Isolation basin stratigraphy and Holocene relative sea-level change at the Norwegian-Russian border north of Nikel, northwest Russia

The marine-lacustrine transition (isolation contact) in sediment cores from eight lake basins situated 13.5-72 m a.s.l, in the Norwegian-Russian border area north of Nikel, northwest Russia, was identified based on lithological and diatom analysis, radiocarbon dated, and used to construct a relative sea-level (RSL) curve for the Holocene. All the lakes except one (interpreted as having an unconformable slumped transition) show a regressive I-D[-m (marine-transitional-lacustrine) facies succession, indicating a postglacial history of continuous emergence. The RSL curve shows rapid emergence between 10 000 and 8000 BP, very slow emergence between 7000 and 5000 BP, increased rate of emergence between 4500 and 4000 BP, and a moderate rate of emergence after 3500 BP. The: low rate of emergence around 6000 BP correlates with the Tapes transgression of more coastal regions, but corresponding sea level, at 25-26 ma. present s.l, lies 5-10 m lower than the elevation predicted based on existing isobase maps for the region. The discrepancy suggests a need for further work in order to more rigorously define and map the Tapes transgression and associated shoreline complex in the northern Fennoscandian-Kola region.