{"id":405988,"date":"2025-10-01T14:04:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T12:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=405988"},"modified":"2025-10-01T14:04:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T12:04:22","slug":"mid-holocene-south-china-sea-level-2-3-meters-higher-than-today-due-to-1-2c-warmer-temps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=405988","title":{"rendered":"Mid-Holocene South China Sea Level 2-3 Meters Higher Than Today Due To 1-2\u00b0C Warmer Temps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Map<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From No Trick Zone<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0Kenneth Richard<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mechanisms driving the meters-higher sea levels a few thousand years ago do not support claims that CO2 is a driver.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A comprehensive analysis (Zhang et al., 2025<\/a><\/strong>) of the South China Sea region indicates warmer sea water was fundamentally responsible for sea levels that were, on average, 2-3 meters higher (and in some regions as much as 5-7 meters higher) than today from approximately 7000 to 4000 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnderstanding Holocene high sea levels in the South China Sea (SCS) is critical for understanding climate change and assessing future sea-level rise risks. We provide a comprehensive review of the Holocene highstand in the SCS, focusing on its age, height, and mechanisms. Records reveal a wide range for this highstand: ages span 3480\u20137500 cal yr BP, while elevations range from \u22127.40 to 7.53 m relative to the present. Positive elevations dominate (80.5% of records), with the most frequent range being 2\u20133 m.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026the Holocene high sea level in this region occurred between 7200 and 5000 yr BP\u2026at least 2.9-3.8 m higher than today.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Map
Image Source:\u00a0Zhang et al., 2025<\/a><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It is assumed the meters-higher Holocene sea level highstand in the South China Sea (SCS) region are a function of global-scale mechanistic processes (glacial meltwater input, thermal expansion).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRegionally averaged formation times suggest a broadly synchronous mid-Holocene high-sea-level event across the SCS, potentially reflecting a global background. The observed variability is attributed to the interplay of multiple factors: global processes like glacial meltwater input and seawater thermal expansion, particularly during the Holocene warm period, and regional neotectonic movements (uplift\/subsidence), which are the primary cause of spatial differences in reconstructed elevations.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Variance in temperature is the \u201cfundamental controller of sea level\u201d in the SCS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because CO2 concentrations were a \u201csafe\u201d and relatively static 265 ppm from approximately 7000 to 4000 years ago and yet sea surface temperatures were 1-2\u00b0C warmer than today and sea levels 2-3 meters higher, it can be concluded CO2 is not an influential mechanism affecting warming, thermal expansion, glacial meltwater input, or sea level variability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe mean annual temperature in the Holocene Climatic Optimum in South China and adjacent subtropical East Asia was about 1\u20132 \u00b0C higher than that of the present day. Rising temperatures cause glaciers to melt, which in turn causes sea levels to rise. This relationship implies that temperature is a fundamental controller of sea level in the SCS.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The mechanisms driving the meters-higher sea levels a few thousand years ago do not support claims that CO2 is a driver.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":405993,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818192,691838445,691838446,691818989,691838444],"class_list":["post-405988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-holocene","tag-holocene-warm-period","tag-paleo-sea-level","tag-sea-levels","tag-south-china-sea-scs","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0AQMMDBnkPspsGcwSxY5DtdpP5fB1O9FZKnBX4RTrEkrBDJPv9Jxutd897uAi54yNRKgrT4kConEcW711WuzyQB7X4MEDdF2_18M-VmxptyOLuTDzo3f63R6crY9OR4IK-1.jpeg?fit=1109%2C902&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1HCc","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":381060,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=381060","url_meta":{"origin":405988,"position":0},"title":"New 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