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Revisiting late Holocene sea-level change from the Gilbert Islands, Kiribati, west-central Pacific Ocean

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2017

Hiroya Yamano ,
Hajime Kayanne ,
Toru Yamaguchi ,
Tomomi Inoue ,
Yukira Mochida  and
Shigeyuki Baba
Hiroya Yamano*
Affiliation:
Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
Hajime Kayanne
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Toru Yamaguchi
Affiliation:
Department of Ethnology and Archaeology, Keio University, 2-15-45 Mita, Minato, Tokyo 108-8345, Japan
Tomomi Inoue
Affiliation:
Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
Yukira Mochida
Affiliation:
Kanagawa Study Center, The Open University of Japan, 2-31-1 O-oka, Minami, Yokohama 232-8510, Japan Makino Herbarium (MAK), Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
Shigeyuki Baba
Affiliation:
International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, c/o Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0219, Japan
*
*Corresponding author at: Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan. E-mail address: hyamano@nies.go.jp (H. Yamano).
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Abstract

New coral microatoll data allow presenting an updated late Holocene sea-level curve for the Gilbert Islands of Kiribati. Examination of build-up elevation and spatial distribution of microatolls, along with radiocarbon age data from coral samples, suggest an approximately 1 m sea-level high stand, possibly lasting from ~3500 to 1900 cal yr BP. Our sea-level curve, which is similar to the one reported from the Marshall Islands, is a baseline to reconstruct the evolution of reef flats and reef islands. In addition, it provides important contextual data to infer human settlement on islands in the west-central Pacific.

Keywords

Late HoloceneSea levelWest-central PacificCoral reefReef islandKiribati
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 88 , Issue 3 , November 2017 , pp. 400 - 408
Copyright
Copyright © University of Washington. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2017 

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