TY - JOUR
T1 - The Mid-Pliocene sea-level conundrum
T2 - Glacial isostasy, eustasy and dynamic topography
AU - Rovere, A.
AU - Raymo, M. E.
AU - Mitrovica, J. X.
AU - Hearty, P. J.
AU - O'Leary, M. J.
AU - Inglis, J. D.
PY - 2014/2/1
Y1 - 2014/2/1
N2 - Determining eustatic sea level during the Mid-Pliocene warm period (~3.3 to 2.9 Ma) has been a central but elusive goal in the study of past warm climates. Estimates of eustatic sea level based on geologic data span a broad range; variation that we now recognize is due in part to geographically varying post-depositional displacement caused by glacial isostatic adjustment and dynamic topography. In this study, we combine field observations and glacial isostatic adjustment modeling to estimate the dynamic topography signal in three areas that are important to paleo-sea level studies of the Mid-Pliocene warm period (South Africa, West Australia and southeastern United States). We show that dynamic topography played a significant role in the post-depositional displacement of Pliocene, and even younger Pleistocene, shorelines. In this regard, we provide a robust paleo-sea level elevation data set, corrected for glacial isostatic adjustment, that can be used to evaluate predictions from mantle flow models of dynamic topography.
AB - Determining eustatic sea level during the Mid-Pliocene warm period (~3.3 to 2.9 Ma) has been a central but elusive goal in the study of past warm climates. Estimates of eustatic sea level based on geologic data span a broad range; variation that we now recognize is due in part to geographically varying post-depositional displacement caused by glacial isostatic adjustment and dynamic topography. In this study, we combine field observations and glacial isostatic adjustment modeling to estimate the dynamic topography signal in three areas that are important to paleo-sea level studies of the Mid-Pliocene warm period (South Africa, West Australia and southeastern United States). We show that dynamic topography played a significant role in the post-depositional displacement of Pliocene, and even younger Pleistocene, shorelines. In this regard, we provide a robust paleo-sea level elevation data set, corrected for glacial isostatic adjustment, that can be used to evaluate predictions from mantle flow models of dynamic topography.
KW - Australia
KW - Dynamic topography
KW - Isostasy
KW - Mid-Pliocene sea level
KW - Republic of South Africa
KW - Southeast coast USA
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84888394966&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.epsl.2013.10.030
DO - 10.1016/j.epsl.2013.10.030
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84888394966
SN - 0012-821X
VL - 387
SP - 27
EP - 33
JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
JF - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
ER -