“A Global Compilation of U-series Dated Fossil Coral Sea-level Indicators for the Last Interglacial Period (MIS 5e)” by Peter M. Chutcharavan and Andrea Dutton

Abstract

Abstract. This dataset is a comprehensive, global compilation of published uranium series (U-series) dated fossil coral records from ~150–110 thousand years ago, as well as associated elevation measurements and sample metadata. In total, 1312 U-series measurements from 994 unique coral colonies are included in the current version of the dataset, all of which have been normalized and recalculated using the same decay constant values. Two example geochemical screening criteria have been included to assist users with identifying altered fossil corals that display geochemical open-system behaviour, and the originally published interpretations on age quality have been preserved within the sample metadata. Additionally, a clear distinction has been made between coral colonies that are in primary growth position, which may be used for relative sea-level reconstructions and colonies that have been transported/reworked, which cannot be used for these purposes. Future research efforts involving fossil coral sea-level reconstructions should emphasize an integrated and holistic approach that combines careful assessment of U-series age quality with high-precision surveying techniques and detailed facies/stratigraphic observations. This database is available at http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4309796 (Chutcharavan and Dutton 2020).