45 radiocarbon results from coral microatolls at 11 sites show sea level fell smoothly from +1 meter at 6000 years B.P. to its present position. Storm ridge surveys at 5 places indicate an average recurrence interval of major ridge-building storms is about 80 years. This dataset, managed by the Australian Ocean Data Network, examines Holocene environmental changes on the Great Barrier Reef.
Use Cases
- Modeling Holocene sea-level curves based on coral microatoll age-height data.
- Analyzing storm frequency and intensity over millennia based on dated ridge sequences.
- Investigating isostatic adjustments and relative sea-level changes in the Great Barrier Reef region.
- Calibrating radiocarbon dates for palaeo-environmental reconstructions.
Strengths
- 45 radiocarbon results provide a substantial chronological foundation.
- Sea-level trend confidence limits are ±0.2 meters, indicating precise measurement.
- Data spans 11 sites across a significant latitudinal range (14° to 20° S).
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Data is available only in PDF and HTML formats, which may hinder direct analysis.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Radiocarbon dating of coral microatolls and surveying/dating of storm ridges.
- Time Range
- Data points range between 360 and 5855 years B.P., covering the last approximately 6000 years.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-05-05 01:03:37.140824; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Great Barrier Reef inner zone between 14° and 20° S latitude.