Holocene coastal response to monsoons and relative sea-level changes in northeast peninsular Malaysia David J. Mallinson a,⇑ , Stephen J. Culver a , D. Reide Corbett a,b , Peter R. Parham a,c , Noor Azhar Mohd Shazili c , Rosnan Yaacob c a Department of Geological Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA b Institute for Coastal Science and Policy, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA c Institute of Oceanography, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia article info Article history: Received 21 August 2013 Received in revised form 18 April 2014 Accepted 12 May 2014 Available online 19 May 2014 Keywords: Malaysia Asian monsoon Holocene sea level Beach ridges Ground-penetrating radar Optically stimulated luminescence abstract Sedimentological, geomorphic, and ground penetrating radar (GPR) data are combined with optically stimulated luminescence data to define the Holocene evolution of a coastal system in peninsular Malay- sia. The Setiu coastal region of northeast Malaysia comprises five geological and geomorphic units repre- senting distinct evolutionary phases of this coastline. Estimated marine limiting point elevations indicate deposition of an early aggradational shoreline associated with a sea-level elevation of 0.1 to +1.7 m (MSL PMVGD datum) between 6.8 ka and 5.7 ka, in agreement with previous sea-level studies from the Malay–Thai peninsula. A hiatus occurs in the record between 5.7 ka and 3.0 ka, possibly due to a relative sea-level oscillation and shoreline erosion. Long-term relative sea-level fall and possible still-stands cre- ated strandplains that are interrupted by aggradational to transgressive paleo-barrier and estuary forma- tion corresponding with brief episodes of RSL rise. Analyses of GPR facies and OSL ages suggest annual clinoform deposition, with geometries dictated by variations in ENSO. These data demonstrate the utility of high resolution studies of coastal facies as useful proxy indicators for paleoclimate studies at subdeca- dal to millennial time-scales. Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The Malay–Thai Peninsula (Fig. 1a) occupies a strategic location with respect to climate and sea-level change studies. The Peninsula is situated in a far-field site with respect to glacio-isostasy; thus the sea-level record is relatively unaffected by ice-sheet effects, although hydro-isostatic effects are still important (Clark et al., 1978; Fleming et al., 1998; Mitrovica and Milne, 2002; Horton et al., 2005a; Hanebuth et al., 2008). These regional hydro-isostatic effects have resulted in a general sea-level fall along the Malay– Thai Peninsula over the last 6000 years (Tjia, 1997; Horton et al., 2005a), creating extensive strandplains, especially on the east coast fronting the South China Sea (SCS). Strandplains are complexes of seaward-building parallel to subparallel ridges that roughly parallel the coastline and represent a regressive system (Roy et al., 1994). Numerous workers have shown that strandplain shorelines may contain a record of storm and sea-level variability on annual to millennial scales (Cecil et al., 2003; Moore et al., 2004; FitzGerald et al., 2007; Hein et al., 2013). The record is evi- dent in the geomorphology of coastal systems, as well as in the stratigraphic framework as defined by coring and/or geophysics. The central location of the Terengganu region (Fig. 1a) within the Asian monsoon system makes this area important in terms of the geologic record that is available for understanding monsoonal variations through time (Brijker et al., 2007; Oppo et al., 2009), and the impact of those changes on coastal systems. A number of studies have analyzed sea-surface height, wind, and precipitation patterns in this general region associated with monsoons and ENSO variability (Ho et al., 2000; Fang et al., 2006; Wang et al., 2006; Zhuang et al., 2010). Geologic investigations have used cores from the western Pacific, Java Sea, and South China Sea, and proxy data for temperature and salinity to understand ENSO and mon- soonal variability through time (Newton et al., 2006; Brijker et al., 2007; Oppo et al., 2009). These studies are very important due to the widespread regional to global impacts of these meteoro- logical phenomena, and concerns about how monsoonal and ENSO conditions may change in the future. The working hypothesis of this investigation is that the strandplain deposits in the Tereng- ganu region, or permatang coasts as they are locally known http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2014.05.005 1367-9120/Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ⇑ Corresponding author. Address: Department of Geological Sciences, 101 Gra- ham Bldg., East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA. Tel.: +1 252 328 1344. E-mail address: mallinsond@ecu.edu (D.J. Mallinson). Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 91 (2014) 194–205 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Asian Earth Sciences journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jseaes