Holocene Coral Reef Growth and Submergence in the Gulf of Carpentaria

Seven newly discovered coral reefs in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia, were mapped using multibeam sonar, drill cores, and underwater video. U/Th dating shows reef growth commenced around 10.5 kyr BP and persisted for approximately 2.0 kyr before ceasing by about 8.0 kyr BP. The data was aggregated by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated in June 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling reef growth rates (0.95 to 4 m kyr-1) against rapid sea-level rise (>10 m kyr-1) based on the described measurements.
• Analyzing the timing and duration of reef colonization and 'give-up' phases based on the described U/Th age data.
• Mapping Pleistocene limestone exposures at depths of 27-30 m below present sea level as indicators of earlier sea-level stillstands.
• Identifying potential locations for up to 50 additional reefs in the region based on the mapping methodology described.

Strengths

• Includes U/Th dating providing precise temporal control for reef growth between 10.5 and 8.0 kyr BP.
• Integrates multiple data collection methods: multibeam sonar mapping, drill cores, and underwater video.
• Documents a previously unknown reef province with seven confirmed reefs and an estimated 50 potential others.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Freshness should be verified; the last update timestamp is far in the future (2026-06-23).

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Multibeam sonar mapping, drill core analysis, and underwater video data collection.

Time Range

Early Holocene, approximately 10.5 to 8.0 kyr BP.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 00:14:51.939099

Geography

Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia.