Holocene rise of relative sea level at Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

A 7,000-yr record of continuous sea-level rise has been obtained from Sable Island, Nova Scotia, on the outer edge of the Nova Scotian shelf. The data are unique in that this is the first continuous sea-level curve obtained offshore from a former glacial ice margin. The sea-level data indicate a uniform rate of relative rise over the past 7,000 yr offshore, contrasting sharply with onshore data that show a marked reduction in the rate of rise from 2,500 yr ago to present. These observations appear to confirm recent theoretical models that suggest that sea-level changes along former ice margins can be divided into zones depending on the distance from the former ice center.