Dated coral reefs of southern Sinai (Red Sea) and their implication to late Quaternary sea levels

Coral reefs of Sinai constitute four morphological terraces: three emergent fossil reefs and one submergent modern fringing-reef (labeled: I (28-35 m above sea level), II (13-18 m), III (5-8 m) and IV (-1 to +1 m). Four genetic reef complexes which do not necessarily correspond to the morphological terraces were identified and dated. The reef/terrace age relationships are as follows: (1) Ophira (Terrace I): 330-290 ka (2) Mureikha (Terraces II and/or III): 215-170 ka; (3) Na'ama (Terraces II and/or III) 141-81 ka (4) Umm-Sid (Terrace IV): 6.5-2.5 ka. The age groups correspond to the oceanic oxygen isotope stages 9, 7, 5e and 1. The vertical uplift of the southern Sinai coast which is situated along the western margin of the Dead Sea Transform did not exceed 28-35 m during the last 300,000 years.