Tectonics, sea level and climate change in northen Red Sea: a coral perspective from Tiran Island, Red Sea

Project Overview

This is a pilot study to collect coral samples from uplifted terraces in Tiran Island, northern Red Sea. The island is located at the entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba, characterized by sequences of coral terraces even-­spaced in elevation up to ~500 m asl.

We hypothesize that the upmost terrace in the island is equivalent to the oldest coral terrace in South Sinai, on the opposite northwestern side of the Strait of Tiran, which is only about ~40 m asl, and dated ~400 kyr BP. If so, by systematic sampling fossil corals in the island, we could reconstruct a radiometric-­dated sea level history in the Red Sea, with a great resolution and precision, for the last 400,000 years.

We also expect this study to shed light on the tectonic activity in the Red Sea basin and regional climate change.