PhD defence: Priscila Emerich Souza

Priscila Emerich Souza defends her thesis,

Holocene Relative Sea-level Changes.
Investigation of raised beach ridges in southwest Disko, Greenland.

Supervisors:
Professor Lars Nielsen, IGN
Associate Professor Aart Kroon, IGN

Assessment Committee:
Senior Lecturer Charlotte J. Sparrenbom, Lund University
Senior Lecturer Thomas Stevens, Uppsala University
Associate Professor Giampiero Iaffaldano (chair), IGN

Summary:
This PhD thesis investigates relative sea-level (RSL) changes during the Holocene on southwest Disko, Greenland. The research project has two main branches that, together, provide the basis for achieving the thesis main objective: to reconstruct a high-resolution RSL curve for southwest Disko. The first branch deals with identifying meaningful RSL markers using high-resolution
ground-penetrating radar and detailed topographic measurements, while the second aims at providing the chronology of such markers employing optical luminescence dating to cobbles surfaces. This study is pioneer in exploring the use of buried cobbles surfaces for optical luminescence dating in Greenland, and it demonstrates that such method is robust and advantageous over conventional dating methods. Finally, this is the first study able to provide data that depicts the RSL changes that occurred between 4 ka and 2 ka ago in Disko.

The thesis is available for inspection at the PhD administration office, 04.1.413