Higher than present global mean sea level recorded by an Early Pliocene intertidal unit in Patagonia (Argentina)
Abstract Reconstructions of global mean sea level from earlier warm periods in Earth’s history can help constrain future projections of sea level rise. Here we report on the sedimentology and age of a geological unit in central Patagonia, Argentina, that we dated to the Early Pliocene (4.69–5.23 Ma,...
Published in: | Communications Earth & Environment |
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2020
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-020-00067-6 http://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-020-00067-6.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-020-00067-6 |
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crspringernat:10.1038/s43247-020-00067-6 2023-05-15T14:06:05+02:00 Higher than present global mean sea level recorded by an Early Pliocene intertidal unit in Patagonia (Argentina) Rovere, Alessio Pappalardo, Marta Richiano, Sebastian Aguirre, Marina Sandstrom, Michael R. Hearty, Paul J. Austermann, Jacqueline Castellanos, Ignacio Raymo, Maureen E. National Science Foundation 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-020-00067-6 http://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-020-00067-6.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-020-00067-6 en eng Springer Science and Business Media LLC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 CC-BY Communications Earth & Environment volume 1, issue 1 ISSN 2662-4435 General Earth and Planetary Sciences General Environmental Science journal-article 2020 crspringernat https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-020-00067-6 2022-01-14T15:40:16Z Abstract Reconstructions of global mean sea level from earlier warm periods in Earth’s history can help constrain future projections of sea level rise. Here we report on the sedimentology and age of a geological unit in central Patagonia, Argentina, that we dated to the Early Pliocene (4.69–5.23 Ma, 2 σ ) with strontium isotope stratigraphy. The unit was interpreted as representative of an intertidal environment, and its elevation was measured with differential GPS at ca. 36 m above present-day sea level. Considering modern tidal ranges, it was possible to constrain paleo relative sea level within ±2.7 m (1 σ ). We use glacial isostatic adjustment models and estimates of vertical land movement to calculate that, when the Camarones intertidal sequence was deposited, global mean sea level was 28.4 ± 11.7 m (1 σ ) above present. This estimate matches those derived from analogous Early Pliocene sea level proxies in the Mediterranean Sea and South Africa. Evidence from these three locations indicates that Early Pliocene sea level may have exceeded 20m above its present level. Such high global mean sea level values imply an ice-free Greenland, a significant melting of West Antarctica, and a contribution of marine-based sectors of East Antarctica to global mean sea level. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica East Antarctica Greenland West Antarctica Springer Nature (via Crossref) Argentina East Antarctica Greenland Patagonia West Antarctica Communications Earth & Environment 1 1 |
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Springer Nature (via Crossref) |
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crspringernat |
language |
English |
topic |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences General Environmental Science |
spellingShingle |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences General Environmental Science Rovere, Alessio Pappalardo, Marta Richiano, Sebastian Aguirre, Marina Sandstrom, Michael R. Hearty, Paul J. Austermann, Jacqueline Castellanos, Ignacio Raymo, Maureen E. Higher than present global mean sea level recorded by an Early Pliocene intertidal unit in Patagonia (Argentina) |
topic_facet |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences General Environmental Science |
description |
Abstract Reconstructions of global mean sea level from earlier warm periods in Earth’s history can help constrain future projections of sea level rise. Here we report on the sedimentology and age of a geological unit in central Patagonia, Argentina, that we dated to the Early Pliocene (4.69–5.23 Ma, 2 σ ) with strontium isotope stratigraphy. The unit was interpreted as representative of an intertidal environment, and its elevation was measured with differential GPS at ca. 36 m above present-day sea level. Considering modern tidal ranges, it was possible to constrain paleo relative sea level within ±2.7 m (1 σ ). We use glacial isostatic adjustment models and estimates of vertical land movement to calculate that, when the Camarones intertidal sequence was deposited, global mean sea level was 28.4 ± 11.7 m (1 σ ) above present. This estimate matches those derived from analogous Early Pliocene sea level proxies in the Mediterranean Sea and South Africa. Evidence from these three locations indicates that Early Pliocene sea level may have exceeded 20m above its present level. Such high global mean sea level values imply an ice-free Greenland, a significant melting of West Antarctica, and a contribution of marine-based sectors of East Antarctica to global mean sea level. |
author2 |
National Science Foundation |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rovere, Alessio Pappalardo, Marta Richiano, Sebastian Aguirre, Marina Sandstrom, Michael R. Hearty, Paul J. Austermann, Jacqueline Castellanos, Ignacio Raymo, Maureen E. |
author_facet |
Rovere, Alessio Pappalardo, Marta Richiano, Sebastian Aguirre, Marina Sandstrom, Michael R. Hearty, Paul J. Austermann, Jacqueline Castellanos, Ignacio Raymo, Maureen E. |
author_sort |
Rovere, Alessio |
title |
Higher than present global mean sea level recorded by an Early Pliocene intertidal unit in Patagonia (Argentina) |
title_short |
Higher than present global mean sea level recorded by an Early Pliocene intertidal unit in Patagonia (Argentina) |
title_full |
Higher than present global mean sea level recorded by an Early Pliocene intertidal unit in Patagonia (Argentina) |
title_fullStr |
Higher than present global mean sea level recorded by an Early Pliocene intertidal unit in Patagonia (Argentina) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Higher than present global mean sea level recorded by an Early Pliocene intertidal unit in Patagonia (Argentina) |
title_sort |
higher than present global mean sea level recorded by an early pliocene intertidal unit in patagonia (argentina) |
publisher |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-020-00067-6 http://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-020-00067-6.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-020-00067-6 |
geographic |
Argentina East Antarctica Greenland Patagonia West Antarctica |
geographic_facet |
Argentina East Antarctica Greenland Patagonia West Antarctica |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica East Antarctica Greenland West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica East Antarctica Greenland West Antarctica |
op_source |
Communications Earth & Environment volume 1, issue 1 ISSN 2662-4435 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-020-00067-6 |
container_title |
Communications Earth & Environment |
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1 |
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1 |
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1766277831192477696 |