Last Interglacial (MIS 5e) sea levels, palaeoenvironments, and palaeogeography of Yorke Peninsula, southern Australia

Australia is arguably situated within one of the most remote far-field regions, which are influenced mainly by hydro-isostatic effects but limited glacio-isostatic effects due to being remote from previous ice sheets of the Northern Hemispheres (Dutton & Lambeck 2012; Conrad 2013). Thus, the last interglacial sea-level records along the Australian coastline potentially reflect the palaeosea-level that is closer to approximate ice-equivalent sea level during the Last Interglacial Maximum (MIS 5e). A detailed description of the last interglacial Glanville Formation and its sedimentary facies evolution, in response to relative sea-level changes, along the coastline of Yorke Peninsula, southern Australia, is presented in this thesis. Yorke Peninsula is located on the eastern margin of the tectonically stable Proterozoic Gawler Craton. The thesis documents evidence for the maximum sea-level elevation and sea-level trend attained during the Last Interglacial Maximum (Marine Isotope Substage 5e; MIS 5e) within the region. Palaeontological analysis of the last interglacial molluscs and foraminifers from the Glanville Formation was undertaken to reconstruct the palaeoenvironments and palaeogeography of the Yorke Peninsula coastline during MIS 5e.