Description:
<jats:p>Abstract. Originating from the boreal forest and often transported over large
distances, driftwood characterizes many Arctic coastlines. Here we present a
combined assessment of radiocarbon (14C) and dendrochronological (ring
width) age estimates of driftwood samples to constrain the progradation of
two Holocene beach-ridge systems near the Lena Delta in the Siberian Arctic
(Laptev Sea). Our data show that the 14C ages obtained on
syndepositional driftwood from beach deposits yield surprisingly coherent
chronologies for the coastal evolution of the field sites. The
dendrochronological analysis of wood from modern drift lines revealed the
origin and recent delivery of the wood from the Lena River catchment. This
finding suggests that the duration of transport lies within the uncertainty
of state-of-the-art 14C dating and thus substantiates the validity of
age indication obtained from driftwood. This observation will help us better
understand the response of similar coastal systems to past climate and
sea-level changes.
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