Stratigraphy, tectonics and palaeoclimatic implications of uranium-series-dated coral reefs from the Sudanese coast of the Red Sea
1996; Elsevier BV; Volume: 31; Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/1040-6182(95)00020-j
ISSN1873-4553
AutoresC.T. Hoang, Rémi Dalongeville, Paul Sanlaville,
Tópico(s)Maritime and Coastal Archaeology
ResumoNew UTh dates have been obtained from coral samples from the emerged reefs that border the Sudan coast of the Red Sea. The results show evidence of at least two reef formations. The young formation, situated at 2–6 m above m.s.l., clearly corresponds to stage 5e of the last interglacial period, according to the ages ranging from 125 ± 8 to 142 ± 9 ka. This formation was coeval with that found all along the Red Sea coast, from Egypt in the North to Ethiopia and Djibuti in the South. The old formation located at 8.5 m and 5 m above m.s.l. has respectively been dated > 300 ka and 253 + 53/−35 ka; these ages, similar to those obtained on the Egyptian coast, suggest that the old reef was formed during the penultimate interglacial period. Field evidence (no sign of folding or faulting and fairly constant height of the emerged reef deposits, absence of reef formations dating stages 5c and 5a) suggest that the Sudan coastal area has been stable for at least 130,000 years. Two climatic phases much wetter than the present one were recorded, one coeval with the formation of the young reef and the other immediately before the last regression period.
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