Last Interglacial changes in sea level on Aldabra, western Indian Ocean

Aldabra Atoll's Pleistocene limestones reveal more complex sea-level dynamics during the Last Interglacial period than previously understood. Contrary to earlier models, sedimentological analysis shows significant variation, including reversals in sea-level trends that caused both depositional pauses and erosion during rises, as well as stillstands and erosion during falls. These findings challenge the traditional view of a rapid rise followed by gradual fall towards the Last Glacial Maximum's low sea levels. The study identifies key indicators such as coral morphology changes, discontinuities within depositional sequences, and biofacies shifts to explain radiometric age inconsistencies, while questioning the broader implications for interglacial cycles and their mechanisms.

Braithwaite, C. J. R. (2020). Last Interglacial changes in sea level on Aldabra, western Indian Ocean. Sedimentology, 67(6), 3236–3258. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12738