Late-Glacial and Holocene Sediments at Clarach Bay, Near Aberystwyth

Abstract

(1) A largely organic sedimentary sequence, from a site near the mouth of the River Clarach, 2 km north of Aberystwyth, is described. The inland sediments are associated with a submerged forest on the beach. Pollen, diatom and radiocarbon analyses of these sediments are discussed. (2) An uninterrupted sedimentary record is present, extending from the start of the Late-glacial period until the present day. The sediments may be divided into two groups: an earlier, entirely freshwater sequence; and a later series, in which the effects of marine influence may be detected. The first appearance of such effects, at c. 6000 B.P., marks the increasing proximity of the coastline, resulting from the Holocene sea-level rise.