Quaternary development of resilient reefs on the subsiding kimberley continental margin, Northwest Australia

Abstracts

The Kimberley region in remote northwest Australia has poorly known reef systems of two types; coastal fringing reefs and atoll-like shelf-edge reefs. As a major geomorphic feature (from 12ºS to 18ºS) situated along a subsiding continental margin, the shelf edge reefs are in a tropical realm with warm temperatures, relatively low salinity, clear low nutrient waters lacking sediment input, and Indo-West Pacific corals of moderate diversity. Seismic architecture of the Rowley Shoals reveals that differential pre-Holocene subsidence and relative elevation of the pre-Holocene substrate have controlled lagoon sediment infill and reef morphology, forming an evolutionary series reflecting differential accommodation in three otherwise similar reef systems. The Holocene core described for North Scott Reef confirms previous seismic interpretations, and provides a rare ocean-facing reef record. It demonstrates that the Indo-Pacific reef growth phase (RG111) developed during moderate rates of sea level rise of 10 mm/year from 11 to about 7-6.5 ka BP until sea level stabilization, filling the available 27 m of pre-Holocene accommodation. Despite the medium to high hydrodynamic energy imposed by the 4m tides, swell waves and cyclones the reef-building communities represent relatively low-wave energy settings due to their southeast facing and protection afforded by the proximity of the South Reef platform. This study demonstrates the resilience of reefs on the subsiding margin whilst linking Holocene reef morphology to the relative amount of pre-Holocene subsidence.

Coral reefs; Carbonate platform; Seismic architecture; Quaternary; Holocene; Sea-level; Geochronology; Geomorphology; Australia

Kimberly é uma região remota e pouco conhecida, localizada no noroeste da Austrália, ali são encontrados dois sistemas recifais: recifes costeiros de franja e os tipo-atois localizados na margem da plataforma continental. Esses recifes formam a feição geomórfica mais importante entre 12ºS a 18ºS estando localizados ao longo de uma margem continental em subsidência. Esses recifes encontram-se em um ambiente tropical com temperaturas altas, salinidade relativamente baixa, águas claras com baixa concentração de nutrientes, sem aporte de sedimentos continentais e contendo uma fauna indo-pacífica de diversidade moderada. A arquitetura sísmica do Roley Shoals revela que a subsidência diferencial pré-holocênica e elevações relativas do substrato pré-holocênico controlaram a morfologia e o preenchimento de sedimentos na lagoa. Esta formou uma evolução em série que reflete o espaço de acomodação diferente em sistemas recifais que, de outra forma, seriam considerados semelhantes. O testemunho holocênico descrito para North Reef confirma a interpretação sísmica anterior, e contribui com um raro registro de uma frente recifal em ambiente de mar aberto. Os dados mostram que a fase de crescimento do recife indo-pacífico (RG111) apresentou razões moderadas de elevação do nível do mar de 10 mm/ano entre 11 e aproximadamente 7-6,5 anos BP, até a estabilização do nível do mar, preenchendo assim 27 metros de espaço de acomodação pré-holocênica. Apesar da média a alta energia hidrodinâmica imposta pelos 4 m de amplitude de maré, ondas de alto-mar e furacões, as comunidades construtoras dos recifes representam ambientes relativamente de baixa energia. O presente estudo demonstra a resiliência de recifes de margem de subsidência e relaciona também a morfologia recifal do holoceno à quantidade relativa de subsidência pré-holoceno.

Recifes de corais; Plataforma carbonática; Arquitetura sísmica; Quaternário; Holoceno; Nível do mar; Geocronologia; Geomorfologia; Australia

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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  23 Aug 2010
• Date of issue
  2010

History

• Reviewed
  14 Dec 2009
• Received
  28 Aug 2009
• Accepted
  03 Mar 2010