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Timing of the Last-Interglacial High Sea Level on the Seychelles Islands, Indian Ocean

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Carsten Israelson  and
Barbara Wohlfarth
Carsten Israelson*
Affiliation:
Geological Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark
Barbara Wohlfarth
Affiliation:
Department of Quaternary Geology, Lund University, Tornavagen 13, S-223 63, Lund, Sweden
*
1To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: carsteni@geo.geol.ku.dk; Fax: +45 35322499.
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Abstract

Corals from the Seychelles Islands, Indian Ocean, occur mainly as small coralline algae–vermetid remnants found in cavities adhering to the rock surface, and they rarely attain more than 2 m2 in area. Samples of Goniastrea and Porites from elevations between 1.7 and 6 m above present mean sea level were dated by TIMS 238U–234U–230Th techniques. The ages from well-preserved corals lie between 131,000 and 122,000 yr B.P., in agreement with most other observations of the last-interglacial sea level. Field evidence and dating from high marine limestones from two sections at La Digue Island indicate a period of coral buildup until 131,000 yr B.P., followed by a drop in sea level between 131,000 and 122,000 yr B.P.

Keywords

last interglaciationsea levelU–Th datingcoralsSeychellesIndian Ocean
Type
Original Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 51 , Issue 3 , May 1999 , pp. 306 - 316
Copyright
University of Washington

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