VII.—Oscillations in the Sea-level. (Part II.)

Extract

In the “Gallery of Nature,” Milner, p. 388, it is stated that Brighton (then a mere village) in the time of Elizabeth (1558–1603) “stood upon a site where the sea now rolls, and where the chain pier stands.” We might infer from this statement that at Brighton the sea, since the date mentioned, had been elevated over the land. We cannot draw this conclusion, however, with certainty, for the reasons following:—

During the last century the eastern coast of England has been constantly eaten into by the sea; churches, farms, and towers have been repeatedly devoured by the waves. In this district, however, we know that these results have not been caused by a rise in surface-level of the waters; we know that erosion by waves and currents has been the sole cause for these changes. It is absurd, therefore, to assume that Brighton during the last few centuries has alone suffered submergence, while all Britain has elsewhere undergone continual upheaval. Erosion, then, is the more probable explanation of this item, and it should not be held as evidence conflicting with our curve.