MIS 5e relative sea level indicators : new methodologies to sustain the quantitative estimate of past sea level changes

Abstract

During the Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 5e global sea level was 6-9 m higher than today. The only direct observations of this sea level are paleo relative sea-level (RSL) indicators. Their relationship to sea level is called the indicative meaning and is quantified by the reference water level and the indicative range. In this thesis, some of the problems around the determination of the indicative meaning, precise elevation measurements and structured reporting of databases are addressed. In the first chapter, I will show how sea-level indicators can be categorized from a geomorphological perspective. In the second and third chapter, I will show the possibility of using morpho- and hydrodynamic models to derive the limits of the indicative meaning and to assess changes in paleo tidal ranges. In a final chapter, I will use these methodologies, describe how they can help deriving the paleo RSL without site-specific data and attribute the results to the global MIS 5e sea-level database.