Marine Isotope Stage 5

Marine Isotope Stage 5

Marine Isotope Stage 5, or MIS 5, was a special time in Earth's history. It happened between 130,000 and 80,000 years ago. This was a warmer time in the geologic temperature record, called an interglacial.

One part of MIS 5 is called MIS 5e. It is known as the Last Interglacial. In Europe, this time is called the Eemian. In North America, it is called the Sangamonian. It was the last big warm time before today. Today’s time is called the Holocene.

By studying times like MIS 5, scientists can learn more about how Earth’s climate might change in the future. They often compare the Holocene with MIS 5 and another interglacial time called Marine Isotope Stage 11 to understand climate variability better.

Substages

MIS 5 has smaller parts called substages. These help scientists talk about different events from this time. The main part, MIS 5e, is called the Last Interglacial. It happened around 130,000 to 115,000 years ago and was warmer than today. Sea levels were higher, about 4 to 6 meters above now.

Studying this time helps us learn about how sea levels might change today. Scientists found that sea levels could rise fast if it gets warmer. They also found signs of big storms from this time in places like the Bahamas and Bermuda. After MIS 5e, the climate became colder, with shorter warm periods before the next big cold time started.