Ice sheet collapse following a prolonged period of stable sea level during the last interglacial
During the last interglacial period, 127-116 kyr ago, global mean sea level reached a peak of 5-9m above present-day sea level. However, the exact timing and magnitude of ice sheet collapse that contributed to the sea-level highstand is unclear. Here we explore this timing using stratigraphic and ge...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Publishers Ltd
2013
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3679 |
| _version_ | 1848744297550053376 |
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| author | O'Leary, Michael Hearty, P. Thompson, W. Raymo, M. Mitrovica, J. Webster, J. |
| author_facet | O'Leary, Michael Hearty, P. Thompson, W. Raymo, M. Mitrovica, J. Webster, J. |
| author_sort | O'Leary, Michael |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | During the last interglacial period, 127-116 kyr ago, global mean sea level reached a peak of 5-9m above present-day sea level. However, the exact timing and magnitude of ice sheet collapse that contributed to the sea-level highstand is unclear. Here we explore this timing using stratigraphic and geomorphic mapping and uranium-series geochronology of fossil coral reefs and geophysical modelling of sea-level records from Western Australia. We show that between 127 and 119 kyr ago, eustatic sea level remained relatively stable at about 3-4 m above present sea level. However, stratigraphically younger fossil corals with U-series ages of 118.1±1.4 kyr are observed at elevations of up to 9.5 m above present mean sea level. Accounting for glacial isostatic adjustment and localized tectonics, we conclude that eustatic sea level rose to about 9 m above present at the end of the last interglacial. We suggest that in the last few thousand years of the interglacial, a critical ice sheet stability threshold was crossed, resulting in the catastrophic collapse of polar ice sheets and substantial sea-level rise. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T05:59:14Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-3679 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T05:59:14Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Publishers Ltd |
| recordtype | eprints |
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| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-36792017-09-13T14:45:49Z Ice sheet collapse following a prolonged period of stable sea level during the last interglacial O'Leary, Michael Hearty, P. Thompson, W. Raymo, M. Mitrovica, J. Webster, J. During the last interglacial period, 127-116 kyr ago, global mean sea level reached a peak of 5-9m above present-day sea level. However, the exact timing and magnitude of ice sheet collapse that contributed to the sea-level highstand is unclear. Here we explore this timing using stratigraphic and geomorphic mapping and uranium-series geochronology of fossil coral reefs and geophysical modelling of sea-level records from Western Australia. We show that between 127 and 119 kyr ago, eustatic sea level remained relatively stable at about 3-4 m above present sea level. However, stratigraphically younger fossil corals with U-series ages of 118.1±1.4 kyr are observed at elevations of up to 9.5 m above present mean sea level. Accounting for glacial isostatic adjustment and localized tectonics, we conclude that eustatic sea level rose to about 9 m above present at the end of the last interglacial. We suggest that in the last few thousand years of the interglacial, a critical ice sheet stability threshold was crossed, resulting in the catastrophic collapse of polar ice sheets and substantial sea-level rise. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3679 10.1038/NGEO1890 Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Publishers Ltd restricted |
| spellingShingle | O'Leary, Michael Hearty, P. Thompson, W. Raymo, M. Mitrovica, J. Webster, J. Ice sheet collapse following a prolonged period of stable sea level during the last interglacial |
| title | Ice sheet collapse following a prolonged period of stable sea level during the last interglacial |
| title_full | Ice sheet collapse following a prolonged period of stable sea level during the last interglacial |
| title_fullStr | Ice sheet collapse following a prolonged period of stable sea level during the last interglacial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ice sheet collapse following a prolonged period of stable sea level during the last interglacial |
| title_short | Ice sheet collapse following a prolonged period of stable sea level during the last interglacial |
| title_sort | ice sheet collapse following a prolonged period of stable sea level during the last interglacial |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3679 |