<p>Constraining sea level at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is spatially restricted to a few locations. Here, we reconstruct relative sea-level (RSL) changes along the Atlantic coast of Africa for the last ~30 ka BP using 347 quality-controlled sea-level datapoints. Data from the continental shelves of Guinea Conakry and Cameroon indicate a progressive lowering of RSL during the LGM from −99.4 ± 5.2 m to −104.0 ± 3.2 m between ~26.7 ka and ~19.1 ka BP. From ~15 ka to ~7.5 ka BP, RSL shows phases of major accelerations up to ~25 mm a<sup>−1</sup> and a significant RSL deceleration by ~8 ka BP. In the mid to late Holocene, data indicate the emergence of a sea-level highstand, which varied in magnitude (0.8 ± 0.8 m to 4.0 ± 2.4 m above present mean sea level) and timing (5.0 ± 1.0 to 1.7 ± 1.0 ka BP). We further identified misfits between glacial isostatic adjustment models and the highstand, suggesting the interplay of different ice-sheet meltwater contributions and hydro-isostatic processes along the wide region of Atlantic Africa are not fully resolved.</p>

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Sea level since the Last Glacial Maximum from the Atlantic coast of Africa

  • Matteo Vacchi,
  • Timothy A. Shaw,
  • Edward J. Anthony,
  • Giorgio Spada,
  • Daniele Melini,
  • Tanghua Li,
  • Niamh Cahill,
  • Benjamin P. Horton

摘要

Constraining sea level at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is spatially restricted to a few locations. Here, we reconstruct relative sea-level (RSL) changes along the Atlantic coast of Africa for the last ~30 ka BP using 347 quality-controlled sea-level datapoints. Data from the continental shelves of Guinea Conakry and Cameroon indicate a progressive lowering of RSL during the LGM from −99.4 ± 5.2 m to −104.0 ± 3.2 m between ~26.7 ka and ~19.1 ka BP. From ~15 ka to ~7.5 ka BP, RSL shows phases of major accelerations up to ~25 mm a−1 and a significant RSL deceleration by ~8 ka BP. In the mid to late Holocene, data indicate the emergence of a sea-level highstand, which varied in magnitude (0.8 ± 0.8 m to 4.0 ± 2.4 m above present mean sea level) and timing (5.0 ± 1.0 to 1.7 ± 1.0 ka BP). We further identified misfits between glacial isostatic adjustment models and the highstand, suggesting the interplay of different ice-sheet meltwater contributions and hydro-isostatic processes along the wide region of Atlantic Africa are not fully resolved.