Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
The following research investigates a sediment core from Mattox Creek, a small tributary along the Potomac River which is part of the larger tributary system of the Chesapeake Bay. Specifically, the sedimentology and foraminifera assemblages were used to determine paleoclimate and sea-level trends during the late Holocene, the last ~2000 years. This was accomplished by determining the stratigraphy, sedimentation rate derived from calibrated '*C dates, percent total organic matter, magnetic susceptibility, and percent abundance of foraminiferal taxa throughout the Mattox Creek core (57 cm - 500 cm below marsh level). The results suggest that mid-late Holocene represents drier climatic conditions and relatively higher sea level, leading to saline environments as shown through the percent abundances of Ammobaculites in the basal section of the core. The foraminiferal genus Ammoastuta was prevalent throughout the Mattox Creek core. This finding varies from similar projects sited in proximal Potomac tributaries, indicating that Mattox Creek was influenced by relatively more freshwater conditions. Jadammina and Haplophragmoides were determined to indicate near freshwater environments in the upper core, which is consistent with a wet climate during the end of the Little Ice Age and the 20th century, as recorded in instrumental records and in other studies.
Date Awarded
2016
Department
Geology
Advisor 1
T. Cronin
Advisor 2
Rowan Lockwood
Recommended Citation
Whitworth, Hannah, "Late Holocene Benthic Micropaleontology and Reconstruction of Past Sea-level Rise on the Potomac River, Virginia, USA" (2016). Geology Senior Theses. William & Mary. Paper 387.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/geologyseniors/387
