A major coastal flood during the Holocene in eastern Scotland.

Abstract

At a number of locations on the east coast of Scotland, raised Holocene estuarine deposits belonging to the Main Postglacial Transgression contain a distinctive layer predominantly of grey micaceous silty fine sand. Diatom analyses indicate that it is of marine origin; pollen analyses indicate that it is associated with early to middle Flandrian assemblages; and 14C analyses of peat at the upper and lower contacts indicate an event of relatively short duration around 7000 BP. It is thought at present that the layer resulted from either an increase in the rate of rise of relative sea level or a storm surge of unusual magnitude. -from Authors