Lateglacial and Holocene water-level variations along the NE German Baltic Sea coast: review and new results

A comprehensive overview is given of the current knowledge regarding the Lateglacial and Holocene water-table evolution along the West Pomeranian coast, which is related to the four evolutionary stages of the Baltic Sea: the Baltic Ice Lake, the Yoldia Sea, the Ancylus Lake and the Littorina Sea. The first three stages were characterized by intensive water-table fluctuations in the Baltic basin. The balance between glacio-isostatic uplift and water-table rise due to meltwater and river discharge produced either a temporary connection with the ocean or isolation from it. New findings are presented on the water levels reached during the different stages. Only at about 8 ky BP did the Baltic obtain a permanent connection with the ocean. The first marine sediments in the recent coastal zone, ca. 7.8 ky old, are found at −15 m and are related to the initial Littorina Sea. The maximum of the main Littorina-transgression was reached at −1.5 m to −2.0 m ca. 5.8 ky BP. The course of the sea level reveals that later only some minor oscillations took place, correlated with climatic fluctuations. These indicate a control by regional changes in the North Atlantic circulation rather than by global sea-level alterations. Isostatic movements were determined by comparing the reconstructed relative sea-level curve with curves assumed as nearly eustatic. The resulting isostatic curve shows uplift at 11.5 ky BP of about 55 m, which decreased until 7.8 ky BP to 6 m and ceased at ca. 3 ky BP. Currently, the coastal zone experiences a slight tilting with uplift in the northeastern part and inundation in the southwestern area.