Vertical crustal movements from sea level measurements along the east coast of the United States

The rate of coastal subsidence relative to southern Maine is found to increase linearly a total of 0.214 cm/yr from southern Maine to Hampton Roads, Virginia. The absolute rate of subsidence closely approximates the relative rate, since sea level at Portland, Maine, is rising at a rate close to the estimated value for the rate of the glacial-eustatic rise. A marked discontinuity occurs in the vicinity of Cape Hatteras, south of which there appears to be no significant vertical land movement. The results are based on 23 yearly mean sea level series, each from 1939 through 1970.