Relative Sea-Level Changes on the Southwestern Arabian Gulf since the Last Glacial Maximum

Several works have been carried out regarding Late
Pleistocene–Holocene sea-level changes in the Arabian
Gulf. Nevertheless, a global and regional approach is still
lacking, and some critical issues remain unsolved. In this
paper, a review and a reinterpretation of all published data
regarding sea-level changes in the area have been
completed and compared with new results obtained from
fieldworks carried out in Failaka Island, Kuwait, and in
Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates. This work
relies mostly on studying geomorphological sea-level
indicators, such as beach rocks and beach ridges besides
combining archaeological data. Results show different
trends in vertical movement within the studied area since
the Last Glacial Maximum, which cannot be explained
alone by the existing sea-level model, implying different,
specific and local factors, such as tectonic deformations
and diapirism.