Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2018-50
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2018-50
01 Jun 2018
 | 01 Jun 2018
Status: this preprint was under review for the journal CP but the revision was not accepted.

A statistical method to validate reconstructions of late-glacial relative sea level – Application to shallow water shells rated as low-grade sea-level indicators

Milena Latinović, Volker Klemann, Christopher Irrgang, Meike Bagge, Sebastian Specht, and Maik Thomas

Abstract. In this study, we propose a statistical method to validate sea-level reconstructions using geological records known as sea-level indicators (SLIs). SLIs are often the only available data to retrace late-glacial relative sea level (RSL). Determining the RSL from SLI height is not straight forward, the elevation at which an SLI was found usually does not represent the past RSL. In contrast, it has to be related to past RSL by investigating sample’s type, habitat and deposition conditions. For instance, water distribution at which a specific specimen is found today can be related to the indicator's depositional height range. Furthermore, the precision of dating varies between geological samples, and, in case of radiocarbon dating, the age has to be calibrated using a non-linear calibration curve. To avoid an a-priori assumption like normal-distributed uncertainties, we define likelihood functions which take into account the indicative meaning’s available error information and calibration statistics represented by joint probabilities. For this conceptional study, we restrict ourselves to one type of indicators, shallow-water shells, which are usually considered as low-grade samples giving only a lower limit of former sea level, as the depth range in which they live spreads over several tens of meters, and does not follow a normal distribution. The presented method is aimed to serve as a strategy for glacial isostatic adjustment reconstructions, in this case for the German Paleo-Climate Modelling Initiative PalMod (https://www.palmod.de/en) and by extending it to other SLI types.

Milena Latinović, Volker Klemann, Christopher Irrgang, Meike Bagge, Sebastian Specht, and Maik Thomas
 
Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
 
Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
Milena Latinović, Volker Klemann, Christopher Irrgang, Meike Bagge, Sebastian Specht, and Maik Thomas
Milena Latinović, Volker Klemann, Christopher Irrgang, Meike Bagge, Sebastian Specht, and Maik Thomas

Viewed

Total article views: 2,323 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
1,875 367 81 2,323 165 66 60
  • HTML: 1,875
  • PDF: 367
  • XML: 81
  • Total: 2,323
  • Supplement: 165
  • BibTeX: 66
  • EndNote: 60
Views and downloads (calculated since 01 Jun 2018)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 01 Jun 2018)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 2,060 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 2,007 with geography defined and 53 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 28 Mar 2024
Download
Short summary
By using geological samples we are trying to validate the models that are reconstructing the sea level in the past 20 000 years. We applied proposed statistical method using 4 types of shells that were found in the area of the Hudson Bay on 140 members of model ensemble. After the comparison of the the results with studies from this area, we concluded that the method is suitable for validation of model ensemble based sea-level change caused by land movement of the Earth due to ice-age burden.