Journal of Coastal Research R23-R30 Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fall 1996

Morphological Changes on Russian Coasts under Rapid Sea-Level Changes: Examples from the Holocene History and Implications for the Future! A. O. Selivanov

Water Problems Institute Russian Academy of Sciences Novobasmannaya St. 10 P.O. Box 524 107078 Moscow, Russia ABSTRACT _

SELlVANOV, A.O., 1996. Morphological changes on Russian coasts under rapid sea-level changes: Examples from the .tflllllll:. Holocene history and implications for the future. Journal ofCoastal Research, 12(4),823-830. Fort Lauderdale (Flor­ ~ ida), ISSN 0749-0208. eusssn ,." l' Examples from the depositional sand coasts of the White Sea and the Sea of Japan provide valuable information regarding the importance of sediment budget and the direction and rates of sea-level change for patterns of coastal evolution. These examples demonstrate a limited applicability of the Bruun Rule and its modifications to the prediction of shoreline movement under the sea-level change. A moderate underwater coastal slope and an excessive or insuf­ ficient sediment supply may result in the prevalence of deposition during sea-level rise and erosion during its fall. In general, the faster sea-level rise, the higher the possibility of burial, drowning, or destruction of the coastal deposi­ tional body. The faster the sea-level fall, the more probable the preservation of depositional bodies above the retreating sea, e.g., in the form of beach ridges and coastal dunes. As a first approximation, a model of coastal development under accelerating sea-level rise is established for the conditions of excessive and insufficient sediment supply on sand coasts. Under the former, a moderate acceleration of sea-level rise causes the change from mobilization of sediments at a beach face and formation of a beach ridge to the landward translation of the coastal depositional body and, then. to its transformation. An extreme acceleration causes burial of the coastal depositional body by a transgressive sedimentary sequence. Under the latter, mobilization of existing scarce sediments results in a landward movement of a depositional body, erosion of its seaward slope, drowning, and partial destruction. The extreme acceleration may bring, in some cases, the total grading of the coastal zone profile.

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Depositional coasts, coastal responses, Bruun Rule, rate of sea-level rise, sediment supply, White Sea. Sea ofJapan.

INTRODUCTION was statistically insignificant (DOBROVOLSKII, 1992). Thus, a strong possibility exists that the future rate of global sea­ The problem of a greenhouse-induced acceleration in global level rise will be unprecedented when compared with those sea-level during the next century and the possible rate ofthis recorded during the period of direct observations and mea­ process still remains to be solved. The Intergovernmental surements on sea coasts. Panel on Climate Change agreed unanimously on the 0.31­ It is clear that the use of various indirect data on coastal 1.10 m rise in global sea level between 1990 and 2100 change under rapid sea-level variations in the past is an ur­ (HOUGHTON et al., 1990). Slightly lower estimates have been gent necessity. An analysis of morphological and sedimentary derived from the revised emissions scenarios (WICLEY and sequences in coastal zones under various regimes of relative RAPER, 1992). Global sea-level rise over one meter is, there­ sea-level change, sediment supply, etc. represents an impor­ fore, not likely, but cannot be totally excluded yet. Neverthe­ less, recent estimates have suggested that global mean sea­ tant source of such information. A broad variety of examples level rise during the last century was generally <0.20 m (PlI{­ of coastal responses to sea-level changes during the last de­ AZZOLI, 1986; GORNITZ and L~;B~;()I';j<'F, 1987; DOU(;LAS and glaciation and relatively short-term and low-amplitude sea­ HERBRECHSMEIER, 1989; PELTII-:H and TUSHIN(;HAM, 1989; level fluctuations of the last millennia may be derived from KLIGE, 1990; EMERY and AUBREY, 19911. It has been sug­ studies of the Russian coastal zone. gested that global mean sea-level rise during the last century Many Russian and former Soviet writers have analyzed the pattern of sea-level changes following the decay of the last continental ice sheets and examined the coastal morphologi­ 95057 received and accepted in reoision 30 May 1996. cal and sedimentological responses to these changes. These 'This paper is a contribution to the IGCP Project 367 "Late Quater­ nary Coastal Records of Rapid Chango: application to present and studies have revealed the spasmodic, site-specific character future conditions". ofthe lateglacial and postglacial rise in sea level on the coasts 824 Selivanov

In coasta l bluffs in the east an d south-east corner of th e

0E 0E White Sea, where sediment input from rivers and eroding 30 0E 60 0E 90'E 120 180 'b t...P1e • 0 ~'b- 70 N coastal segments was high, bould er tills of th e last glaciation 70 0 N Baren\ !. ,--;:::> t:>n... Sea see V ¥-..<> are usu ally covered at 10-18 m above the present sea level <;l, by laminated lateglacial grey clays (SELIVANOV, 1984), thus i indicati ng a prevalence of depositiona l processes during that 5 5 It u tim e. In coastal segments with less intensive sediment .f supply, an erosion of glacia l tills during the lateglacial period SO' N ...... :. . . is marked by eros ional esca rpments up to 16- 20, ra rely 25­ 1000 2000 30 m, above the present sea level. km \N 2 In the Onega Bay, a terrace at 10-15 m above the present 90 0E 120 0E sea level can be traced along the coast (Figure 2) but ha s not been dated yet (SELlVAN OV, 1984; MATosHKo et al., 1989). Figu re 1. General position of the sites described in th e text on the ma p End moraines, dated at 13,500-13,000 BP (ZUBAKOV and of Russia : ( 1) the White Sea , Onega Bay;(2) Middle Primorye, main land coast of the Sea of Japan. Intern ational boundary of Russia is shown by BORZENKOVA, 1990), consist of bould er clays that outc rop in dott ed line. bluffs along th e 10- 15 meter terrace. These sedime nts are overla in by residu al boulder and pebble causeways which indicate an erosion of ti lls from th is site during the dra inage of the per iglacial lak e in the Onega Bay. of Russia a nd the former USSR , an d the general climatic de­ The lowest water level recorded by th e ancient shoreline at pendence of sea -level fluct uations during th e Holocene (SE­ - 25 to -27 m on th e bottom of the bay was reached nearly LIVANOV, 1995).At tim es, the rate of the rise in relative sea 9,800-9,500 yr B.P (Figure 3). The subsequent period of the level was > 10 mm/year, i.e., compa rable to or exceeding the fluctu ating sea-level rise res ulted in the forma tion of anticipated rates of th e future greenhouse-induce d sea-level submerged shoreli nes at - 2 an d - 12 to -15 m dated at from rise during the next century. Therefore, study of the lateg­ 7,980 :!: 270 an d 7,570 :!: 250 yr BP respectively (SELIVANOV, lacial and postglacia l shoreli nes on the shelf an d coas t of the 1984), an d an emerged depositional terrace at 6-10 m above Russian seas provides valuable evidence regarding coastal re­ present sea level. sponse s to rapid changes in re lative sea level. In embayments, sections of this terrace usually consist of Sa ndy shore lines a re extremely sensitive to th e cha nges in two transgressive sequences of sa nd an d silt facies of the water level and sedi mentary bud get and represen t an impor­ up per shelf, intertidal flat, beach and lagoon . The tops of both tant example of coastal res ponses to sea- level changes. In this depos itional seq uences are composed of lagoon silts related paper, the response patterns of such shorelines are ana lyzed to the highest re lative sea- level during the corresponding with refe rence to th e depositional coasts of the White Sea and fluctu ation. Therefore, th e low-amplitude falls in relative sea the Sea of J apan (Figure l ). level at the end of these fluctu ations resulted in eros ion or non -deposition. Regressive sequences are re presented only by EXAMPLES OF COASTAL MORPHOLOGICAL peats. The older one is da te d at 4,800 :!: 180, 4,100 z: 150 yr RESPONSES TO RAPID POSTGLACIAL SEA-LEVEL BP (BOYARSKAYA et al., 1986) and 4,030 :!: 70 yr BP CHANGES IN RUS SIA (KOSHECHKIN et al., 1977). The sea -level position du rin g th e The White Sea, Onega Bay two lowstands in th e Middle and Late Holocene have been estimated at -1 to - 3 m (KAPLIN and SELlVANOV, 1995A). Description of Morphological and Sedimentary On the open coast of th e bay , th e 6- 10 m terrace is Responses represented by two series of sand-beach ridges and coasta l The sha llow-water Onega Bay in the south-east of th e dunes which over lie the coarse sands an d gravels of anc ien t White Sea is characterized by a moderate underwater coastal beach es at altitudes of 8- 10 m and 4-5 m (Figu re 2). Cres t slope (0.1- 0.5%), relatively low wave influence (wave height altitudes in both series of beach ridges decrease seaward. The reaches 1.0-1.1 m once a yea r and 1.4-1.5 m once in 10 seaw ard limit of each series is marked by a typical coastal years), mean storm surges (nearly 1.5 m once a year an d 2.0 dune which is 2-3 m above the adjacent ridge crests. Behi nd m once in 10 years in the head of the bay) and mesotidal the higher sequence of beac h ridges, lagoon sa ndy silts and conditions (spring tid al ra nge of 2.7-3.2 m in the head of the mud s outcrop on the surface. They are dated at 6,455 :!: 80, bay). 5,940 :!: 250 , 5,600 :!: 250, and 5,240 :!: 200 yr BP A series of Late Pleistocene and Holocene limnoglacial , (BOYARSKAYA et al., 1986). The lower beach ridges (4-5 m) glaciomarine, an d marine te rraces dominates th e coastal may be ten ta tive ly da ted at 4,500-4,000 yr BP by th e mor ph ology. Traditiona lly, terraces were identified at presence of a Late Neolithic arc heological site found in its elevations of up to 60- 80 m (LAVROVA, 1969; DEvYATOVA , upp er sedime nts (SELIVANOV, 1984). The subsequent period 1976). However, field observations by the present author, as of sea-level fall to -1 m is dated by archeological artifacts at well as some other investigators during the last decade, do approxi mately 2,200-2,000 yr BP. not prove the existence of terraces above 20 m (see KAPLIN It is worth noting tha t the thickness of Holocene sediments a nd SELIVANOV, 1995A, for a more extensive review of the in the coastal zone of th e stu dy area is relatively small and proble m). limnogl acial gravel clays are found in the present intertidal

Jou rn al of Coasta l Resear ch, Vol. 12, No.4, 1996 MIGCP 367 Special Sect ion 825

100 A 36· E km 20

Kola ~ :!: PenInsula J: ~'" ::!: ~?~.. 15 ell > 0 .a '" E 10

~00°0 2 5 0.... . 3 7 E2B 4 8 f.. t-=.=-=] 5 9 500 m

Figure 2. Positi on of the st udy area in the Onega Bay, White Sea (AJ a nd a genera lized cross section of the coastal zone (B): ( 1) boulders and pebbles; (2) gravel; (3) coarse and medium sand ; (4) fine sa nd;(5) silty sa nd an d loam ; (6) silt and gytt ia: (7) clay; (8) peat; (9) levels of mean high water (MHW) and mean low water (MLW). Numbers indicat e the ages of depos itional sequences in yr SP .

zone beneath only 0.5-1.5 m of re cent coastal sands. Coastal facies in the 6-10-meter terrace are as thin as 1.5- 2.5 m. Recent erosional processes are obvious on the under water 15 coastal slope wher e la teglacial ti lls are found at the bottom surface (Figure 2). This indicates a generally low sediment supply to the coastal zone of th e study area. 10

Interpretation

5 Th is example of coastal response reflects the genera l slow fall of the re lative water level duri ng th e Lateglacial and Ear­ ly Postglacial period as a result of drainage of th e periglacial E 0 lake and, possibly, isostatic eme rgence and the subsequent Qj sea -level fluctuations (Figure 3), General eros ion of glacial > 14 oS! and limno glacial sediments occurred during the Lateglacial ell a nd Earl y Holocene, esp ecially during water-level fall peri­ Q) -5 ods. The highest ra te of sea -level rise between 9,500 and '"Q) .;;> 6,500 yr BP res ulted in the tota l grading of the coastal zone . Qj Since 6,500 yr BP, a mobilization of existin g sedi ments in '" -10 c::: the coastal zone has caused the forma tion of the successive coasta l depositional series under the fluctuating relative sea level. The earlier peri od (beach ridges at 8- 10 m ) was marked -15 by the replacement of an open bea ch facies by a lagoonal fa­ cies due to the deve lopment of a coasta l barrier. The later peri od (beac h ridges at 4-5 m ) resulted only in the formation -20 of beach sa nds an d gravels and, possib ly, coastal erosio n dur­ ing the pea k of th e relative sea- level rise. Episodes of falling sea level caused the formation of beach ridge series with de­ -25 crea sin g elevations and, finally, coastal dunes. Thickness and mor phologica l clarity of these beach-ridges decreased from Age, Kyr B.P. the firs t sea-l evel rise pe riod to the second one. It was pos­ sibly connected with th e lower rate of sea-level fall during Figure 3. Possible changes in the relative sea level in the Onega Bay, the second period (Figure 3).The present beac h and intertidal the White Sea during the Lateglacial and the Holocene. Squares mark the position of da ted coastal complexes. zone bear obvious features of insufficien t sediment supply. This pattern reflects the general pre valence of tills as a major

J ourn al of Coas tal Research, Vol. 12, No.4, 1996 826 Selivanov

4'1) 0 200 v,. ~ -9/","',. km B A 20

10

+ + Figur e 4. Position of the study ar ea in Middl e Primorye, mai nland coast of the Sea of J apan (A) an d a generalized cross sect ion of the coas tal zone (B). Numbers indicate the ages of coast al deposit iona l seque nces in yr BP. See Figure 2 for an expla nation of the lithologi cal signs. Th e exposure of lagoon sediments seaward of the respective coas tal barr ier is shown (1).

sedimentary source for the coastal zone and the repetitive coas ta l ri dges and dunes (Figur e 4). Th e lower part of th e reworking of these tills in the ab sence of a sign ificant inflow sequences are often missing due to erosion. Moreover, lagoon of sedime nts during the Holocene. facies may outcrop at th e sea ward slope of the existing sediments of the respecti ve coastal barrier (see 1 in Figure Continental Coast of the Sea of Japan 4). Th is indic ates a n int ensi ve landward movement of coastal barriers. Description of Morphological and Sedimentary Fine 'alluvial sa nds underlie the coas ta l sedime ntary Responses complexes and, in places, are intercalated with th em. These The wave-dom inated continental coast of the Sea of Japan sands indicate peri ods of sea-level lowering, as do a series of (tradit iona lly referred to as Soviet Prirnorye ), is cha ra cte rized poorly sor ted slope pebbles an d loam s at the present depth by microtid al conditions (spring tida l ra nge is 0.1-0.2 m on of 16--20 m below mea n sea level. Th e prevailing depth s of th e open coast an d 0.3-0.5 m in bays), a moderate wave lagoon sequences, which may serve as the best indi cators of activity under th e mean conditions, and an extreme ly high former sea-level position, are - 90 to -100, - 65 to -70, - 25 morp hological significa nce of storm wave s during typho ons to -40, and -13 to -18 m. Lagoon sediments at th e depth (wave height once a year is 4.5- 5.5 m and 11- 13 m once in of - 65 to -70 m hav e been dated radiocarbon-at 13,300­ 10 year s). The shore line is characterized by a n alte rn ation of 13,100 yr BP; those at -25 to - 40 m at 10,700-10,400; and narrow and dee p ing re ssive bays and high erosiona l those at -13 to - 18 m at 8,700-7,950 yr BP (KRfVULIN et headlands. Well-preserved sedimentary and morphological al., 1978; BADYUKOV and KAPLIN, 197 9). A te nta ti ve complexes of a ncient shore lines are a character istic feature correlation of th e deepest coastal complexes at -90 to -100 of the pr esent inn er shelf area in the bays. An und erwater m with the last glacial maximu m was propos ed (BAD YU KO V coas tal slope in the bays is moderate (0.3- 1.0%). Outside of and KAPLIN , 1979 ). these th e bay s, the inner sh elf slope is covered by a thin layer Th e coas ta l complexes at 25-40 and 13- 18 m below the of sediments, and the present coastline usu ally bears an present sea level are best recorded from the Tu man gan River erosional character. on the Russian-Korean border and th e Peter the Gre at Gulf Several coastal depositional features have bee n identified in the sout h to the Kievka Bay and Rudnaya Pristan by bot tom coring a nd side- scan sonar investi gations in the settl ement in the northern coas tal area (Figure 4). These bays (VNUC HKOV et al., 1976 ; KRJVULIN et al., 1978; complexes may be correlated with erosiona l surfaces in BADYUKO V and KAPLIN, 1979). Th ese fea tures a re effusive rocks on capes (SELlVANOV and STEPANO V, 1985). represen ted by transgressive sequences from silts an d silty These erosional features are possibly the result of several sands, which abound in shell fra gme nts, to lagoona l gyttja rela tively long-lived periods of stable sea level du ring th e an d algae peat, an d to gravels and well-sorted sands of Middl e Wurrn.

J ourna l of Coastal Research, Vol. 12, No. 4, 1996 MIGCP 367 Special Section 827

A series of coastal ba rrier and lagoon sediments at 2-7 m above the present sea level constitu tes ano ther element of the Depositional regression Landward translation coastal mor phology of the reg ion (Figure 4l. Se veral and burial of coastal generations of these features may be distinguished by depositional bodies morphological and radiocarb on data (KOROTKY et al., 1980, 5 1989; SELIVAN OV and STEPAN OV, 1985). These complexes 0 usua lly consist of sand ridges and/or dunes resting against e , 5 peat and lagoon silt and gyttja. In several cases, narrow .-l -5 ' 0 Q) lagoon depressions are partially covered by overw ash sa nds > -' 0 of younger ridges an d filled by all uvial fine Q) sands and loams. .-l Geoarcheological investigations in several bays in the - ' 5 r\l middle sec tor of the coast (Rudnaya , Kievka , an d Q) -20 Melkovodnaya) demonstra te the existence of three major f/l Q) -2 5 groups of coastal ridges. The dominant elevations of the ridge > ·ri -30 crests decrease seaward from 5-6 to 3.5-4 and 2-2.5 m above ~ sea level, whereas lagoon surfaces are situated at 3.5-4, 2­ nI .-l -3 5 2.5 and 1-1.5 m respectively. Archeological and pollen data Q) P: -40 indica te that th ese complexes are related to three separate sea -level fluctu ations during the Middle and Late Holocene -4 5 (SELIVAN OV and STEPANOV, 1985). The ages of the sea-level maxima are estimated at 7,700- 7,000, 6,00 0-4,400 and Age, Kyr B.P. 3,300-3,000 yr BP . Beds oflagoon facies at 0 to - 2 m possibly Figure 5.Possible changes in the rela tive sea level on the contin ental represent the lowest sea-level positions between these coas t of the Sea of J apan during th e Holocene . Squares mark positions of phases. In th e Kievka Bay and Rudnaya Bay , ano ther coasta l dated coas tal complexes. Note that a dr astic deceleration in sea-level complex occurs near th e present shore line at the elevations changes from 7,70 0- 7,500 yr BP coincided with the change in t he coasta l respon se pat tern from land ward translat ion and burial of successive de­ of 0.5-1.5 m. However, this complex is usually distinguish ed positional coastal bodies, to "depositional regr ession ", i.e. form ati on of only by lith ological and archeologica l data. The latter provide su ccessive coasta l barriers and sea wa rd displ acement of the sh oreline. an age of 2,100-1,800 yr BP for th is complex. Another sequ ence of the middle and late Holocene coastal barriers characterizes th e Posyet Bay and the head of th e This area represents clea r example of the primary imp or­ Ussuriysk Bay in South Primorye crONINet al., 1971) and th e ta nce of the te ndency and intensity of changes in the relative Zerk aln aya Bay in the middle sector of the coast ('KR rvuLIN sea level in controlling the evolutionary pattern of th e coastal et al., 1978). Elevations of coastal ridges, composed of coarser zone und er sufficient or excess ive sediment supply. However, sa nds, decr ease landward from 3-4 to 1-1.5 m and the contrary to the Bruun Rule, depositional processes dominated unde rlying lagoon facies lie at - 0.5 to + 0.5 m. This on the coast during the sea-level rise periods. The variability phen omen on may be te nta tively explai ne d by te cto nic in coasta l complexes formed during th e success ive sea-level submergence of th e bays known from tide-ga uge da ta and fluctuations of the Middle a nd Late Holocene from one bay intensive aeolian grading of th e sa nd surface of the sea ward to another may reflect tem pora l variations in sedimen t su p­ coastal ridge. ply from rivers outflowing to th ese bays and not only changes At the open coastline, fluctu ations of the relative sea level in the rate of sea-level change. during the Middle and Late Holocene can be traced by a number of erosional wave-cut features at th e prevailing DIS CUSSION elevations of 3.5- 4 an d 1.5-2 m. The above examples demonstrate th e over-riding impor­ Interpretation tance of the tendency and rate of sea -level cha nges in con­ trolling the pattern of coastal evolution. In general, the faster The ra pid rise of relative sea level until 8,000-7,700 yr BP the sea-level rise, th e higher th e possibility of bu rial , drown­ resulted in a landward translation of coastal depositional ing or destruction of th e coasta l depositional body. The faster bodies. Drowning and, fina lly, buri al of successive deposition­ is the sea-level fall. The preservation of depos itiona l bodies al bodies by transgressive sedimentary seq uences wer e the above th e retreating sea , i.e., ridges and coastal dun es, is primary processes in coasta l evolution und er the fluctu ating contingent upon the ra te the sea level falls . rise in th e relative sea level. These examples are su ffi cient to reject the universal appli­ Around 7,700- 7,500 yr BP, thi s pattern of coastal evolution cability of a hypothesis of the exclusive seaward tran sport of changed. Instead, coas ta l evolution since th at time occurred sediments during sea-leve l rise and lan dward transport dur­ as a "depositiona l regression", i.e., the formati on of successive ing th e sea -level fall. Thi s hypoth esis has been put into the barrier bodies and th e seaward displacement of the sh oreline. basis of the Bruun Rule and its modifications (see SCOR Temporal corr elation of thi s chan ge in the coastal morpho­ WORKING GRO UP, 1991 ; SELIVANOV , 1993 for the detailed logical regime with the deceleration of sea- level cha nge is ob­ review of the problem). vious (Figure 5). Another impo rtant source of informa tion on thi s problem

J ourn al of Coastal Resear ch, Vol. 12, No.4, 1996 828 Se livanov

(A) (B) Excessive sedimentary supply Insufficient sedimentary supply

QJ CJl .~ -X~ :: "~ ~, Qj -:<:::.:, > ~ 1 QJ -e..;.. -; to QJ CJl ....o .s ~ 2 .c::ell .E- QJ CJl to ~ o I:: .~~~ 3

.::.~:~:::. - I [ Isea-Iever ·~f:~,,; .. - --- ~ 4 ~ profiles before """ ~ sea-level rise ~ eroded parts of

~ profiles after ~ deposited parts of profiles ~ sea-level rise

Figure 6. Patterns of coas ta l resp onse to sea-level rise depe nding upon the rat e of this process (1--4) and sediment supplies in th e coas ta l zone: (A) excessive sediment supply; (B) insufficient sediment supply.

is provided by dir ect observations of coas ta l changes in the moderate inclination of th e underwater coas ta l slope is pos­ Caspian Sea and ot he r large enclosed lakes in Central Asia , sibly another pr econdition for such a response. which have experienced rapid changes in water level of sev ­ As a first approxima tion, th e following two coastal re­ era l meters during recent decades (KAPLI N, 1989 ; IGNATOV sponses to an accelerating sea-level rise may be proposed for et al., 1993; KAPLI N and SELIVAN OV , 1995B). Th ese studies th e conditions of substantially excessive and insufficient sed­ revealed a strong link between th e pattern of coastal re­ iment supply resp ectively (Figu re 6). Und er excess ive sedi­ sponse and th e gradien t of the underwater coastal slope. Only men t supply on a graded coastal pr ofile (Figu re 6Al, slow sea­ th e steepes t coas ta l slopes (usua lly over 0.01 for medium level rise ca uses th e mobilization of sediments at a beach face sands) followed a pattern of coastal evolution in accord with an d th e formation of a beach ridge (1). A moder ately accel­ th e Bruun Rule. For other sites, which had ample se diment erating sea-level rise results usually in a landward transla­ supply, coastal progr ad ation occurred. tion of a coas tal depo sition al body by over wash processes. No Of crucial imp ortan ce for th e coastal evolution under sea­ significant trans forma tion of coasta l morphology occurs (2). level cha nges is a sedime nt budget of the coas tal zone. This Faster sea-level rise results in a transformation of a deposi­ fact has been stressed by various authors (CURRAY, 1964; tional body, namely an increase of its elevation and steep­ THOM, 1984; SWIFT et al., 1985 ; CARTER et al., 1987 ). Th e ening of a landward slope (3). An extreme accelera tion causes present a uthor believes that both excess ive and ins ufficient burial of th e coas tal depositional body by a transgressive sed­ sedime nt supply may result in a dominantly landward move­ imentary sequence (4). ment of sediment in the coastal zone under sea-level rise. A Un der insufficient sediment supply (Figu re 6B), mobiliza-

Jo urna l of Coastal Research, Vol. 12, No.4, 1996 M](;CP :J67 Special Section tion of existing scarce sediments on a primary graded coastal These patterns may be interpreted in terms of a turn from slope results in the formation of a poorly expressed deposi­ quasi-equilibrium to disequilibrium evolutionary patterns. tional body (L). With an accelerating sea-level rise, this body moves landward in a translational manner 121 and undergoes ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS erosion of its seaward slope (3). The last process causes par­ The study was supported by the Research Support Scheme tial or total destruction of a coastal body under the very rapid of the Central European University, Grant No. 285\93. Par­ sea-level rise (4). The extreme acceleration may bring, in tial financial support from the Russian Foundation for Fun­ some cases, the total grading of the coastal zone profile. damental Studies, Grant No. 95-05-14925a, and the State The pattern distinguished for the conditions of the exces­ Program on the Studies of the World Ocean is kindly appre­ sive sediment supply (Figure 6A) may be interpreted in the ciated. terms of quasi-equilibrium evolution under a relatively slow sea-level rise (2). With the accelerating sea-level rise, possible LITERATURE CITED intensity of coastal reformation becomes insufficient to keep pace with the rising sea level (3). Disequilibrium becomes BAIlYUKOV, D.D., and KAPLIN. P.A., 1979. Sea level changes on the coasts of the USSR during the last 15,000 years. In: SlT(;IJIO, K; total under the extremely fast sea-level rise (4). Following the T.R FAIRCHILD; L. MARTIN, and ,J.M. Fi.icxon, (eds.), Proceedings terminology proposed for evolution of coral reefs under the or the International Symposium o] Coastal Evolution in the Qua­ sea-level rise at various rates (NEUMANN and MAclNTYRE, ternary, Sao Paulo, Brasil, 1978, pp. 135-Hm. 1985, SPENCER, 1993), the response patterns (2-4) for the BOYAHSKAYA. T.D.; POLYAKOVA. YEo I. , and SVITOCH, AA., 1986. conditions of excessive sediment supply (Figure 6A) may be New data on the Holocene transgression of the White Sea. Rep. Acad. Sci. USSR, 290, 964-968. lin Russian). denominated as keep-up, catch-up and give-up respectively. CARTER, RW.G.; JOHNSTON, T.W.; McK~;NNA, ,J., and O!IFORD, J. D., 1987. Sea level, sediment supply and coastal changes: Ex­ amples from the coast of Ireland. Progress in Oceanography. 18, CONCLUSIONS 79-101. CUHRAY, ,J.R, 1964. Transgressions and regressions. In: MILU;H, An analysis of the morphological and sedimentary sequenc­ RL. (cd. I Papers in Marine Geology. New York: Macmillan, pp; 98­ es in coastal zones under various regimes of relative sea-level 140. change and sediment supply may provide valuable informa­ DEVYATOVA, E.I., 1976. Geology and Palynology or the Holocene and tion for the prediction of coastal evolution under the antici­ Chronology or Archeological Sites in the South-Western White Si-a Area. Leningrad: Nauka, 122 p. (In Russian), pated future acceleration of sea-level rise. OOIlI{()VO!.:-iKIJ, S.G., 1992. Global Climatic Changes in Water and The examples from two Russian seas demonstrate the pri­ Heat Transfer-Accumulauon Processes. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 280 p. mary importance of the tendency and rates of sea-level DOlT(;I.AS, B., and HEHIlREI'IISMEIEH, E., 1989. Determining sea lev­ changes on the pattern of coastal response. In general, an el rise. [';OS, Transactions o] the American Geophysical [Inion, 70, 1050-1056. acceleration of sea-level rise results in the burial, drowning, EM~:RY, KO., and AUIlHEY, D.G., 1991. Sea Levels, Land Levels, and or destruction of a coastal depositional body. An acceleration Tide Gauges. New York: Springer-Verlag, 2:37 p. of sea-level fall usually results in the preservation of depo­ GOHNITZ, V., and LEBEm;FF, S., 1987. Global sea-level changes dur­ sitional bodies above the retreating sea as beach ridges, ing the past century. Society Economic Paleontologists and Min­ eralogists Special Publication, 41, pp. 3-16. coastal dunes, etc. HOl)<;IITON, ,J.T.; J~;NKINS, G.J., and EpHRAuMs, ,],,1. (eds.), 1990. These examples demonstrate the limited applicability of Climate Change: The IPCC Scientific Asse.,sernent. Cambridge: the Bruun Rule and its modifications, based upon the as­ Cambridge University Press, 364p. sumptions of the equilibrium development of coastal mor­ [(;NATOV, E.1.; KAPLIN, P.A.; LUh,ANOVA, S.A, and SOL<'VIOVA, G.D., 1993. Influence of the recent transgression of the Caspian phology during sea-level changes, and the exclusively sea­ Sea on its coastal dynamics. Journal ofCoastal Research, 9, 104­ ward transport of sediments during sea-level rise and land­ 111. ward transport during the sea-level fall. IONIN, A.S.; KAPLIN, P.A, and MEflVEllEV, V.S., 1971. Coasts of th« The sediment budget of a coastal segment may be the dom­ Pacific Ocean. Moscow: Nauka, 245 p. (in Russian I. KApI.IN, P.A., 1989. Shoreline evolution during the twentieth cen­ inant factor in coastal evolution under sea-level changes, no­ tury. In: AYALA-CASTANA RES, A; WOOSTEH, W., and YANEZ-Al(­ tably in cases where there is either heavily excessive or in­ ANI·IIlIA. A (cds.), Oceanography 1988. Mexico City: Mexico Au­ sufficient supply of sediment. Both situations may result in ton. Univ.. f>9-64. a dominantly landward movement of sediments. Moderate in­ KAPLIN, P.A, and SEI.IVANOV, A.O.. 1995Alin press). Holocene sea­ level data from the European Arctic coast and shelf. In: WEIS. clination of the underwater coastal slope is possibly another M.M. (ed.). Sea-Level Changes During Holocene Times: Proc. ESF precondition for such a response. Workshop, Rennes, France, 2-4 December 1993. A series of evolutionary patterns under various rates of KApI.IN. P.A. and SELIVANOV, A.O., 199f>B (in press). Recent coastal sea-level rise has been established for the conditions of ex­ evolution of the Caspian Sea as a natural model for coastal re­ sponses to the possible accelerated global sea-level rise. Morine cessive and insufficient sediment supply on sand coasts I Fig­ Geology ure 6). An acceleration of sea-level rise causes the change KLII;E, RK, 1990. Influence of global climatic processes on the hy­ from the mobilization of sediments at a beach face and the drosphere regime. In: FAIRHI(lIlI:E, RW.; ,h:L<;~;IISMA, S., and formation of a beach ridge to the landward translation of a PM;PE. 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