Submerged HoloceneWave-Cut Cliffs in the South-eastern Part of the Baltic Sea: Reinterpretation Based on Recent Bathymetrical Data - The Baltic Sea Basin - page 215

( 1977 ) placed it at 58-63 m, Gelumbauskaite ( 1982 ) , Blazhchishin et al. ( 1982 ) ,
and Uscinowicz ( 2003 ) placed it at 52-62, 55-62, and 27-52 m, respectively, with
our interpretation being indicative of 40-58 m.
The discrepancies arose due to various reasons: one may invoke different ori-
gin and accuracy of the data (Gelumbauskaite 1982 ) and/or different, incomparable
distinguishing lines (axial lines of the wave-cut cliff or platform; Blazhchishin
et al. 1982 ) . In addition, the authors quoted used different methods: while Gudelis
et al. ( 1977 ) used extrapolation and biostratigraphy, the relative sea levels shown in
Uscinowicz's ( 2003 ) figs. 6, 8, and 35 were determined by interpolating 14 C datings
at reference sites distributed along the entire southern Baltic coast, from the Vistula
Spit to the Pomeranian Bay (it has to be mentioned that this method, while provid-
ing only approximate shore location, may involve errors of up to 10 m). In addition,
Uscinowicz's ( 2003 ) palaeoreconstructions account for a possibility of local devi-
ations in the fossil sea level from the regional averaged curve (see figs. 42-47 in
Uscinowicz 2003 ) .
The resulting spatial layout of submerged coastline locations is certainly tentative
and its details are far from accurate (Fig. 10.5 ) , as illustrated by the echo-
sounder profile 2 crossing the Curonian-Sambian Plateau. The locally increased
seafloor inclination is interpreted as a signal of ancient wave-cut cliffs. However,
corroboration of this interpretation requires additional surveys.
Fig. 10.5 Submerged cliffs on the Curonian-Sambian Plateau (echo-sounder profile 2 in
Fig. 10.3 ) . Insets indicate abbreviations of the Baltic evolution stages; SD, structure-dependent
cliffs ( question marks indicates submerged cliffs missing in the slope model)