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Sea-level fluctuations during the last glacial cycle

Author

Listed:
  • M. Siddall

    (Southampton Oceanography Centre)

  • E. J. Rohling

    (Southampton Oceanography Centre)

  • A. Almogi-Labin

    (Geological Survey of Israel)

  • Ch. Hemleben

    (University of Tuebingen)

  • D. Meischner

    (University of Göttingen)

  • I. Schmelzer

    (University of Tuebingen)

  • D. A. Smeed

    (Southampton Oceanography Centre)

Abstract

The last glacial cycle was characterized by substantial millennial-scale climate fluctuations1,2,3,4,5, but the extent of any associated changes in global sea level (or, equivalently, ice volume) remains elusive. Highstands of sea level can be reconstructed from dated fossil coral reef terraces6,7, and these data are complemented by a compilation of global sea-level estimates based on deep-sea oxygen isotope ratios at millennial-scale resolution8 or higher1. Records based on oxygen isotopes, however, contain uncertainties in the range of ±30 m, or ±1 °C in deep sea temperature9,10. Here we analyse oxygen isotope records from Red Sea sediment cores to reconstruct the history of water residence times in the Red Sea. We then use a hydraulic model of the water exchange between the Red Sea and the world ocean to derive the sill depth—and hence global sea level—over the past 470,000 years (470 kyr). Our reconstruction is accurate to within ±12 m, and gives a centennial-scale resolution from 70 to 25 kyr before present. We find that sea-level changes of up to 35 m, at rates of up to 2 cm yr-1, occurred, coincident with abrupt changes in climate.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Siddall & E. J. Rohling & A. Almogi-Labin & Ch. Hemleben & D. Meischner & I. Schmelzer & D. A. Smeed, 2003. "Sea-level fluctuations during the last glacial cycle," Nature, Nature, vol. 423(6942), pages 853-858, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:423:y:2003:i:6942:d:10.1038_nature01690
    DOI: 10.1038/nature01690
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    Cited by:

    1. Joseph Donoghue, 2011. "Sea level history of the northern Gulf of Mexico coast and sea level rise scenarios for the near future," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 107(1), pages 17-33, July.
    2. Jennifer Castle & David Hendry, 2020. "Identifying the Causal Role of CO2 during the Ice Ages," Economics Series Working Papers 898, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.

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