Ashmore Reef Sediment and Coral Data from the Holocene Sea Level Rise

The past 11,000 years of sedimentological and biological changes at Ashmore Reef are documented, based on a model derived from post-glacial sea level curves and C14-dated facies changes. The dataset includes information from 12 vibro-cores through algal-foraminiferal sand and coral, with carbon dates ranging from 970 to 2020 BP. It was published by Geoscience Australia Data and last updated on 2026-03 25.

Use Cases

• Modeling reef growth phases based on the One Tree Reef model and C14-dated facies changes.
• Analyzing sediment infill rates based on the described 0.73 cm/yr lagoon accumulation rate.
• Studying bio-facies transitions based on the shift from coral columns to algal-dominated reef crests at ~2000 BP.
• Mapping sediment composition based on described components like Halimeda sp., coral fragments, and foraminifera.

Strengths

• Includes C14-dated facies changes with dates ranging from 970 to 2020 BP.
• Based on a series of 12 vibro-cores across the reef platform.
• Describes a specific sediment infill rate of up to 0.73 cm/yr for the lagoon.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Visual reef examination augmented with vibro-coring and carbon dating.

Time Range

Holocene, past 11,000 years, with specific dates from 970 to 2020 BP.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 18:52:08.610677; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Ashmore Reef, at the transition zone of the Browse and Bonaparte Basins, Australia.