A review of Last Interglacial sea-level proxies in South Asia and the Indian Ocean

In this work, we present a standardized database of Last Interglacial (LIG, ∼132–80 ka) sea-level proxies across the South Asian and Indian Ocean region, including the coasts of Iran, Oman, India, the Maldives, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The database stems from a systematic review of the data included in 17 peer-reviewed studies, structured according to the World Atlas of Last Interglacial Shorelines (WALIS), and is available as Ali et al. (2026, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18512769). Within this framework, a total of 54 sea-level index points were re-evaluated to recalculate paleo-RSL elevation and associated uncertainties. This was achieved through updated determinations of their indicative meaning (i.e., reference water level and indicative range), considering the original stratigraphic context, elevation measurement techniques, depositional environments, and chronological constraints. The chronological framework relies on U-Th, luminescence, electron spin resonance, and cosmogenic nuclide dating. These data are characterized by regional differences in the elevation of past relative sea-level proxies that are driven primarily by tectonics, dynamic topography, and glacio-hydro-isostatic forcings. On the active margins of southern Iran and northern Oman, marine terraces dated to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e (∼125 ka), 5c (∼100 ka), and 5a (∼80 ka) are preserved at 20–60 m a.s.l., reflecting uplift linked to the Zagros foreland and Makran subduction system at least since the Last Interglacial. On the coasts of western and southern India, MIS 5e relative sea-level proxies are found at 1–4 m a.s.l., more in line with near-zero vertical land motion. On Indian Ocean islands, such as the Maldives and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, MIS 5e reefs are now submerged at depths of 10–17 m b.s.l., indicating subsidence since the LIG.