Pleistocene carbonate stratigraphy of South Florida: Evidence for high-frequency sea-level cyclicity

Journal of Coastal Research
By: , and 

Links

Abstract

Pleistocene carbonates of south Florida and islands of the Florida Keys are currently divided into five marine sequences designated, from oldest to youngest, the Q1–Q5 units. The units include a mosaic of freshwater and shallow marine deposits that accumulated on the Florida platform during high sea-level stands. The units are separated by regional-scale subaerial-exposure surfaces that formed during glacioeustatic lowstands. Analyses of cores recovered at Grossman Ridge Rock Reef and Joe Ree Rock Reef in the Florida Everglades reveal additional subaerial-exposure surfaces that are used to delineate subdivisions within units Q1 (Q1a–Q1b), Q2 (Q2a–Q2d), and Q4 (Q4a–Q4b). Units Q1–Q5 preserve evidence of at least 10 separate sea-level highstands, rather than 5 as indicated by previous studies.

Compilation of available uranium-series dates on corals recovered from the Florida Keys indicates that the Q4 unit accreted during sea-level maxima associated with marine oxygen-isotope Stage 9 (Q4a) and isotope Stage 7 (Q4b). The Q5 unit formed during isotope Stage 5. No reliable dates are available for units Q1–Q3. We infer that unit Q3 was formed during the extended sea-level highstand of isotope Stage 11 and that units Q2 and Q1 predate isotope Stage 11.

Study Area

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Pleistocene carbonate stratigraphy of South Florida: Evidence for high-frequency sea-level cyclicity
Series title Journal of Coastal Research
DOI 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-09-00052.1
Volume 26
Issue 4
Year Published 2010
Language English
Publisher Coastal Education & Research Foundation
Contributing office(s) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Description 10 p.
First page 605
Last page 614
Country United States
State Florida
Other Geospatial Florida Keys
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details