Submerged Gravel and Peat in Southampton Water
PAPERS AND . PROCEEDINGS 263 SUBMERGED GRAVEL AND PEAT IN SOUTHAMPTON WATER. B y C . E . EVERARD, M.SC. Summary. OCK excavations and numerous bore-holes have shown that gravel and peat-beds, buried by alluvial mud, occur at D many points in Southampton Water and its tributary estuaries. A study of a large number of hitherto unpublished borings has shown that the gravel occurs as terraces, similar to those found above sea-level. There is evidence that the terraces mark stages, three in number, in the excavation of the estuaries during the Pleistocene Period, and that the peat and mud have been deposited mainly during the post-glacial rise in sea-level. Introduction. The Hampshire coast, between Hurst Castle and Hayling Island, illustrates admirably the characteristic estuarine features of a coast of submergence. It is probable that, following the post- glacial rise in sea-level, much of the Channel coast presented a similar appearance, but only in limited areas have the estuaries survived subsequent coastal erosion. The Isle of Wight has, for example, preserved from destruction the Solent and Southampton Water, and their tributary estuaries. The fluviatile origin of these estuaries has been accepted for many years, following the work of Reid (1, 2) and Shore (3, 4), among others, but, as much of the evidence is below low water- level, detailed knowledge of their stratigraphy and history is limited. The deposits of gravel, peat and mud which largely fill the estuaries are known chiefly from dock constructions, borings and dredging. The shores of Southampton Water have been the scene of much activity of this nature during the past century, and a large quantity of information has accumulated concerning the submerged deposits, but surprisingly little has been published.
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