Holocene Coral Reef Growth and Submergence in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia

Multibeam sonar mapping, drill cores and underwater video data from the Australian Ocean Data Network confirm a previously unknown coral reef province in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The dataset includes U/Th ages showing reef growth commenced around 10.5 kyr BP and persisted for approximately 2.0 kyr, with measured growth rates of 0.95 to 4 m kyr-1. The data indicates these are mostly relict features whose major growth phase relates to an earlier sea-level stillstand.

Use Cases

• Modeling reef growth rates in response to rapid sea-level rise based on the provided 0.95 to 4 m kyr-1 measurements.
• Analyzing the timing and duration of reef colonization and cessation using the ~10.5 kyr BP to ~8.0 kyr BP age data.
• Mapping submerged Pleistocene limestone platforms based on core sample depths of 27 and 30 m below present sea level.
• Identifying potential locations for up to 50 other reefs in the region based on the mapping of seven confirmed reefs.

Strengths

• Includes multiple data types: multibeam sonar mapping, drill cores, and underwater video.
• Provides specific temporal bounds for reef growth from ~10.5 kyr BP to ~8.0 kyr BP.
• Contains quantified growth rate measurements ranging from 0.95 to 4 m kyr-1.
• Identifies a previously unknown reef province with seven mapped reefs and suggests up to 50 may exist.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the Gulf of Carpentaria study area.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Early Holocene, approximately 10.5 to 8.0 thousand years before present.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 06:32:36.359762; freshness should be verified

Geography

Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia