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Late Quaternary sedimentological history of a submerged gravel barrier beach complex, southern Namibia

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Abstract

Through comprehensive seismic, stratigraphic, and sedimentological analysis, this paper describes the stratigraphic architecture of the late Quaternary sediments and depositional dynamics in a region ~ 3.5 km offshore of the current south-west Namibian coastline. The landscape evolution model of this area is based on 2D seismic reflection profiles calibrated to approximately 500 boreholes, which yielded sedimentary and seismic facies data of exceptionally high resolution. The data permitted the characterization of four sedimentary facies units and the reconstruction of the submerged landscape dominated by a barrier complex. We compare this barrier complex with the sediment bodies preserved along the adjacent coastline, and account for their geological evolution in response to late Quaternary relative sea-level fluctuations along the West Coast. The most noteworthy depositional units in the study area are the normal regressive coarse gravel beaches trending shore parallel, with the primary gravel barrier and its preserved coeval back-barrier deposits that exceed 7 km in length along the coast. Based on the radiocarbon dates from the rarely preserved early flooding facies (14.0 and 13.3 ka BP), the primary barrier complex formed during a stage of slowing rising relative sea-level subsequent to Meltwater Pulse 1A. Moreover, the barrier beach complex formed on a low-gradient palaeo-bathymetry slope that is punctuated by a break on its landward side (i.e., a regional knick point), which promoted the local accommodation of sediments. The preservation of the barrier beach complex and back-barrier deposits is attributed to rapid relative sea-level rise, linked to the early Holocene Meltwater Pulse 1B between ~ 11.5 and 11.2 ka BP, and an increase in back-barrier accommodation facilitated by the antecedent topography.

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Acknowledgments

Mr. C. August and Dr. R.J. Jacob are thanked for organizing the support. Mrs. L. Kirkpatrick is thanked for her support and constructive comments, which vastly improved the manuscript. We are grateful to Mr. M. Williamson for his assistance with the Strater software program and data management during the sampling campaigns. The contribution of Dr. S. Woodborne, Senior AMS Scientist at iThemba LABS, who undertook the radiocarbon dating, is much appreciated. The manuscript benefited greatly from the constructive comments provided by the editor Prof. A.N. Green, an anonymous reviewer and Prof. J.A.G. Cooper. Opinions expressed, and conclusions arrived at are solely our responsibility.

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Funding for the project was provided by Namdeb Diamond Corporation (Pty) Limited.

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  1. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa

    Megan J. Runds & Emese M. Bordy

  2. Namdeb Diamond Corporation (Pty) Limited, PO Box 253, Oranjemund, Namibia

    Megan J. Runds

  3. Kommetjie, South Africa

    John Pether

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Runds, M.J., Bordy, E.M. & Pether, J. Late Quaternary sedimentological history of a submerged gravel barrier beach complex, southern Namibia. Geo-Mar Lett 39, 469–491 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-019-00590-2

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