Document Type

Article

Department/Program

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Publication Date

1-1963

Journal

Journal of Geology

Volume

71

Issue

1

First Page

96

Last Page

108

Abstract

Remains of three drowned forests have been investigated at Odiorne Point, New Hampshire, and Fort Lawrence and Grand Pre, west-central Nova Scotia. Carbon-14 ages and altitudes below mean tide levels were determined for four in-place stumps of white pine at each locality. Assuming that each dated stump was killed by rising salt water, and that its C14 age represented its true age at death, it was possible to construct curves showing the sequence of submergence and emergence at each site.

A continuous transgression of the sea, approximating 0.31 foot per century, is indicated for the period 4,500-3,200 B.P. This rate corresponds well with Shepard's (1960) estimate of eustatic sea-level rise along the stable Texas coast for this time interval.

Interpretation of the submergence-emergence curves in terms of crustal movements yields the following history: 4,500-3,800 B.P.: crustal stability at all three sites; 3,800-3,400 B.P.: crustal downwarping of west- central Nova Scotia at the approximate rate of 2.6 feet per century; slightly greater downwarping at Grand Pre possible, indicating a hinge for the warping lying to the north of Fort Lawrence; slight crustal depression of the New Hampshire coast may have taken place; 3,400-3,250 B.P.: upwarping of west-central Nova Scotia at the approximate rate of 4 feet per century; crustal stability of New Hampshire shore; 3,250-3,000 B.P.: renewed downwarping in west-central Nova Scotia at the approximate rate of 0.88 foot per century; crustal stability of New Hampshire shore.

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