Shore-line reconstruction around Australia during the Last Glacial Maximum and Late Glacial Stage

Being both relatively tectonically stable and far from formerly glaciated regions, continental Australia is particularly well-suited for the study of sea-level evolution since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Late Glacial Stage. Sea-level data from such regions are valuable indicators of ice-volume equivalent sea level since the effects of glacio-hydro-isostatic terms is less significant for far-field sites though still not negligible. In this study, we review published sea-level observations and results of recently developed numerical models for several areas of coastal Australia and produce corresponding palaeogeographic maps of the results of our numerical models. The results suggest that the Australian continental shelf was largely exposed during the LGM and provide detailed predictions of the timing of inundation as a function of position. Temporal and spatial variation of sea level provide important constraints that can in turn be used to improve the accuracy of numerical models, and better determine important rheological response parameters for the mantle and environmental conditions during the Late Glacial. The palaeoshoreline data from the modeling performed in this study indicate several key locations for future palaeo-environmental studies of sea-level change. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.