The Tsugaru land bridge problem related to Quaternary coastal tectonics, northeast Japan

Abstract

The existence of a land bridge in Tsugaru Strait, Northeast Japan, is hypothesized with reference to cauldron-saddle topography and submarine terraces in the western part of the strait and to late Pleistocene marine terrace deformation on land. It is possible that the Tsugaru Land Bridge was formed after the lowest submarine terrace (Terrace VII) and, before the paired cauldrons. If the land bridge existed in the last glacial maximum stage, 18 to 20 ka ago, the sea level is estimated to have fallen below the depth of 130 m. -from English summary