A Barrier-Lagoon Record of Sea-Level Change During the Late Pleistocene in Northeastern Oman

Understanding past climate dynamics is critical for improving projections of future climate change (IPCC, 2022). The Last Interglacial period (126–115 ka), characterized by elevated global temperatures and sea levels, serves as a valuable analog for anticipating future climate scenarios. While this period has been extensively studied in some areas, the Arabian Peninsula and adjacent Indian Ocean region remain comparatively underexplored (Rovere et al., 2023). Coastal sediments at Ras ar Ru’ays in northeastern Oman, situated 1–3 meters above present sea level, are likely linked to the Last Interglacial (Decker et al., 2024) and offer promising insights into past sea-level behavior. This study examines these deposits, which consist of interbedded sand and silt layers and a shelly coastal bar. A total of six sedimentary profiles and nine thin sections were investigated, both in the field and through micro facies analysis, to characterize lithofacies, diagenetic features, and depositional settings. Stratigraphic cycles were identified from the profiles to assess the role of climatic and sea-level fluctuations. Results indicate that the outcrop represents a barrier-lagoon system, an environment shaped by dynamic coastal processes and variable energy conditions tied to changes in sea level and climate.