Holocene environmental evolution and relative sea-level change in the Oka estuary (Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, northern Spain)

Abstract

The Holocene environmental evolution in coastal areas, including deltas and estuaries, is vital to understanding coastal dynamics and how they may change in the future. Here, we studied the Holocene environmental evolution of the Oka estuary (Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, northern Spain) from sedimentary cores that were 11–49 m long. We applied a multi-proxy approach of benthic foraminifera and grain size, and a temporal framework of radiocarbon dates to reconstruct paleoenvironments. The benthic foraminifera assemblages varied from near-marine (allochthonous and autochthonous hyaline species such as Lobatula lobatula, Rosalina irregularis, Ammonia tepida and Haynesina germanica) to brackish intertidal (autochthonous hyaline species such as A. tepida and H. germanica) to salt-marsh (autochthonous agglutinated species Trochammina inflata and Entzia macrescens) environments. Grain size analysis supported the foraminiferal assemblages and the sedimentary sequences were sand-dominated in near-marine intertidal environments and mud-dominated in the brackish intertidal and salt-marsh environments. The chronology was constrained by thirty four radiocarbon dates from plant macrofossils, marine shells and wood fragments. Our paleoenvironmental reconstructions were used to produce an updated local Holocene relative sea-level (RSL) record based on new data, revised reconstructions, and age recalibration of previous research. Marine limiting dates showed that RSL changed from above −20.4 ± 0.2 m at ∼9100 cal. yrs. BP to above −4.2 ± 0.2 m at ∼6700 cal. yrs. BP. In the late Holocene, sea-level index points (SLIPs) reconstructed the RSL position from −2.7 ± 1.2 m at ∼4900 cal. yrs. BP to −1.4 ± 1.2 m at ∼1500 cal. yrs. BP. Estimates of rates of RSL change from the Errors-in-Variables Integrated Gaussian Process (EIV-IGP) model show RSL gradually rose at 0.3 ± 2.1 mm yr−1 in the late Holocene. There was a progressive shallowing of the estuary as rates of RSL rise reduced during the Holocene. Between ∼9000 and 7000-6000 cal. yrs. BP pre-Holocene fluvial gravels (Lowstand Systems Tract) were replaced by both sandy marine and brackish intertidal sediments (Transgressive Systems Tract). After ∼7000-6000 cal. yrs. BP salt-marsh sediments deposited (Highstand Systems Tract). The sequence was overlain by anthropogenic deposits derived from agricultural, dredging and dumping activities since the 18th century (Anthropogenic Systems Tract). The Holocene environmental evolution and relative sea-level change of Oka is broadly consistent with previous studies in northern Spain, although it places the onset of the Highstand Systems Tract ∼2000 years earlier.