HOLOCENE SEA LEVEL CHANGE IN THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC MARGINAL SEAS AND COASTAL RESPONSES TO RECENT SEA LEVEL CHANGE IN THE DEEP BAY WETLANDS
The coast of East and Southeast Asia is a far-field region and thus a scientifically valuable site for sea level and coastal study. The high population density in low-lying coastal areas of this region means a high vulnerability to human society if sea level is going to rise in the future. This research is designed to tackle two scientific issues:
(1) Analyze the past local land level change include the levering effect and tectonic movements; and
(2) Investigate how coastal system have responded to past sea level change.
In order to tackle the first issue, three glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) models were simulated to produce a series of predictions for this study area, and 560 sea level data from published sources were re-analyzed and re-calibrated to convert them into useable sea level index points for sea level reconstructions. For the second issue, the sedimentary sequence of a protected coastal wetland (Mai Po) in Hong Kong was investigated. Its developmental history and how it
has responded to the past sea level change were examined.