Last interglacial sea-level history from speleothems: a global standardized database
<p>Speleothems (secondary cave carbonate precipitates) are archives of valuable information for reconstructing past sea levels as they are generally protected from weathering and erosion by their location and can be dated with U-series methods. Two main categories of speleothems are recognized...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Earth System Science Data |
| Online Access: | https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/13/2077/2021/essd-13-2077-2021.pdf |
| _version_ | 1823942266400538624 |
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| author | O. A. Dumitru V. J. Polyak Y. Asmerom B. P. Onac |
| author_facet | O. A. Dumitru V. J. Polyak Y. Asmerom B. P. Onac |
| author_sort | O. A. Dumitru |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Speleothems (secondary cave carbonate precipitates) are archives
of valuable information for reconstructing past sea levels as they are
generally protected from weathering and erosion by their location and can be
dated with U-series methods. Two main categories of speleothems are
recognized as sea-level indicators: phreatic overgrowth on speleothems (POSs)
and submerged vadose speleothems (SVSs). POSs have the great advantage that
they precipitate on preexisting supports (vadose speleothems or cave walls)
at a brackish water level equivalent to sea level when air-filled chambers
of coastal caves are flooded by rising sea. SVSs are also useful, but sea
level is inferred indirectly as periods of growth provide constraints on
maximum sea-level positions, whereas growth hiatuses, sometimes difficult to
observe, may indicate times when cave passages are submerged by sea
highstands; hence they record minimum sea-level elevations.</p>
<p>Here we describe a compilation that summarizes the current knowledge of the
complete last interglacial (in its broadest sense from <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 140 to 70 ka, also known as marine isotope stage (MIS) 5) sea level captured
by speleothems. We used the framework of the World Atlas of Last
Interglacial Shorelines (WALIS), a comprehensive sea-level database, to
provide a standardized format in order to facilitate scientific research on
MIS 5 sea level. The discussion is focused on MIS 5e, but records that
capture MIS 5d, 5c, 5b, and 5a are also included. We present the data from
71 speleothems (36 sea-level index points and 37 limiting points) in coastal
caves located in 10 different locations, and we include the spatial
coverage, the samples used, and their accuracy as indicators of sea level, U
and Th isotopes used to generate the chronologies, and their scientific
relevance to understand past sea-level changes. Furthermore, the paper
emphasizes the usefulness of these indicators not only to render information
regarding the eustatic sea level, but also for their contribution to refine
the glacial isostatic adjustment models and to constrain regional tectonic
uplift rates. The standardized sea-level database presented here is the
first of its kind derived from speleothems and contains all the information
needed to assess paleo relative sea levels and the chronological constraints
associated with them. The database is available open-access at
<a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4313860">https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4313860</a> (Dumitru et al., 2020). We refer the
readers to the official documentation of the WALIS database at
<span class="uri">https://walis-help.readthedocs.io/en/latest/</span> (last access: 20 January 2021), where the meaning of each field
is explained in detail.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T04:36:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-906e1a6f78fe464596b7c0d8c040fccb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1866-3508 1866-3516 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T04:36:59Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth System Science Data |
| spelling | doaj.art-906e1a6f78fe464596b7c0d8c040fccb2022-12-21T22:03:22ZengCopernicus PublicationsEarth System Science Data1866-35081866-35162021-05-01132077209410.5194/essd-13-2077-2021Last interglacial sea-level history from speleothems: a global standardized databaseO. A. Dumitru0V. J. Polyak1Y. Asmerom2B. P. Onac3Biology and Paleo Environment Department, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USADepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USADepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USASchool of Geosciences, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., NES 107, Tampa, FL 33620, USA<p>Speleothems (secondary cave carbonate precipitates) are archives of valuable information for reconstructing past sea levels as they are generally protected from weathering and erosion by their location and can be dated with U-series methods. Two main categories of speleothems are recognized as sea-level indicators: phreatic overgrowth on speleothems (POSs) and submerged vadose speleothems (SVSs). POSs have the great advantage that they precipitate on preexisting supports (vadose speleothems or cave walls) at a brackish water level equivalent to sea level when air-filled chambers of coastal caves are flooded by rising sea. SVSs are also useful, but sea level is inferred indirectly as periods of growth provide constraints on maximum sea-level positions, whereas growth hiatuses, sometimes difficult to observe, may indicate times when cave passages are submerged by sea highstands; hence they record minimum sea-level elevations.</p> <p>Here we describe a compilation that summarizes the current knowledge of the complete last interglacial (in its broadest sense from <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 140 to 70 ka, also known as marine isotope stage (MIS) 5) sea level captured by speleothems. We used the framework of the World Atlas of Last Interglacial Shorelines (WALIS), a comprehensive sea-level database, to provide a standardized format in order to facilitate scientific research on MIS 5 sea level. The discussion is focused on MIS 5e, but records that capture MIS 5d, 5c, 5b, and 5a are also included. We present the data from 71 speleothems (36 sea-level index points and 37 limiting points) in coastal caves located in 10 different locations, and we include the spatial coverage, the samples used, and their accuracy as indicators of sea level, U and Th isotopes used to generate the chronologies, and their scientific relevance to understand past sea-level changes. Furthermore, the paper emphasizes the usefulness of these indicators not only to render information regarding the eustatic sea level, but also for their contribution to refine the glacial isostatic adjustment models and to constrain regional tectonic uplift rates. The standardized sea-level database presented here is the first of its kind derived from speleothems and contains all the information needed to assess paleo relative sea levels and the chronological constraints associated with them. The database is available open-access at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4313860">https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4313860</a> (Dumitru et al., 2020). We refer the readers to the official documentation of the WALIS database at <span class="uri">https://walis-help.readthedocs.io/en/latest/</span> (last access: 20 January 2021), where the meaning of each field is explained in detail.</p>https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/13/2077/2021/essd-13-2077-2021.pdf |
| spellingShingle | O. A. Dumitru V. J. Polyak Y. Asmerom B. P. Onac Last interglacial sea-level history from speleothems: a global standardized database Earth System Science Data |
| title | Last interglacial sea-level history from speleothems: a global standardized database |
| title_full | Last interglacial sea-level history from speleothems: a global standardized database |
| title_fullStr | Last interglacial sea-level history from speleothems: a global standardized database |
| title_full_unstemmed | Last interglacial sea-level history from speleothems: a global standardized database |
| title_short | Last interglacial sea-level history from speleothems: a global standardized database |
| title_sort | last interglacial sea level history from speleothems a global standardized database |
| url | https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/13/2077/2021/essd-13-2077-2021.pdf |
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