Mid- to late-Holocene sea-level observations have been obtained from Tamats
u and Tarumi in western Kobe, Japan. In this tectonically active area, we e
valuate the local tectonic effect during the Holocene by comparison between
observations and predictions of sea-level variations. For the purpose of t
his study, we analysed the diatom assemblages and carried out sulphur analy
sis of sediments. These were used along with radiocarbon dates to derive re
lative sea-level variations for the sites. A rate of tectonic uplift of bet
ween 0. 1 and 0.3 mm per year, corrected for the prediction, fits well with
relative sea-level (RSL) index points of Tamatsu at 6415-5320 cal BP. Depe
nding on the altitude of the RSL index point at about 5700 cal BP, the best
estimate of the rate of tectonic uplift for Tamatsu is calculated as 0.11-
0.25 mm/yr over the period concerned. A rate of tectonic uplift between 0.3
and 0.5 mm per year is derived for Tarumi at about 7300 and 3835-3365 cal
BP. These values may explain the height distributions of the Late Pleistoce
ne marine terraces along the coast of the western Kobe, providing a first a
pproximation for rates of local crustal movements during the Late Quarterna
ry. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.