Relative sea-level change in South Florida during the past ~5000 years

A paucity of detailed relative sea-level (RSL) reconstructions from low latitudes hinders efforts to understand the global, regional, and local processes that cause RSL change. We reconstruct change during past ~5 ka using cores mangrove peat at two sites (Snipe Key Swan Key) in Florida Keys. Remote sensing field surveys established relationship between peat-forming mangroves tidal elevation South Florida. Core chronologies are developed age-depth models applied 72 radiocarbon dates (39 wood macrofossils 33 fine-fraction bulk peat). rose 3.7 m Snipe 5.0 5 ka, with both recording fastest century-scale rate rise since ~1900 CE (~2.1 mm/a). demonstrate it is feasible produce near-continuous regions a microtidal regime accommodation space created by millennial-scale rise. Decomposition trends network across spatio-temporal model suggests was representative regional trends, but influenced an additional local-scale process acting over least five millennia. Geotechnical analysis modern buried indicates sediment compaction not responsible for exaggerated Key. The substantial difference nearby highlights critical need within-region replication avoid misattribution which could also have implications geophysical modeling studies data tuning validation.