Open-system coral ages reveal persistent suborbital sea-level cycles.
Sea level is a sensitive index of global climate that has been linked to Earth's orbital variations, with a minimum periodicity of about 21,000 years. Although there is ample evidence for climate oscillations that are too frequent to be explained by orbital forcing, suborbital-frequency sea-level change has been difficult to resolve, primarily because of problems with uranium/thorium coral dating. Here we use a new approach that corrects coral ages for the frequently observed open-system behavior of uranium-series nuclides, substantially improving the resolution of sea-level reconstruction. This curve reveals persistent sea-level oscillations that are too frequent to be explained exclusively by orbital forcing.
Thompson
William G
WG
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA. wthompson@whoi.edu
Goldstein
Steven L
SL
D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000737:chemistry; D001460:Barbados; D002980:Climate; D005580:Fossils; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D012623:Seawater; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis; D013995:Time; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis
D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D014501:Uranium; D013910:Thorium