Paleostorm redeposition and post-glacial coastal chronology in the eastern Baltic Sea, Latvia

Abstract

The 494 km long Latvian coast consists of sandy sediments, which serve as an excellent proxy for past coastal events and environment. Our study explores these understudied sediments along the western coast of the Gulf of Riga and combines two sand quartz-wise methods: optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and grain microtextures. We provide a new chronology and microsedimentary results to trace post-glacial storm events and discuss correlations within the Baltic Sea region and elsewhere in Europe. OSL ages reveal a wide time span between 10.38 ± 0.61 ka and 1.04 ± 0.05 ka BP, but their inconsistency in the profiles along with the onshore position of landforms and gravelly horizons argues for sediment relocation due to storm action. A first paleostorm phase is dated to between 7.6 ± 1.2 ka and 4.63 ± 0.27 ka, corresponding with a transgression of the Littorina Sea and the Holocene Thermal Maximum, and with a roughly estimated vertical sediment redeposition above 5 m similar with the recent storms in the region. Sedimentary record from microstudy supports intense storm activity, especially in sediments redeposited after 6.07 ± 0.51 ka, and it is seen through an increased number of cracked quartz grains, shiny grains and fresh surfaces combined with a limited number of V-shaped marks. Weaker storm action, recorded by a lower share of cracked grains in the sediments, occurred between 7.6 ± 1.2 ka and 6.07 ± 0.51 ka.

A second storm phase occurred at 1.44 ± 0.21 ka, corresponding with the post-Littorina, again with a performance of a weaker storm. Apart from the palaeostorm records, the beach ridges developed between 5.16 ± 0.33 ka and 4.47 ± 0.31 ka along with drier conditions when aeolian deposition took place twice: at 4.63 ± 0.27 ka and 1.55 ± 0.10 ka.