Towards a Global Reconciliation of Last Interglacial Sea Level Observations

目前，由于我们对动态冰盖行为的不完全理解，海平面上升的重建和预测的准确性受到限制。最近的研究表明，最后一次间冰期海平面上升可能与21世纪晚些时候预测的海平面上升类似；然而，到目前为止，还不可能对这一时期的海平面变化进行一致的重建，这突显了需要更好地了解冰盖体积和范围变化的影响。冰川-水-均衡效应可能会掩盖靠近冰盖的地点的海平面变化信号，因此有必要在这些影响不那么严重的远场地点(如印度洋和加勒比海)调查海平面变化。该项目由佛罗里达大学的一名教员与澳大利亚科学家合作领导，利用塞舌尔的化石珊瑚，通过成岩评估、铀系列测年、与地球物理(冰水-水-均衡)模型相结合的测量来重建海平面。整个加勒比海的LIG海平面标志也将被调查。总而言之，数据集和模型结果将对过去的冰盖体积和范围施加限制，这将有助于解决海平面重建中的严重差异(+4米)，并有助于生成最佳估计的最高海平面变化曲线。这项研究中涉及的海平面变化数据和地球物理模型的整合与PALSEA的目标密切一致，PALSEA是一个PAGE/IMAGE工作组，成立的目的是利用古记录对未来海平面上升施加经验限制。这项工作将涉及首席研究员和她的国际同事之间的密切合作。教育影响包括佛罗里达大学注册的本科生参加“巴哈马地质学”课程，他们将直接参与该项目的实地部分；此外，这些学生将参加一系列结合工作背景的讲座。该项目还将出现在佛罗里达自然历史博物馆促进STEM研究的多媒体展览中。该奖项将支持一名早期研究人员的专业发展，以及一名博士生和几名本科生助理的培训。

Sea level rise reconstructions and predictions are currently limited in accuracy by our incomplete understanding of dynamic ice sheet behavior. Recent research indicates that sea level rise during the Last Interglacial (LIG) period may have been similar to what is projected for later in the 21st century; thus far, however, it has not been possible to produce consistent reconstructions of eustatic sea level change for this period, underscoring the need to better understand the influence of changing ice sheet volume and extent. Glacio-hydro-isostatic effects can obscure the eustatic sea level change signal at sites located near ice sheets, necessitating investigations of sea level change at far-field sites (e.g., the Indian Ocean and Caribbean) where these effects are less severe.This project, led by a faculty member at the University of Florida in collaboration with Australian scientists, uses fossil corals in the Seychelles to reconstruct eustatic sea level via diagenetic assessments, Uranium-series dating, and surveying integrated with geophysical (glacio-hydro-isostatic) modeling. LIG sea level markers across the Caribbean will be also be surveyed. Together, the dataset and model results will place constraints on past ice sheet volumes and extents, which will help to resolve serious disparities (+4 m) in sea level reconstructions, as well as facilitating the generation of a best-estimate eustatic sea level change curve. The integration of sea level change data and geophysical modeling involved in this research aligns closely with the objectives of PALSEA, a PAGES/IMAGES working group created to place empirical constraints on future sea level rise using the paleo record. The work will involve close collaboration between the lead researcher and her international colleagues. Educational impacts include the involvement of undergraduates at the University of Florida enrolled in a "Geology of the Bahamas" course, who will directly participate in the field component of this project; in addition, these students will participate in a series of lectures placing the work in context. The project will also be featured in a multimedia exhibit promoting STEM research at the Florida Museum of Natural History. This award will support the professional development of an early-career researcher, as well as the training of a PhD student and several undergraduate assistants.