Paleo-circulation of the Red Sea and global sea level

• Main Author: Siddall, Mark
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Southampton 2003
• Subjects: Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/465131/

A minimum complexity model of the Red Sea basin and hydraulic exchange through the Bab el Mandab is developed. The model results are used in conjunction with algorithms to generate Red Sea δ 18 O values in seawater and for equilibrium calcite. By forcing the Red Sea basin and hydraulic exchange model with varying sea level the relationship between δ 18 O calcite and sea level is derived. By reversing this relationship sea level may be calculated from Red Sea planktonic δ 18 O calcite sediment core records. Centennial resolution sea level records for the last 12500 years generated in this way are validated against sea level records based on coral reef estimates. Also presented here is a low-resolution sea level record for the last 470000 years which is corroborated by sea level estimates from benthic isotopes and coral reef studies. A third sea level record, derived for stage 3 (65-20 ka BP), demonstrates large amplitude (35 ± 12m ), rapid (2 cm yr -1 ) variability on a millennial time scale. This variability is related to similar signatures in the benthic isotope and Antarctic temperature records.