@article{d66518c027a645cda5d8da1a9da5d146,
title = "A post-glacial sea level hinge on the central Pacific coast of Canada",
abstract = "Post-glacial sea level dynamics during the last 15,000 calendar years are highly variable along the Pacific coast of Canada. During the Last Glacial Maximum, the Earth's crust was depressed by ice loading along the mainland inner coast and relative sea levels were as much as 200m higher than today. In contrast, some outer coastal areas experienced a glacial forebulge (uplift) effect that caused relative sea levels to drop to as much as 150m below present levels. Between these inner and outer coasts, we hypothesize that there would have been an area where sea level remained relatively stable, despite regional and global trends in sea level change. To address this hypothesis, we use pond basin coring, diatom analysis, archaeological site testing, sedimentary exposure sampling, and radiocarbon dating to construct sea level histories for the Hakai Passage region. Our data include 106 newly reported radiocarbon ages from key coastal sites that together support the thesis that this area has experienced a relatively stable sea level over the last 15,000 calendar years. These findings are significant in that they indicate a relatively stable coastal environment amenable to long-term human occupation and settlement of the area. Our results will help inform future archaeological investigations in the region.",
keywords = "Archaeology, Central Pacific coast of Canada, Coastal migration route, Eustatic, Isostatic, Northeast Pacific Rim, Northwest coast, Sea level change, Sea level hinge",
author = "Duncan McLaren and Daryl Fedje and Hay, {Murray B.} and Quentin Mackie and Walker, {Ian J.} and Shugar, {Dan H.} and Eamer, {Jordan B.R.} and Lian, {Olav B.} and Christina Neudorf",
note = "Funding Information: The research presented here was undertaken in Heiltsuk, Wuikinuxv, and Nuxalk Territories, and we gratefully acknowledge the support of these Nations. The authors are very appreciative for funding and generous logistical support provided by Eric Peterson and Christina Munck through the Tula Foundation, Hakai Beach Institute, and the Hakai Network. Additional funding was provided via Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery grants to Ian Walker and Olav Lian, an NSERC Post-graduate Scholarship (PGS-D) to Jordan Eamer, a MITACS Elevate Post-Doctoral Fellowship to Dan Shugar, and Hakai Network Post-doctoral fellowships to Duncan McLaren and Christina Neudorf. Work reported on here was conducted under permits from the BC Archaeology Branch (#2011-171) and BC Parks (#105588 and #105935). Many people assisted with field work and logistics including Wayne Jacob, Rod Wargo, Sky McEwan, Grant Callegari, Elroy White, Robert Windsor, Brodie Lawson, Andrea Walkus, Joshua Vickers, Jennifer Carpenter, Harvey Humchitt, Johnny Johnson, Peter Johnson, Patrick Johnson, Dana Lepofsky, Ken Lertzman, Julia Jackley, Jenny Cohen, Aurora Skala, Seonaid Duffield, David Fargo, Cecilia Porter, Brittany Walker, Cathy Rzeplinski, Jim Stafford, Dan Huesken, Steven Acheson, Brie Mackovic, Libby Griffin, Bryn Fedje, Joanne McSporran, John Maxwell and the staff at the Hakai Beach Institute. Thomas James and Ian Hutchinson are thanked for their comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.",
year = "2014",
month = aug,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.05.023",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "97",
pages = "148--169",
journal = "Quaternary Science Reviews",
issn = "0277-3791",
publisher = "Elsevier Limited",
}