Sea levels “jumped inexplicably by four metres” ? “about 120,000 years ago”

Here’s a wonderful instance of straddling the fence between the truth and the politics of the moment: UNC-Chapel Hill marine sciences professor Conrad Neumann’s comments in this Reuters article:

Conrad Neumann, professor of marine sciences at the University of North Carolina, said sea levels jumped inexplicably by four metres about 120,000 years ago, based on surveys in the Bahamas. They dropped again almost as rapidly.

“There was no man-made effect on the climate then,” he said. “But we shouldn’t mess with the climate; it can change in a hurry. If it’s a sleeping dragon don’t poke it with a stick: our stick might be carbon dioxide.”