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Rapid sea-level rise and reef back-stepping at the close of the last interglacial highstand

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Blanchon

    (Institute of Marine & Limnological Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico, AP1152, Cancun, 77500 Quintana Roo, Mexico)

  • Anton Eisenhauer

    (Leibniz Institute of Marine Science, IFM-GEOMAR, Wischhofstrasse 1–3, 24148 Kiel, Germany)

  • Jan Fietzke

    (Leibniz Institute of Marine Science, IFM-GEOMAR, Wischhofstrasse 1–3, 24148 Kiel, Germany)

  • Volker Liebetrau

    (Leibniz Institute of Marine Science, IFM-GEOMAR, Wischhofstrasse 1–3, 24148 Kiel, Germany)

Abstract

An interglacial jump in sea level The potential for future rapid sea-level rise is perhaps the greatest threat from global warming. But the question of whether recent ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica is the first indication of such a rise is difficult to answer given the limited duration of the instrumental record. New evidence from an exceptionally exposed fossil reef in the Xcaret theme park in Mexico provides a detailed picture of the development of reef terraces, erosion surfaces and sea-level excursions in the region during the last interglacial. A combination of precise uranium-series dating and stratigraphic analysis, together with comparison with coral ages elsewhere, suggests that a sea-level jump of 2 to 3 metres occurred about 121,000 years ago, consistent with an episode of ice-sheet instability towards the end of the last interglacial. On that evidence, sustained rapid ice loss and sea-level rise in the near future are possible.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Blanchon & Anton Eisenhauer & Jan Fietzke & Volker Liebetrau, 2009. "Rapid sea-level rise and reef back-stepping at the close of the last interglacial highstand," Nature, Nature, vol. 458(7240), pages 881-884, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:458:y:2009:i:7240:d:10.1038_nature07933
    DOI: 10.1038/nature07933
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    Cited by:

    1. Rodolfo Silva & María Luisa Martínez & Brigitta I. van Tussenbroek & Laura Odette Guzmán-Rodríguez & Edgar Mendoza & Jorge López-Portillo, 2020. "A Framework to Manage Coastal Squeeze," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-20, December.
    2. Mutsumi Iizuka & Osamu Seki & David J. Wilson & Yusuke Suganuma & Keiji Horikawa & Tina Flierdt & Minoru Ikehara & Takuya Itaki & Tomohisa Irino & Masanobu Yamamoto & Motohiro Hirabayashi & Hiroyuki M, 2023. "Multiple episodes of ice loss from the Wilkes Subglacial Basin during the Last Interglacial," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Michela Biasutti & Adam Sobel & Suzana Camargo & Timothy Creyts, 2012. "Projected changes in the physical climate of the Gulf Coast and Caribbean," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 112(3), pages 819-845, June.

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