Estimating Carboniferous sea-level fluctuations from Gondwanan ice extent

The magnitude of Carboniferous sea-level fluctuations is not well known, but the estimates are important for constraining cyclothem models. In this paper we apply area-volume relations developed for Quaternary ice sheets to estimate the glacio-eustatic component of sea-level fluctuations in the Carboniferous. Utilizing the best estimate of Gondwanan ice area at the time of its greatest extent, we arrive at a figure of 60 ±15 m for the isostasy-corrected glacio-eustatic component. This value is nearer the lower limit of sea-level estimates for cyclothem fluctuations from other sources.