Early Holocene Coral Reef Province in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia

Seven newly discovered coral reefs, potentially up to 50, represent the oldest known reefs in Australia, with growth commencing around 10.5 thousand years ago. The dataset includes multibeam sonar mapping, drill cores, and underwater video data from the Australian Ocean Data Network, last updated in April 2026. It documents reef growth rates of 0.95 to 4 meters per thousand years and their submergence due to rapid sea-level rise.

Use Cases

• Modeling reef growth rates (0.95 to 4 m/kyr) against rapid sea-level rise.
• Analyzing the timing of reef colonization and cessation based on U/Th age data.
• Mapping Pleistocene limestone exposure at depths of 27-30 meters below sea level.
• Studying 'give-up' reef histories using multibeam sonar and core sample data.

Strengths

• Includes multiple data types: multibeam sonar, drill cores, and underwater video.
• Documents the oldest known reefs in Australia, with growth starting ~10.5 kyr BP.
• Provides specific growth rate measurements (0.95 to 4 m kyr-1) and a defined growth period (~2.0 kyr).

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown.
• Data freshness should be verified despite the 2026 update date.
• The dataset's license and specific file formats beyond HTML are unspecified.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Multibeam sonar mapping, drill cores, underwater video, and U/Th dating.

Time Range

Early Holocene, ~10.5 to ~8.0 thousand years BP.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 18:33:46.167997

Geography

Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia