., HARWOOD, G. M., JONES, R., MAHER, B. A. & SHIMMIELD, G. B.
Sedimentary evolution of the north Norfolk barrier coastline in the context of Holocene sea-
level change
BREW, D. S., HOLT, T., PYE, K. & NEWSHAM, R. Holocene sedimentary evolution and 253
palaeocoastlines of the Fenland embayment, eastern England
SHENNAN, I., LAMBECK, K., HORTON, B. P., INNES, J., LLOYD, J., MCARTHUR, J. & 275
RUTHERFORD, M. Holocene isostasy and relative sea-level on the east coast of England
SHENNAN, I., LAMBECK, K., FLATHER, R., HORTON, B., MCARTHUR, J., INNES, J., LLOYD, J., 299
RUTHERFORD, M. & KINGFIELD, R. Modelling western North Sea palaeogeographies and
tidal changes during Holocene
Index 320
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An introduction to Holocene land-ocean interaction and
environmental change around the western North Sea
I. SHENNAN1 & J. ANDREWS2
1 Environmental Research Centre, Department of Geography, University of Durham,
Durham DH1 3LE, UK
2 School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
The majority of the research presented in this ents, contaminants) into and out of the
Special Publication arises from the Land-Ocean coastal zone, including transfers via rivers
Evolution Perspective Study (LOEPS), one com- coasts, ground-water, the atmosphere and
ponent of the Land-Ocean Interaction Study the shelf-ocean boundary.
(LOIS), Phase 1 of which ended in 1998. It is (2) To characterize the key physical and bio-
therefore appropriate to introduce this research in geochemical processes that govern coastal
the context of LOIS as a whole before summariz- morphodynamics and the functioning of
ing the main conclusions relating to LOEPS. coastal ecosystems, with particular refer-
ence to the effects of variations in sediment
supply and inputs of pollutants.
An overview of the Land-Ocean (3) To describe the evolution of coastal sys-
Interaction Study tems from Holocene to recent (sic, we
assume this was meant to mean present)
The Land-Ocean Interaction Study (LOIS), in response to changes in relative sea-level
was a seven-year Natural Environment Re- and the impact of human activities.
search Council (NERC) funded Community (4) To develop coupled land-ocean models
Research Project (CRP). The detailed planning to simulate the transport, transformation
for LOIS began in 1990 and continued into and fate of materials in the coastal zone,
1991 as a series of workshops, which laid the and provide the basis for predicting hydro-
foundations for the LOIS Science Plan (1992). logical, geomorphological and ecological
The LOIS CRP was conceived as a collaborative conditions under different environmental
multidisciplinary study to be undertaken by UK scenarios for the next 50-100 years.
scientists from NERC institutions and the
It was hoped that these objectives would be
higher education institutes (HEI). The coastal
achieved by the implementation of four inter-
zone was to be studied in an integrated way, to
linked, and in some cases overlapping com-
provide a holistic view of the way coastal
ponent studies as described in Fig. 1. Much of
systems work and to demonstrate how they
the LOIS research was centred on the River-
might respond to future changes resulting from
Atmosphere-Coast Study (RACS) site (Fig. 2),
human activities. It was also anticipated that
which included the east coast of England
LOIS research would interface with other con-
between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Great Yar-
temporary NERC CRPs, including the North
mouth, to include the various river catchments
Sea Project (see e.g. Charnock et al. 1994), the
and the adjoining area of the North Sea.
Biogeochemical Ocean Flux Study (see, e.g.
introduction in Savidge et al. 1992), and the
Terrestrial Initiative in Global Environmental
The Land-Ocean Evolution
Research (see e.g. Oliver et al. 1999).
The objectives of LOIS were set out in the Perspective Study
science plan (LOIS Science Plan 1992) and then
The Land-Ocean Evolution Perspective Study
in revised form in the implementation plan
(LOEPS) was charged with meeting objective 3
(LOIS Implementation Plan 1994).
of LOIS (see above). It was clear that under-
(1) To estimate the contemporary fluxes of standing the history of material fluxes over long
momentum and materials (sediments, nutri- time scales was a prerequisite for making
From: SHENNAN, I. & ANDREWS, J. (eds) Holocene Land-Ocean Interaction and Environmental Change around
the North Sea. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 166, 1-7. 1 -86239-054- 1/00/S 15.00 © The
Geological Society of London 2000.
2 I. SHENNAN & J. ANDREWS
activities. This was to be achieved through spe-
cial topic thematic studies, typically at HEIs,
and through a Core Programme of central and
co-ordinating functions performed by the British
Geological Survey (BGS). The Core Programme
was to: (a) compile and maintain the LOIS
geoscience database; (b) administer and manage
sediment sampling and curation, including a
drilling campaign of new cored boreholes both
offshore and onshore; (c) co-ordinate a radio-
carbon dating programme through the NERC
East Kilbride Laboratory; (d) compile and refine
the regional Holocene stratigraphy of the
RACS area in both a national and European
context; (e) to assemble data on the regional
history of sediment flux in the RACS area, its
sources and sinks through the Holocene to the
present day.
Fig. 1. Schematic representation of the interrelation
between the four component studies of LOIS. RACS,
River-Atmosphere-Coast Study; NORMS, North Sea
Modelling Study; SES, Shelf Edge Study; LOEPS, Implementation of LOEPS research
Land-Ocean Evolution Perspective Study. The
overlap between RACS and LOEPS reflected overlap Following on from the LOIS Science Plan
on decadal to centennial time-scales. (1992), LOIS research began in 1993 and the
LOIS Implementation Plan (1994) was pub-
lished. By this time the details of the LOEPS had
sensible predictions about the way the coastal crystallized into 15 special topics (Table 1), co-
zone might respond to future environmental ordinated by the Core Programme as envisaged
changes. It was envisaged that five LOEPS in the science plan. Specific objectives were
objectives would be addressed (LOIS Implemen- focused to reflect the research teams assembled
tation Plan 1994). and centred on five key areas.
Objectives 1 and 2 were essentially unchanged
(1) To determine, through study of the Holo-
from the planning stage (see above) and have
cene sedimentary record and changing
involved the Core Programme at BGS, special
coastal disposition, how sediment fluxes
topics concentrating largely on new core mate-
between the land and ocean have been
rial from the Tees Estuary (Plater et a/.), the
influenced by changes in sea level, climate,
Humber estuary (Andrews et aL, Metcalfe et aL,
geomorphology and land-use.
Rees et aL\ Ridgway et a/.), the Lincolnshire
(2) To determine the regional history of sedi-
Marshes, the Fenland (Brew et a/.), North
ment fluxes, sources and sinks at the RACS
Norfolk (Andrews et a/.), the river catchments
site, with particular reference to the relative
draining into the Humber and Tees (Macklin
importance of fluvial, coastal and sea-bed
et aL), lake systems within the Humber catch-
sediment sources.
ment, and the integration of the data from
(3) To determine the historical components of
all these areas. Sediment source, sink and flux
relative sea-level change along the coast,
information was aided by a geochemical study
enabling refined predictions for the next
as part of the Core Programme (see e.g. Plater
50-100 years.
el aL; Rees et aL, Ridgway et aL).
(4) To improve absolute dating of Holocene
The other objectives were defined later, at the
sedimentary sequences.
stage of finalizing the LOIS Implementation Plan
(5) To model Holocene tidal and storm circu-
in 1994. Objective 3 to determine the historical
lation affecting sedimentation in collabora-
components of relative sea-level change along the
tion with the North Sea Modelling Study
coast, enabling refined predictions for the next
(NORMS) (see Fig. 1).
50-100 years, required the synthesis of data
The overall aim of LOEPS was thus to collected by many of the research teams (Shennan
describe the evolution of coastal systems over et aL). There have been four major elements to
the last 10000 years in response to changes in address objective 4: a large, co-ordinated accel-
natural climatic conditions, changes in relative erator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon
sea-level and the changes wrought by human dating project (Shenan et a/.); development of
HOLOCENE LAND-OCEAN INTERACTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE 3
Fig. 2. Map of the RACS study site (shaded area on inset) showing principal catchments studied (pecked line).
new techniques in luminescence dating (Bailiff & A key element to the success of LOEPS has
Tooley; Clarke & Rendell) application of palaeo- been the integration and interaction between all
magnetic techniques to coastal clastic sediments elements of the special topics and the Core
(Ridgway et a/.); geochemical and isotope tech- Programme. The papers presented at the sym-
niques for the last 150 years (Andrews et a/.; posium and the contributions to this volume aim
Plater et aL}. Objective 5 involved three main to reflect this integration rather than summa-
elements. Horton et aL report new approaches to rize the results of individual research projects
identify and date different tide levels from or the achievement of a single LOEPS objective.
Holocene sequences and Shennan et aL model The contributions are arranged into four the-
Holocene tidal circulation affecting in the matic sections:
western North Sea. The final element, to model
both Holocene tidal and storm circulation and • techniques;
how in combination they affect sedimentation, • Humber catchment;
forms part of Phase 2 of LOIS, which continues • other areas within the RACS study site;
to AD 2000. • regional scale analyses.