Palaeo-sea-level and palaeo-ice-sheet databases: problems, strategies, and perspectives

Abstract

Abstract. Sea-level and ice-sheet databases have driven numerous advances in understanding the Earth system. We describe the challenges and offer best strategies that can be adopted to build self-consistent and standardised databases of geological and geochemical information used to archive palaeo-sea-levels and palaeo-ice-sheets. There are three phases in the development of a database: (i) measurement, (ii) interpretation, and (iii) database creation. Measurement should include the objective description of the position and age of a sample, description of associated geological features, and quantification of uncertainties. Interpretation of the sample may have a subjective component, but it should always include uncertainties and alternative or contrasting interpretations, with any exclusion of existing interpretations requiring a full justification. During the creation of a database, an approach based on accessibility, transparency, Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 912A. Düsterhus et. al.: Palaeo-sea-level and -ice-sheet databases trust, availability, continuity, completeness, and communication of content (ATTAC 3 ) must be adopted. It is essential to consider the community that creates and benefits from a database. We conclude that funding agencies should not only consider the creation of original data in specific researchquestion-oriented projects, but also include the possibility of using part of the funding for IT-related and database creation tasks, which are essential to guarantee accessibility and maintenance of the collected data.

Estimating Modern Elevations of Pliocene Shorelines Using a Coupled Ice Sheet‐Earth‐Sea Level Model

“…Efforts to expand the coverage of Pliocene shoreline data and improve dynamic topographic estimates are ongoing, but the data are not yet sufficient to strongly constrain ice sheet models and global mean SL rise in the Pliocene (Rovere et al, , ; cf. Duesterhus et al, ). Expanded data coverage, improved estimates of dynamic topography and sediment changes (Dowsett et al, ), and coupled ice sheet‐Earth modeling with transient Greenland and Antarctic variations will all help to achieve that goal.…”

MIS 5e relative sea-level changes in the Mediterranean Sea: Contribution of isostatic disequilibrium

“…To calculate the paleo RSL from the measured elevation of a RSL indicator, it is essential to decouple the actual measured elevation of the indicator and the interpretation of the paleo sea level that it represents (Düsterhus et al, 2016). This is done by subdividing the measured elevation, which should be done at the highest possible accuracy and should always be referenced to a tidal datum, and the indicative meaning of the RSL indicator (Shennan, 1982(Shennan, ,1989Hijma et al, 2015;Shennan et al, 2014;Shennan and Horton, 2002;Van de Plassche, 1986).…”

Sea-level databases

“…Challenges remain in integrating databases compiled by different research groups over different time periods, and in developing cyberinfrastructure and open access visualization platforms to improve the longevity and accessibility of databases (e.g. Düsterhus et al 2016). Improved understanding of the mechanisms driving RSL variability will be achieved through the standardization of sea-level databases, which will enhance the comparability and accessibility of information to improve both physical models and statistical reconstructions.…”

“…Rovere et al 2014Rovere et al , 2016. The standardization of sea-level databases of various ages has been one of the main objectives of the PAGES PALeo constraints on SEA level (PALSEA) working group (Düsterhus et al 2016) and by projects related to it (e.g. the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) Geographic variability of HOLocene relative SEA level (HOLSEA) and MEDiterranean sea-level change and projection for future FLOODing (MEDFLOOD) projects).…”