The litho- and biostratigraphy of a late Holocene tidal channel in Romney Marsh, southern England

The evolution of tidal channels and, in particular, the sedimentological an d biostratigraphic evidence for channel infilling, are areas of palaeoenvir onmental research that have received relatively limited attention in strati graphic studies aimed at landscape reconstruction. This paper details the r esults of a multidisciplinary investigation into the late Holocene evolutio n of the Wainway, a large tidal channel in Walland Marsh, East Sussex. Lith ostratigraphic, microfossil and sedimentological data, as well as geomorpho logical and historical evidence detail the rapid infill of this channel bet ween the tenth and sixteenth centuries. This infilling was associated with localized changes in coastal configuration caused by storm events. Our anal yses suggest that the channel sediments provide a detailed insight into the dynamics of this important watercourse during the closure of the New Romne y tidal inlet and the opening of a tidal inlet at Rye during this period. T he final stages of sedimentation within the Wainway Channel record its prog ressive infilling and final inning at c. AD 1600. This is reflected in the sedimentological and micropalaeontological data by a progressive upward fin ing of the sediment sequence and the development of low energy mudflat and saltmarsh conditions. In this study we find significant differences in the usefulness of different microfossil groups for palaeoenvironmental interpre tation. In particular, the foraminiferal data provide a more continuous and sensitive record of changing intertidal conditions compared with the diato m record.