Ocean and Coastal Features left behind by the Ice Age

Continental Shelf, Florida

What kinds of marks would hundreds of years of lower sea levels leave on the earth?  Can we still see these signs?  Here are some of the evidences I’ve been able to find:

I want to start with a great picture that clearly shows erosion like we see all the time above water, but this one is submerged off the coast of Los Angeles.

This bit of the Wikipedia page on the continental shelves tells us that most of the sediment found on them come from the Ice Age.

There were a number of gigantic underwater landslides as the sea levels rose around the world as well.  There were ones of the northwest coast of Africa,  some off the coast of Norway, over 15 around the islands of Hawaii.  The ones off Hawaii caused unbelievable wave damage with high water marks as high as 1000 ft (304m) above today’s sea level!!!

Next we turn to today’s coastal features.  We know that they are often formed by things that were happening during the Ice Age.  Some are obvious like the fjords of Norway, Alaska, and New Zealand (be sure to look at these breathtaking pictures!). Others are not so obvious, like the bays we build our sea ports in.  You can take your pick of countries to learn from.  The USA says this all happened 16,000 years ago and has slightly better pictures.  New Zealand says they formed about 15,000 years ago and has more info. Really these pages are so similar, I think they were copying each other.

Victoria and Tasmania showing the Bassian Plain filling as Sea Levels rise about 14,000 years ago.

For those of you in high school, you might have a look at this PDFfrom Nova Scotia.  They talk about a number of landforms that were formed at this time like sea cliffs and barrier sandbars which would make a great geology study. Interestingly, they say the sea levels rose just 10,000 years ago (do you think they all might just be guessing??)

continental shelf and slope of the southeastern United States

There is also evidence that coral reefs were farther out and deeper during the Ice Age.  This is a really long scientific PDF about the drowned coral reeks beyond the Great Barrier Reef of Australia and around the world.

During my research today I also found a few things to add to my Submerged Ice Age Ruins and The Ice Age: Part 1 posts.

Psalm 93  The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.
Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.
The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.
The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.
Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.