Global Climate and Sea Level: ENDURING VARIABILITY AND RAPID FLUCTUATIONS OVER THE PAST 150,000 YEARS

closely packed "steps" of massive coral reef structures near Bobongara Village, papua New Guinea. each terrace is over 10-m high and 10-m deep and extends for over a kilometer. They were constructed in direct response to 10 m to 30 m rapid sea level rises following large-scale iceberg discharges into the North atlantic from the laurentide ice Sheet during the last glacial period. The large, 3.3 m ky -1 , uplift of the area is responsible for revealing their structure above present sea level. The monolithic block in the background skyline is the last interglacial terrace.