NEOTECTONIC HISTORY OF EASTERN MAINE EVALUATED FROM HISTORIC SEA-LEVEL DATA AND C-14 DATES ON SALT-MARSH PEATS

We constructed a local relative-sea-level curve for eastern Maine from C-14 dates on salt-marsh peats to evaluate potential Holocene neotect onic activity. This sea-level chronology indicates that, contrary to s uggestions made previously, low elevations of late-glacial shoreline f eatures in eastern Maine are not related to neotectonic activity durin g the past 5 ka. A comparison between seismicity and tide-gauge record s leads to the conclusion that there is no relation between seismic ac tivity and contemporary subsidence of eastern coastal Maine. We propos e that eastern Maine has not been affected by anomalous subsidence dur ing at least the past 5 ka.