| 22 Jun 2026
A review of Last Interglacial sea-level proxies in South Asia and the Indian Ocean
Abstract. In this work, we present a standardized database of Last Interglacial (132–80 ka) sea-level proxies across the South Asian and Indian Ocean region, including the coasts of Iran, Oman, India, the Maldives, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The database stems from a critical revision of the data included in 17 peer-reviewed studies, which were standardized using the World Atlas of Last Interglacial Shorelines (WALIS), and is available as Ali et al. (2026, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18512770). A total of 54 sea-level index points were reassessed by evaluating stratigraphic context, elevation measurement techniques, depositional environments, and chronological constraints obtained from U-series, luminescence, electron spin resonance, and cosmogenic nuclide dating. The data is characterized by regional differences in the elevation of past relative sea-level proxies that are driven primarily by tectonic, dynamic topography, and glacio-hydro-isostatic forcings. On the active margins of southern Iran and northern Oman, terraces dated to Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 5e (125 ka), 5c (100 ka), and 5a (80 ka) were preserved at 20–60 m a.s.l., reflecting long-term uplift linked to the Zagros foreland and Makran subduction system. On the coasts of western and southern India MIS 5e relative sea-level proxies are found at 1–4 m a.s.l., more in line with low tectonic uplift. On Indian Ocean islands, such as the Maldives and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, MIS 5e reefs are now submerged at depths of 10–17 m b.s.l., indicating subsidence throughout the late Quaternary.
Competing interests: At least one of the (co-)authors is a member of the editorial board of Earth System Science Data.
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