Uranium-series coral ages from the US Atlantic Coastal Plain-the "80 ka problem" revisited

John F. Wehmiller; Kathleen R. Simmons; Hai Cheng; R. Lawrence Edwards; Jamie Martin-McNaughton; Linda L. York; David E. Krantz; Chuan Chou Shen

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2004.01.002

Uranium-series coral ages from the US Atlantic Coastal Plain-the "80 ka problem" revisited

John F. Wehmiller, Kathleen R. Simmons, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards, Jamie Martin-McNaughton, Linda L. York, David E. Krantz, Chuan Chou Shen

Earth and Environmental Sciences-Twin Cities

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

77 Scopus citations

Abstract

Uranium series coral ages for emergent units from the passive continental margin US Atlantic Coastal Plain (ACP) suggest sea level above present levels at the end of marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 5, contradicting age-elevation relations based on marine isotopic or coral reef models of ice equivalent sea level. We have reexamined this problem by obtaining high precision ²³⁰Th/²³⁸U and ²³¹Pa/²³⁵U thermal ionization mass spectrometric ages for recently collected and carefully cleaned ACP corals, many in situ. We recognize samples that show no evidence for diagenesis on the basis of uranium isotopic composition and age concordance. Combining new and earlier data, among those ages close to or within the age range of MIS 5, over 85% cluster between 65 and 85 ka BP. Of the corals that we have analyzed, those that show the least evidence for diagenesis on the basis of uranium isotopic composition and age concordance have ages between 80 and 85 ka BP, consistent with a MIS 5a correlation. The units from which these samples have been collected are all emergent and have elevations within ∼3-5m of those few units where early stage 5 (∼125,000 ka BP) coral ages have been obtained. The ACP appears to record an unusual history of relative sea level throughout MIS 5, a history that is also apparent in the dated coral record for Bermuda. We speculate that this history is related to the regional (near-to intermediate-field) effects of ancestral Laurentide Ice sheets on last interglacial shorelines of the western North Atlantic.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	3-14
Number of pages	12
Journal	Quaternary International
Volume	120
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2004.01.002
State	Published - 2004

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was partially supported by NSF EAR9315053 to the University of Delaware. The authors thank Helaine Markewich, Fred Rich, and Richard Hulbert for discussions related to the Skidaway Island site, K.R. Ludwig for his assistance in initiating the analytical effort, and Thomas Cronin and Daniel Muhs for reviewing an early draft of this manuscript. B.J. Szabo has been particularly helpful in elucidating the history of many of the earlier coral analyses reviewed here. Additional discussions with D.Q. Bowen, W.S. Broecker, C.H. Fletcher III, R. Fairbanks, C. Gallup, C. Murray-Wallace, W.R. Peltier, E.-K. Potter, and N. Shackleton have assisted in formulating ideas about these results. This is a contribution to IGCP 437: Coastal Environmental Change During Sea Level Highstands: A Global Synthesis with Implications for Management of Future Coastal Changes.

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title = "Uranium-series coral ages from the US Atlantic Coastal Plain-the {"}80 ka problem{"} revisited",

abstract = "Uranium series coral ages for emergent units from the passive continental margin US Atlantic Coastal Plain (ACP) suggest sea level above present levels at the end of marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 5, contradicting age-elevation relations based on marine isotopic or coral reef models of ice equivalent sea level. We have reexamined this problem by obtaining high precision 230Th/238U and 231Pa/235U thermal ionization mass spectrometric ages for recently collected and carefully cleaned ACP corals, many in situ. We recognize samples that show no evidence for diagenesis on the basis of uranium isotopic composition and age concordance. Combining new and earlier data, among those ages close to or within the age range of MIS 5, over 85% cluster between 65 and 85 ka BP. Of the corals that we have analyzed, those that show the least evidence for diagenesis on the basis of uranium isotopic composition and age concordance have ages between 80 and 85 ka BP, consistent with a MIS 5a correlation. The units from which these samples have been collected are all emergent and have elevations within ∼3-5m of those few units where early stage 5 (∼125,000 ka BP) coral ages have been obtained. The ACP appears to record an unusual history of relative sea level throughout MIS 5, a history that is also apparent in the dated coral record for Bermuda. We speculate that this history is related to the regional (near-to intermediate-field) effects of ancestral Laurentide Ice sheets on last interglacial shorelines of the western North Atlantic.",

author = "Wehmiller, {John F.} and Simmons, {Kathleen R.} and Hai Cheng and Edwards, {R. Lawrence} and Jamie Martin-McNaughton and York, {Linda L.} and Krantz, {David E.} and Shen, {Chuan Chou}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was partially supported by NSF EAR9315053 to the University of Delaware. The authors thank Helaine Markewich, Fred Rich, and Richard Hulbert for discussions related to the Skidaway Island site, K.R. Ludwig for his assistance in initiating the analytical effort, and Thomas Cronin and Daniel Muhs for reviewing an early draft of this manuscript. B.J. Szabo has been particularly helpful in elucidating the history of many of the earlier coral analyses reviewed here. Additional discussions with D.Q. Bowen, W.S. Broecker, C.H. Fletcher III, R. Fairbanks, C. Gallup, C. Murray-Wallace, W.R. Peltier, E.-K. Potter, and N. Shackleton have assisted in formulating ideas about these results. This is a contribution to IGCP 437: Coastal Environmental Change During Sea Level Highstands: A Global Synthesis with Implications for Management of Future Coastal Changes.",

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T1 - Uranium-series coral ages from the US Atlantic Coastal Plain-the "80 ka problem" revisited

AU - Wehmiller, John F.

AU - Simmons, Kathleen R.

AU - Cheng, Hai

AU - Edwards, R. Lawrence

AU - Martin-McNaughton, Jamie

AU - York, Linda L.

AU - Krantz, David E.

AU - Shen, Chuan Chou

N1 - Funding Information: This research was partially supported by NSF EAR9315053 to the University of Delaware. The authors thank Helaine Markewich, Fred Rich, and Richard Hulbert for discussions related to the Skidaway Island site, K.R. Ludwig for his assistance in initiating the analytical effort, and Thomas Cronin and Daniel Muhs for reviewing an early draft of this manuscript. B.J. Szabo has been particularly helpful in elucidating the history of many of the earlier coral analyses reviewed here. Additional discussions with D.Q. Bowen, W.S. Broecker, C.H. Fletcher III, R. Fairbanks, C. Gallup, C. Murray-Wallace, W.R. Peltier, E.-K. Potter, and N. Shackleton have assisted in formulating ideas about these results. This is a contribution to IGCP 437: Coastal Environmental Change During Sea Level Highstands: A Global Synthesis with Implications for Management of Future Coastal Changes.

PY - 2004

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N2 - Uranium series coral ages for emergent units from the passive continental margin US Atlantic Coastal Plain (ACP) suggest sea level above present levels at the end of marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 5, contradicting age-elevation relations based on marine isotopic or coral reef models of ice equivalent sea level. We have reexamined this problem by obtaining high precision 230Th/238U and 231Pa/235U thermal ionization mass spectrometric ages for recently collected and carefully cleaned ACP corals, many in situ. We recognize samples that show no evidence for diagenesis on the basis of uranium isotopic composition and age concordance. Combining new and earlier data, among those ages close to or within the age range of MIS 5, over 85% cluster between 65 and 85 ka BP. Of the corals that we have analyzed, those that show the least evidence for diagenesis on the basis of uranium isotopic composition and age concordance have ages between 80 and 85 ka BP, consistent with a MIS 5a correlation. The units from which these samples have been collected are all emergent and have elevations within ∼3-5m of those few units where early stage 5 (∼125,000 ka BP) coral ages have been obtained. The ACP appears to record an unusual history of relative sea level throughout MIS 5, a history that is also apparent in the dated coral record for Bermuda. We speculate that this history is related to the regional (near-to intermediate-field) effects of ancestral Laurentide Ice sheets on last interglacial shorelines of the western North Atlantic.

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Uranium-series coral ages from the US Atlantic Coastal Plain-the "80 ka problem" revisited

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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