Middle-to late-Holocene relative sea-level changes at Puerto Deseado (Patagonia, Argentina)

Stratigraphic, morphologic and radiocarbon data from Puerto Deseado coastal area (Santa Cruz Province, Argentina) indicate that the Holocene coastline formed in response to the discontinuous aggradation of coarse gravely beaches sincec.6300 cal. yr BP related to a progressive falling of relative sea level. Beach ridge crests crudely approximate to the sea level showing at least three steps of aggradation and relative sea-level lowering. Two inactive abrasive notches atc.7.9 and 3.4 m a.s.l. have recorded this sea-level trend, suggesting two important phases when sea level was stationary. This allows the estimation of a rate of relative sea-level fall in the lastc.3500 years ofc.1.8 mm/yr. Moreover, notches and morphological data indicate that the crest of the beach ridges exceeded the sea-level height byc.2 ± 0.5 m. This value provides a reasonable regional estimate to be applied to produce comparable relative sea-level curve for Atlantic Patagonia coast