Pollen analysis of mangrove sediments as a sea level indicator: Assessment from Tongatapu, Tonga

Abstract

Increasing necessity for precision in Holocene sea-level records calls for definitive sea-level indicators to be assessed. These are reviewed by use of examples from the S.W. Pacific, and the technique of pollen analysis of mangrove sediments evaluated as a high resolution sea-level indicator. Example is given how a fully calibrated sea-level reconstruction can be gained from Holocene mangrove peat units from Tongatapu, Tonga, by application of features established from a modern analogue of surface samples to interpret fossil pollen patterns.