Coastal zone of the Sakhalin Island: its evolution during the Pleistocene

Abstract

During the Pleistocene the Sakhalin Island coastal zone was heavily influenced by glacioeustatic transgressions and regressions of the World Ocean. Some features of the coasts' evolution have been elucidated as a result of studies of marine terraces (using integrated approach) and seismic-acoustic profiles of the submarine margin of the island. New data have been obtained on the shelf structure and coastine migrations down to the shelf's edge during regressions. As a matter of discussion a suggestion is made that the deposits on high coastal terraces are of continental origin. 15-meters terrace deposits are positively dated to the 2nd half of the Late Pleistocene (radiocarbon dates are between 27 and 39 key BP); 30 to 40 m and 50 to 60 m terraces are tentatively ascribed to the first part of the Late Pleistocene and to the Middle Pleistocene respectively.