Holocene sea-level changes of the Persian Gulf. (10th January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hosseinyar, Gholamreza; Behbahani, Reza; Moussavi-Harami, Reza; Lak, Razyeh; Kuijpers, Antoon
• Is Part Of: Quaternary international. Volume 571(2021)
• Page Start: 26
• Page End: 45
• Publication Date: 2021-01-10
• Subjects: Seismic stratigraphy -- Sedimentary geochemistry -- Climate change -- Holocene -- Quaternary -- Iran; Geology, Stratigraphic -- Quaternary -- Periodicals; Stratigraphie -- Quaternaire -- Périodiques; 551.79
• DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2020.11.051
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1040-6182

Abstract

Abstract: High-resolution shallow seismic information supported by sedimentological and geochemical data from sediment cores has been used for reconstruction of Holocene sea-level changes along the northern coast of the Persian Gulf. These investigations in the area of the North Qeshm Island Waterway (NQIW) near the Strait of Hormuz reveal a series of five prominent sea-level fluctuations starting with the second phase of regional postglacial sea-level rise recorded between 15.0 ka and 9.5 ka (ka = thousands of years before present). Based on our study, sea-level had reached −22 m before 9.1 ka. Postglacial sea level high-stand in the study area has been dated to have occurred around 6.0 ka, which was followed by a relative sea-level fall coeval with a regional climate change from humid to arid conditions at about 5.4 ka. After a renewed, but relatively short period of sea level rise associated with climate changes around 4.35 ka, sea-level fell again at about 3.3 ka and remained relatively stable from 3.2 ka until the present. We conclude that major sea-level changes in the Persian Gulf coincided with sea-level fluctuations in the Indian Ocean and observed changes in North Atlantic Ocean and atmospheric circulation and Greenland Ice Sheet melting. Thus, despite of regional tectonic instability, regional sea-level stand in the Persian Gulf has been controlled mainly by eustatic sea-level changes of the global ocean.