The analysis of Last Interglacial (MIS 5e) relative sea-level indicators: Reconstructing sea-level in a warmer world

Abstract

1The Last Interglacial (MIS 5e, is among the most studied past periods in Earth's history. The 2 climate at that time was warmer than today, primarily due to different orbital conditions, with smaller 3 ice sheets and higher sea-level. Field evidence for MIS 5e sea-level was reported from thousands of sites, 4 but often paleo shorelines were measured with low-accuracy techniques and, in some cases, there are 5 contrasting interpretations about paleo sea-level reconstructions. For this reason, large uncertainties still 6 surround both the maximum sea-level attained as well as the pattern of sea-level change throughout 7 MIS 5e. Such uncertainties are exacerbated by the lack of a uniform approach to measuring and 8interpreting the geological evidence of paleo sea-levels. In this review, we discuss the characteristicsof 9 MIS 5e field observations, and we set the basis for a standardized approach to MIS 5e paleo sea-level 10 reconstructions, that is already successfully applied in Holocene sea-level research. Application of the 11 standard definitions and methodologies described in this paper will enhance our ability to compare data 12 from different research groups and different areas, in order to gain deeper insights into MIS 5e sea-level 13 changes. Improving estimates of Last Interglacial sea-level is, in turn, a key to understand the behavior of 14 ice sheets in a warmer world. 15 12 Bruneau, N., Fortunato, A.B., Dodet, G., Freire, P., Oliveira, A., Bertin, X., 2011. Future evolution of a tidal 13 inlet due to changes in wave climate, Sea-level and lagoon morphology (Óbidos lagoon, Portugal). ., 2010. The last 21 interglacial sea-level high stand on the southern Cape coastline of South Africa. Quat. Res. 73, 351-22 363. 23Casella, E., Rovere, A., Pedroncini, A., Mucerino, L., Casella, M., Cusati, A.L., Vacchi, M., Ferrari, M., 24Firpo, M., 2014. Study of wave runup using numerical models and low-altitude aerial 25 photogrammetry : A tool for coastal management.

Genomic consequences of population decline in critically endangered pangolins and their demographic histories

“…4a). The subsequent MIS periods that associated with alternating episodes of sea level fall (i.e., MIS8, MIS6 and MIS2) and rise (i.e., MIS7 and MIS5e) [40][41][42] partially explained population expansions and bottlenecks ( Fig. 4a), respectively.…”

Speleothems in a north Cuban cave register sea‐level changes and Pleistocene uplift rates

“…In tropical areas, downwearing of carbonatic landscapes can be in the order of several cm/ka, leading to additional underestimation of the sea-level altitude at the time of the carbonate formation (Mylroie and Mylroie, 2017). Thus, eogenetic limestone can have denudation rates similar to or greater than the tectonic uplift (or subsidence) rates usually estimated for these stable areas, which are typically believed to be less than 0.1 m/ka (Carew and Mylroie, 1995;Rovere et al, 2016). Similarly, in Curaçao an altitude difference of 6 m has been measured between the large flank margin caves in the upper terrace (that formed near sea level during MIS 5e) and the underlying terrace that formed at the wave base but underwent surface denudation since its exposure (~115 ka), thus leading to a denudation rate of~0.05 m/ka .…”

Glacial Isostatic Adjustment modelling: historical perspectives, recent advances, and future directions

“…Lambeck et al, 2014), but small magnitude ice volume changes subsequent to the demise of the Laurentide and Fennoscandian ice sheets around 7 ka are less well constrained (Lambeck et al, 2014;Bradley et al, 2016). Combining GIA modelling with a probabilistic approach, Kopp et al (2009) find that global ice volumes during the Last Interglacial (~125 ka) were at least 6.6 m smaller than present (95% probably; magnitude expressed as sea-level equivalent), but uncertainty associated with the interpretation 485 and dating of sea-level indicators (Düsterhus et al, 2016b;Rovere et al, 2016) and neglect of non-GIA processes still hampers our ability to precisely reconstruct changes in global ice volume during this period.…”