Extensive dating of the fossil corals associated with the Waimanalo shoreline on Oahu has shown that 120,000 years ago the ocean was approximately 7.6 meters above its present level. Corals grown during that time constitute a major portion of the subaerial reef-derived material on the island, with exposures ranging from about 10 meters to near sea level. This evidence corroborates the notion that 120,000 years before the present was the last time during which the sea stood significantly higher than it does today. The reported benches at 3.7, 1.5, and 0.6 meters, if not of Recent origin, could be features created by brief halts of the sea during rapid regression shortly after the Waimanalo high stand.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.