Summary: | In order to study recent sedimentation rates in the Eastern GotlandBasin, 52 short sediment corescollected fromthe deepest part (< 150 m) of the Basin in 2003were investigated.The upperparts of all the cores were distinctly laminated and dark incolour, followed by a homogeneous, greyish lower part. The thicknessof the laminated sequences varied from 17 to 300 mm. <sup>210</sup>Pb datinganalyses of selected cores revealed that the change from non-laminatedto laminated sediments happened about 100 years ago, indicatinga shift from predominantly oxic bottom water conditions to anoxicconditions. Used as a time marker, this shift in the sedimenttexture enabled sediment accumulation rates to be estimated forall sediment cores. The observed mean linear sedimentation ratefor the whole basin was 0.93 ± 0.67 mm y<sup>-1</sup>. The respectivebulk sediment accumulation rates ranged from 10.5 to 527 g m<sup>-2</sup> yr<sup>-1</sup>with an average of 129 ± 112 g m<sup>-2</sup> yr<sup>-1</sup>, indicatinga high spatial variability of sedimentation rates within thebasin. This agrees very well with the long-term sedimentationpattern since the Litorina transgression. The observed patternclearly reflects the hydrographic conditions at the seaflooras studied by modelled near-bottom current velocities.</font>
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