Abstract
Relic coastal landforms (fossil corals, cemented intertidal deposits, or erosive features carved onto rock coasts) serve as sea-level index points (SLIPs), that are widely used to reconstruct past sea-level changes. Traditional SLIP-based sea-level reconstructions face challenges in capturing continuous sea-level variability and dating erosional SLIPs, such as tidal notches. Here, we propose a novel approach to such challenges. We use a numerical model of cliff erosion embedded within a Monte Carlo simulation to investigate the most likely sea-level scenarios responsible for shaping one of the best-preserved tidal notches of Last Interglacial age in Sardinia, Italy. Results align with Glacial Isostatic Adjustment model predictions, indicating that synchronized or out-of-sync ice-volume shifts in Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets can reproduce the notch morphology, with sea level confidently peaking at 6 m and only under a higher than present erosion regime. This new approach yields insight into sea-level trends during the Last Interglacial.