Evidence for the Timing and Duration of the Last Interglacial Period from High-Precision Uranium-Series Ages of Corals on Tectonically Stable Coastlines

AbstractThe last interglacial period has a timing and duration that can be estimated from U-series dating of emergent, coral-bearing deposits on tectonically stable coastlines. High-precision dating from Bermuda, the Bahamas, Hawaii, and Australia suggests that the last interglacial period had a sea level at least as high as present from ∼128,000 to 116,000 yr B.P. Sea level reached a near-present level more quickly after the close of the penultimate glacial period than at the close of the last glacial period and the duration of high sea level is longer than that implied by the deep-sea record.

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Late Pleistocene Sea Level History of Bermuda

Quaternary Research ◽

10.1016/0033-5894(78)90068-6 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 205-218 ◽

Cited By ~ 85

Author(s):

Russell S. Harmon ◽

Henry P. Schwarcz ◽

Derek C. Ford

Keyword(s):

Sea Level ◽

Interglacial Period ◽

Sea Level Changes ◽

Last Interglacial ◽

The Bahamas ◽

Sea Level Fluctuations ◽

Vertical Range ◽

Level Data ◽

Last Interglacial Period ◽

History Of

The timing of eustatic sea level fluctuations over the vertical range + 15 to −11 m has been deduced from 230Th/234U dating of Bermudan corals and speleothems. On this tectonically stable carbonate island, interglacial periods are characterized by platform submergence, development of patch reefs, and the deposition of littoral and eolian carbonates, whereas glacial periods are times of platform emergence, carbonate diagenesis, soil development, and the deposition of speleothems in caves extending below present sea level. Interglacial periods are observed at about 200,000, 130,000 to 90,000, and 10,000 yr BP to present. The sea level history of the last interglacial period (130,000 to 90,000 yr BP) is complex, consisting of at least two short, distinct episodes of high sea stand (at 125,000 and 97,000 yr BP) superimposed on a longer period of general platform submergence. The sea level data derived from this study are compatible with those from other stable areas such as the Bahamas, but in addition suggest that eustatic sea level changes can be rapid, on the order of 5 to 10 m/1000 yr.

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Eemian and early Weichselian environmental changes at the Jałówka site, NE Poland, and their correlation with marine and ice records

Quaternary Research ◽

10.1017/qua.2021.8 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-20

Author(s):

Mirosława Kupryjanowicz ◽

Magdalena Fiłoc ◽

Barbara Woronko ◽

Tomasz Mirosław Karasiewicz ◽

Joanna Rychel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Changes ◽

Ice Cores ◽

Sensu Stricto ◽

Interglacial Period ◽

Last Interglacial ◽

Last Glacial Period ◽

Ne Poland ◽

Last Interglacial Period ◽

Mis 5E ◽

The Last Glacial

Abstract Vegetation changes were documented across the last interglacial period (MIS 5e, Eemian) and continuing through the older part of the last glacial period (MIS 5d–a, early Weichselian). This study was based on pollen data collected at the Jałówka site, NE Poland. Two cold oscillations appeared within warm periods during this stage of the upper Pleistocene. The older oscillation was the temporary intra–interglacial cooling at the end of the Eemian. The younger one was the intra–interstadial cooling that occurred within the oldest interstadial of the early Weichselian (MIS 5c, Brørup). This last event corresponds well to the stadial separating both the Amersfoort and Brørup sensu stricto interstadials in the Netherlands and to the Montaigu event as recognized in France. The development of a pollen sequence allows speculation as to potential correlations with Greenland ice cores and marine records. We suggest that the Eemian in NE Poland may comprise not only MIS 5e, but also a part of MIS 5d. This supposition could shed light on potential for non-synchrony in upper boundaries of the MIS 5e and terrestrial Eemian in Europe. We await the development of more precise independent dating controls to validate our theory more assiduously.

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Deposits and Soils of the Past 130,000 Years at the Desert–Loess Transition in Northern China

Quaternary Research ◽

10.1006/qres.1998.1989 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 148-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Jimin Sun ◽

Zhongli Ding

Keyword(s):

Northern China ◽

Loess Soil ◽

Transitional Zone ◽

Central China ◽

Interglacial Period ◽

Glacial Cycle ◽

Last Interglacial ◽

Last Glacial Period ◽

North Central ◽

Last Interglacial Period

The desert–loess transitional zone in north-central China has long been thought sensitive to Quaternary climatic change. However, reconstruction of Quaternary climates in this area has been hindered by incompleteness of geological sections. Here we report the analytical results of two recently found sand–loess–soil sections. Both sections have thick eolian deposits from the last interglacial–glacial cycle and can be correlated with one another. Field observations, thermoluminescence dating, and other laboratory analyses show that the last interglacial period produced three paleosols and two intercalated loess layers. Loess from the last glacial period is interbedded with three sand horizons that represent desert extension. The expansion and contraction of desert in northern China may have been forced by the east Asia monsoon.

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Sea-level history of past interglacial periods from uranium-series dating of corals, Curaçao, Leeward Antilles islands

Quaternary Research ◽

10.1016/j.yqres.2012.05.008 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 78 (2) ◽

pp. 157-169 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Daniel R. Muhs ◽

John M. Pandolfi ◽

Kathleen R. Simmons ◽

R. Randall Schumann

Keyword(s):

Sea Level ◽

Late Quaternary ◽

Tectonic Setting ◽

Interglacial Period ◽

Last Interglacial ◽

Lower Terrace ◽

Last Interglacial Period ◽

Uranium Series Dating ◽

Uplift Rates ◽

History Of

AbstractCuraçao has reef terraces with the potential to provide sea-level histories of interglacial periods. Ages of the Hato (upper) unit of the “Lower Terrace” indicate that this reef dates to the last interglacial period, Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5.5. On Curaçao, this high sea stand lasted at least 8000 yr (~ 126 to ~ 118 ka). Elevations and age of this reef show that late Quaternary uplift rates on Curaçao are low, 0.026–0.054 m/ka, consistent with its tectonic setting. Ages of ~ 200 ka for corals from the older Cortalein unit of the Lower Terrace correlate this reef to MIS 7, with paleo-sea level estimates ranging from − 3.3 m to + 2.3 m. The estimates are in agreement with those for MIS 7 made from other localities and indicate that the penultimate interglacial period was a time of significant warmth, on a par with the present interglacial period. The ~ 400 ka (MIS 11) Middle Terrace I on Curaçao, dated by others, may have formed from a paleo-sea level of + 8.3 to + 10.0 m, or (less likely) + 17 m to + 20 m. The lower estimates are conservative compared to previous studies, but still require major ice sheet loss from Greenland and Antarctica.

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The Distribution of 230Th/234U Ages in Corals and the Number of Last Interglacial High-sea Stands

Quaternary Research ◽

10.1016/0033-5894(86)90043-8 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 55-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Aaron Kaufman

Keyword(s):

Sea Level ◽

Interglacial Period ◽

Last Interglacial ◽

Distribution Width ◽

Last Interglacial Period ◽

Analytical Errors

The 104 available [230Th/234U] analyses of unrecrystallized corals from stable emerged terraces indicate that the last interglacial period occurred approximately 125,000 yr ago. An estimate is made of the exact duration of this period by accounting for the surprisingly small distribution width observed among the 80 most reliable analyses. This distribution width is compared with those obtained for model populations generated by assuming various characteristic analytical errors and various lengths of the last interglacial period. The results show that (1) if there was only a single rise in sea level, it probably lasted no more than 12,000 yr, in agreement with previous estimates; and (2) if there were two separate rises of sea level, the gap between them must have been less than 7500 yr and not 12,200 as proposed by some authors.

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Reconciling reconstructions and simulations of the Greenland ice sheet and its climate during the Last Interglacial period

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-19016 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander Robinson ◽

Emilie Capron ◽

Jorge Alvarez-Solas ◽

Michael Bender ◽

Heiko Goelzer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sea Level ◽

Ice Sheet ◽

Greenland Ice Sheet ◽

Ice Cores ◽

Future Climate Change ◽

Interglacial Period ◽

Last Interglacial ◽

Proxy Data ◽

Last Interglacial Period

<p>There is still no consensus concerning the evolution of the Greenland ice sheet during the Last Interglacial period (LIG, 130-115 kyr ago). Ice cores indicate that the ice sheet survived over most of the continent. Proxy data indicate temperature anomalies of up to 6-8&#176;C. However, under these conditions, models predict almost complete deglaciation. This paradox must be resolved to be able to quantify Greenland&#8217;s sea-level contribution during the LIG as well as to understand its sensitivity to future climate change. Here we analyze the available evidence and outline strategies to reconcile modeling and data efforts for Greenland during the LIG.</p>

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Taphonomic problems in reconstructing sea-level history from the late Quaternary marine terraces of Barbados

Quaternary Research ◽

10.1017/qua.2017.70 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 88 (3) ◽

pp. 409-429 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Daniel R. Muhs ◽

Kathleen R. Simmons

Keyword(s):

Sea Level ◽

Late Quaternary ◽

Case Analysis ◽

Interglacial Period ◽

Last Interglacial ◽

Marine Terraces ◽

Fossil Corals ◽

Last Interglacial Period ◽

Storm Deposit ◽

Mis 5.5

AbstractAlthough uranium series (U-series) ages of growth-position fossil corals are important to Quaternary sea-level history, coral clast reworking from storms can yield ages on a terrace dating to more than one high-sea stand, confounding interpretations of sea-level history. On northern Barbados, U-series ages corals from a thick storm deposit are not always younger with successively higher stratigraphic positions, but all date to the last interglacial period (~127 ka to ~112 ka), Marine Isotope Substage (MIS) 5.5. The storm deposit ages are consistent with the ages of growth-position corals found at the base of the section and at landward localities on this terrace. Thus, in this case, analysis of only a few corals would not have led to an error in interpreting sea-level history. In contrast, a notch cut into older Pleistocene limestone below the MIS 5.5 terrace contains corals that date to both MIS 5.5 (~125 ka) and MIS 5.3 (~108 ka). We infer that the notch formed during MIS 5.3 and the MIS 5.5 corals are reworked. Similar multiple ages of corals on terraces have been reported elsewhere on Barbados. Thus, care must be taken in interpreting U-series ages of corals that are reported without consideration of taphonomy.

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