Sea Caves Reveal Rapid Rise in Ancient Ocean Levels

[Cheryl Jones]

February 12, 2010
Sea Caves Reveal Rapid Rise in Ancient Ocean Levels
Sea levels can rise and fall fast, even during an ice age, according to new research
By David Biello
Scientific American

.....So a team of geologists set out to identify sea level changes over the course of the past 135,000 years by collecting rock samples from six formations at various levels in five different caves. The researchers found that sea levels were roughly 1 meter higher than present 81,000 years ago when the world was thought to be experiencing an ice age that should have locked up water in glacial ice, thereby lowering sea level as much as 30 meters.

More disturbingly, the record suggests that sea level can rise or fall as fast as two meters a century—nearly 12 times as fast as sea level rise in the past 100 years and indicating the potential for a meter of sea-level rise within one human lifetime. "This has major implications for future concerns with sea-level change," says geoscientist Jeffrey Dorale of the University of Iowa, lead author of the new research published in the February 12 issue of Science. "Our study indicates rapid rates of ice melting and ice formation. The mechanisms underlying these dramatic changes need further consideration as we look to a future of impending climate changes."
Read on
https://www.scientificamerican.com/arti ... ean-levels

[BrianC]

Cheryl, I remember watching a program that showed human remains so far back in a cave that the only way the bones could have gotten there is by walking! The cave is currently 400 feet below water, it showed this low water was in the last 12000 years! I would need to research to find exact references! This provided clues to a quick climate change!

[Phil Winkler]

I'll have to see if I still have the report, but Jean-Francois Pernette's expedition to Patagonia awhile back discovered the bones of a whale way back in a cave and quite high up. Indications were it had washed in, of course, but the height was extraordinary.

[Cheryl Jones]

Phil, I saw that in a film.....hmmmm...at the ICS last summer I believe.

Brian. 400 ft below sea level! Wow! (Maybe he didn't walk but was a prehistoric cave diver? )

[wyandottecaver]

Brian, did you add an extra two zeros in excitement :)

this article http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... etons.html

talks about human remains 40 ft below current sea levels but 200ft above sea level at the time of death between 11,000 and 14,000 years ago.

[Phil Winkler]

Here is a link to Richard Maire's ICS Patagonia presentation. The file is a 14 mb Powerpoint so it can take a few minutes to download and run. The whale bones, etc. are described as is the implication of a much higher sea level in the past. This same group of cavers is down there right now with their 2010 Expedition since it is summer down now.
http://plmconsulting.com/news/maire-patagonia.pps

[LukeM]

I wonder how the possibility of rising and falling landmasses is ruled out in these cases? We have examples of rising land masses due to tectonic and volcanic forces. What about falling? I suppose you can't expect too much in 11,000 yrs but 81,000 is a bit more.

[BrianC]

Brian, did you add an extra two zeros in excitement :)

this article http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... etons.html

talks about human remains 40 ft below current sea levels but 200ft above sea level at the time of death between 11,000 and 14,000 years ago.

I might have been excited, but that would still put water 240' below current levels! At any event much below what we have would be due to cold and hot events quickly occurring relative to time!