Revisiting Battistini: Pleistocene Coastal Evolution of Southwestern Madagascar

The study of paleo shorelines, particularly those formed during the late Quaternary, provides robust insights into past climate variability. Advances in surveying techniques and chronological methodologies have dramatically improved inter-comparability regional basin-wide shoreline surveys. However, these advances been applied unevenly across globe. This is especially true southwestern Madagascar, where, 1960s 1970s, emerged Pleistocene beach reef facies were first described detail dated to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5a using U–Th alpha activity counting by french geologist René Battistini. Now, 50 years on, no further analysis coastal sequence has made. In this study, we present an updated evolution model for Madagascar coast. Utilizing a combination Structure-from-Motion/Multi-View Stereo differential Global Navigation Satellite System surveys, created five high-resolution 3D outcrop reconstructions that have, turn, chronologically constrained 10 U-series ages from both situ reworked coral samples. Our data suggest was deposited MIS 5e (∼125 ka), then covered intertidal sediment (including redeposited clasts age), finally capped off thick eolianites. would local sea level must remained stable throughout order allow progradation environments.