Holocene Reef Growth Rates and Facies in the Great Barrier Reef

61 drill holes into 24 reefs provide data on five major biosedimentologic facies and their growth rates over the past 8-9000 years. Analysis of nearly 250 radiocarbon dates reveals depositional rates ranging from 1 to 18 meters per 1000 years, varying by facies type and reef environment. Scientists from the Bureau of Mineral Resources and James Cook University collected this data to study reef development in response to sea-level changes.

Use Cases

• Modeling reef accretion rates based on reported growth rates of 1-16 m/1000 yr for different framework facies.
• Analyzing latitudinal patterns in reef composition based on described uniformity in framework facies versus variation in detrital facies.
• Studying the relationship between sea-level rise and reef initiation lag using data on water depths and growth timing.
• Comparing sediment deposition rates across environments using reported rates for sand flat progradation, storm sedimentation, and high-energy events.

Strengths

• Data is derived from 61 drill holes across 24 reefs, providing spatial coverage.
• Analysis includes nearly 250 radiocarbon dates, offering a chronological framework.
• Description provides specific quantitative growth rates for multiple facies types and reef margins.

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 specific 24 reefs drilled in the Great Barrier Reef.

Provenance

Source

Bureau of Mineral Resources and James Cook University of North Queensland, via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Scientific drilling and core analysis, with radiocarbon dating.

Time Range

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 04:35:28.148655; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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