Holocene Reef Growth Fabrics and Rates in the Great Barrier Reef

Over the past five years, scientists drilled 61 holes into 24 reefs across the Great Barrier Reef. The dataset includes nearly 250 radiocarbon dates and analyzes five major biosedimentologic facies, with depositional and framework growth rates quantified in meters per 1000 years. Reef initiation began 8-9000 years B.P., with growth rates varying by facies and location.

Use Cases

• Modeling reef accretion rates based on quantified growth rates for different facies (e.g., 1-16 m/1000yr).
• Analyzing latitudinal and regional variations in reef composition based on described facies uniformity and differences.
• Studying the relationship between sea-level rise and reef growth initiation based on the described growth lag of up to 12 meters.
• Comparing depositional environments using the provided sedimentation rates for sand flats (1-4 m/1000yr), storm events (7-9 m/1000yr), and high-energy events (13-18 m/1000yr).

Strengths

• Based on core samples from 61 drill holes across 24 reefs, providing spatial breadth.
• Includes nearly 250 radiocarbon dates for chronological control.
• Quantifies growth rates for five distinct facies with specific numerical ranges (e.g., branching frameworks up to 16 m/1000yr).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is provided in PDF/HTML formats, which may require extraction for analysis.

Provenance

Source

Bureau of Mineral Resources and James Cook University of North Queensland, via Geoscience Australia Data.

Collection Method

Scientific drilling and core analysis of 61 holes across 24 reefs.

Time Range

Holocene, with reef initiation 8-9000 years B.P.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 02:13:40.995662; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Great Barrier Reef Province between 15°30'S and 25°50'S.