Search

Evidence for sea-level change during and around Marine Isotopic Stage 5e (ca. 125 ka) in southern Africa derives from a wide variety of geomorphic and sedimentological sea-level indicators, supported in the past 2 decades by absolute chronological control. In addition to these proxies, data provided by both terrestrial (dune sediments and archaeological remains) and marine (lagoonal and nearshore littoral sediments) limiting points provide broad constraints on sea level. Here, we review publications describing these data points. Using the framework of the World Atlas of Last Interglacial Shorelines, we insert in a standardized database all the elements needed to assess former paleo relative sea level, and the chronological constraints associated with them (including uncertainties). Overall, we reviewed 69 studies, from which we extracted 35 sea-level indicators and 25 limiting points. As far as age attribution is concerned, early dating of molluscs and whole-rock beachrock samples using U-Series allowed ating of several sea-level indicators during the 1980s but the more widespread application of Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating since 2004 has yielded many more (and more accurate) dates from several sites. This has helped resolve the nature and timing of MIS5e shorelines and has the potential to further elucidate the apparent presence of two or more sea-level peaks at several South African sites during this interval. The standardized sea-level database presented in this paper is the first of its kind for this region. Future research should be directed to improve the stratigraphic description of LIG shorelines and to obtain better dating, high-accuracy elevation measurements with better palaeo-RSL interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RECENT OBSERVATIONS MADE FROM THE submersible Jago have shed new light on palaeo-sea levels found off the continental margins of southeastern Africa. The discovery of deep-water caves within the northern KwaZulu-Natal submarine canyon system, and their corresponding intertidal erosional features, indicates three deeper than present sea levels at depths of 106 m, 124 m and 130 m. A clast-supported, cobble conglomerate is associated with caves of 124 m depth. This is interpreted as a beach deposit that formed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) at 18 BP. This is the first evidence of the LGM for the east coast, and suggests tectonic stability throughout southern Africa since that time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]