Stable carbon isotopes as potential sea-level indicators in salt marshes, North Carolina, USA

Kemp, Andrew C.; Vane, Christopher H.; Horton, Benjamin P.; Culver, Stephen J.

doi:10.1177/0959683609354302

Cited by 60 publications

(53 citation statements)

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“…In North Carolina, sediments under Spartina alterniflora have been associated with δ 13 C values of between -18.6‰ and -14.0‰ (Craft et al, 1988;Currin et al, 1995;Kemp et al, 2010). Similar sediments in South Carolina had δ…”

Section: Values In Bulk Surface Sedimentsmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…widely recognized (Haines, 1976;Ember et al, 1987;Benner et al, 1991). In North Carolina, Spartina sediments up to 6.4‰ more depleted than corresponding plants have been reported (Craft et al, 1988;Kemp et al, 2010). Similarly, Goni and Thomas (2000) showed a difference of 4.0‰ to 6.8‰ in South Carolina.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Middleburg et al (1997) C value of -27.8‰ was provided for freshwater marshes (DeLaune, 1986;Chmura et al, 1987), whilst forest sediments close to salt marshes in South Carolina had δ 13 C values of -28.8‰ to -27.5‰ (Goñi and Thomas, 2000). Bulk sediments above the influence of astronomical tides were associated with δ 13 C values of -28.1‰ to -26.8‰ in North Carolina (Kemp et al, 2010). In the San Francisco Bay estuarine system, freshwater sediments were shown to have δ…”

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confidence: 99%

“…However, measurements of δ 13 C in bulk sediment also include allochthonous material that may be derived from fresh, brackish or marine environments as either dissolved or roemerianus), which limits use of this technique on the southeastern and Gulf coasts of the USA where C 3 species dominate both freshwater upland and salt-marsh environments making them indistinguishable from one another on the basis of bulk-sediment δ 13 C values alone (Chmura and Aharon, 1995;Kemp et al, 2010).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Application of stable carbon isotopes for reconstructing salt‐marsh floral zones and relative sea level, New Jersey, USA

Kemp¹,

Vane²,

Horton³

et al. 2011

J Quaternary Science

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We investigated use of δ13C in bulk organic sediment to define the botanical origin of samples preserved in coastal sediment as a means to reconstruct relative sea level in New Jersey, USA. Modern transects at three sites demonstrated that low and high salt‐marsh floral zones dominated by C4 species (Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens) were associated with sediment δ13C values between −18.9‰ and −15.8‰ and occurred from mean tide level (MTL) to mean higher high water (MHHW). Brackish transitional settings vegetated by Phragmites australis with Iva fructescens and Typha sp. (C3 species) and freshwater upland samples (C3 species) were characterized by bulk sediment δ13C values of −27.0‰ to −22.0‰ and existed above MHHW. Parallel transects at one site suggested that intra‐site variability was not discernible. The utility of δ13C values for reconstructing relative sea level in New Jersey is limited by an inability to differentiate between brackish sediments related to sea level and freshwater upland samples. To facilitate this distinction in a 4.4 m core, we used a multi‐proxy approach (δ13C values with presence or absence of agglutinated foraminifera) to recognize indicative meanings for four sample types. Sediment with δ13C values greater than −18.9‰ was derived from a vegetated salt‐marsh and formed between MTL and MHHW. Sediment with δ13C values less than −22.0‰ and containing agglutinated foraminifera formed in a brackish transitional zone between MHHW and highest astronomical tide (HAT). This is the narrowest elevational range of the four sample types and most precise sea‐level indicator. Sediment with δ13C values less than −22.0‰ and lacking foraminifera can only constrain the upper bound of former sea level. Samples with intermediate values (−22.0‰ to −18.9‰) formed between MTL and HAT. Using these indicative meanings and radiocarbon dates, we suggest that a transition from brackish to salt‐marsh δ13C values recorded in the core took approximately 350 years (from 1800 to 1450 cal. a BP). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Values In Bulk Surface Sedimentsmentioning

confidence: 72%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Application of stable carbon isotopes for reconstructing salt‐marsh floral zones and relative sea level, New Jersey, USA

Kemp¹,

Vane²,

Horton³

et al. 2011

J Quaternary Science

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“…These C values was up to 60% better than using 556 foraminifera alone (Cahill et al, 2016). In contrast, a similar study in North Carolina concluded that 557 bulk-sediment δ 13 C values could not be objectively used as a sea-level indicator because the monospecific 558 high salt-marsh zone is vegetated by the C3 species Juncus roemerianus, making it indistinguishable from 559 a freshwater upland (Kemp et al, 2010). 560…”

Section: Distribution Of Testate Amoebae 481mentioning

confidence: 86%

Utility of salt-marsh foraminifera, testate amoebae and bulk-sediment δ13C values as sea-level indicators in Newfoundland, Canada

Kemp

Wright

Barnett

et al. 2017

Marine Micropaleontology

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24 25We investigated the utility of foraminifera, testate amoebae and bulk-sediment δ 13 C measurements for 26 reconstructing Holocene relative sea level from sequences of salt-marsh sediment in Newfoundland, 27Canada. Modern, surface sediment was collected along transects from low to supra-tidal elevations in 28 eastern (at Placentia) and western (at Hynes Brook and Big River) Newfoundland. Consistent with 29 previous work, low-diversity assemblages of foraminifera display an almost binary division into a higher 30 salt-marsh assemblage dominated by Jadammina macrescens and Balticammina pseudomacrescens and a 31 lower salt-marsh assemblage comprised of Miliammina fusca. This pattern and composition resembles 32 those identified at other high latitude sites with cool climates and confirms that foraminifera are sea-level 33indicators. The lowest occurrence of testate amoebae was at approximately mean higher high water. The 34 composition of high salt-marsh testate amoebae assemblages (Centropyxis cassis type, Trinema spp., 35Tracheleuglypha dentata type, and Euglypha spp.) in Newfoundland was similar to elsewhere in the 36North Atlantic, but preservation bias favors removal of species with idiosomic tests over those with 37 xenosomic tests. The mixed high salt-marsh plant community in Newfoundland results in bulk 38 surface-sediment δ 13 C values that are typical of C3 plants, making them indistinguishable from freshwater 39 sediment. Therefore we propose that the utility of this proxy for reconstructing RSL in eastern North 40America is restricted to the coastline between Chesapeake Bay and southern Nova Scotia. Using a simple, 41 multi-proxy approach to establish that samples in three radiocarbon-dated sediment cores formed between 42 the lowest occurrence of testate amoebae and the highest occurrence of foraminifera, we generated three 43 example late Holocene sea-level index points at Hynes Brook. 44 3

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Stable carbon isotope and C/N geochemistry of coastal wetland sediments as a sea‐level indicator

Khan

Vane

Horton

2015

Handbook of Sea‐Level Research

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Stable carbon isotopes as potential sea-level indicators in salt marshes, North Carolina, USA

Cited by 60 publications

References 65 publications

Application of stable carbon isotopes for reconstructing salt‐marsh floral zones and relative sea level, New Jersey, USA

Application of stable carbon isotopes for reconstructing salt‐marsh floral zones and relative sea level, New Jersey, USA

Utility of salt-marsh foraminifera, testate amoebae and bulk-sediment δ13C values as sea-level indicators in Newfoundland, Canada

Stable carbon isotope and C/N geochemistry of coastal wetland sediments as a sea‐level indicator

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