The Holocene transgression in the Golfe du Lion, southwestern France: Paleogeographic and paleobotanical evolution

Abstract

Starting from multidisciplinary punctual results, the authors offer a synthesis of lithologie seismic analysis, sedimentology, palynology and radiometrical measurements from sites in sea and at the border of the Golfe du Lion. The dated samples (more than 120) and the variety of the studied sites has permitted a true methodological approach. The authors also propose a curve of the rising of the Holocene sea that takes into account two major facts: the géomorphologie localisation of the site and the characteristics of the sedimentary environment (sedimentary facies and paleobotanic environment). They conclude to: 1) a generalised rapid rise of the transgression since 14,000 years BP, with an acceleration from 8000 to 6000 years BP; 2) intervals of relative stability from 12 000 to 8 000 years BP; 3) a high sea-level at +2 m at around 4500 years BP.

The Late Holocene sediment infilling and beach barrier dynamics of the Thau lagoon (Gulf of Lions, Mediterranean sea, SE France)

“…Around 6000 yr B.P., the sea had almost reached its present-day level [Labeyrie et al, 1976;Aloïsi et al, 1978;Dubar and Anthony, 1995]. From that time climate fluctuations appear to be one of the major forcing factors of coastal geomorphology evolution [Dabrio et al, 2000;Zazo et al, 2008;Allard et al, 2009;Billeaud et al, 2009].…”

Late Holocene vegetation changes in relation with climate fluctuations and human activity in Languedoc (southern France)

“…The variety of these archives may provide an extensive data set to compare climatic, archeological and historical records with the vegetation history in the Languedoc. Nonetheless, despite the existence of various Holocene pollen sequences in Languedoc such as those from Marsillargues (Planchais, 1982), Lez estuary (Planchais, 1987), Palavas (Aloïsi et al, 1978) and Embouchac (Puertas, 1998), Capestang is the only record which provides chronologically well-constrained high-resolution pollen data (Jalut et al, 2009). This paper presents a new high-resolution composite pollen record from a sedimentary sequence recovered from the Palavasian wetland complex.…”

Colmatage sédimentaire des marais maritimes et variations relatives du niveau marin au cours des 6 000 dernières années en rade de Brest (Finistère)

“…1 -planche I). Baeteman, 1995 ;Lambeck, 1997 ;Aloisi et al, 1978 ;Laborel et al, 1994 ;Morhange et al, 1996Morhange et al, , 2001Vella et Provansal, 2000) 4 Sur les rivages de la Manche et de l'Atlantique, l'amplitude de la marée introduit une marge d'incertitude bien plus importante dans le positionnement des anciens niveaux marins. Les reconstitutions se basent principalement sur les niveaux de tourbe littorale dont la position d'origine par rapport au niveau marin est fixée arbitrairement entre les pleines mers moyennes (PMM) et les plus hautes mers de vive-eau (PMVE) (Lambeck, 1997).…”