EL Nino Influence on Holocene Reef Accretion in Hawai'i

Rooney, John J. B.; Fletcher, Charles H.; Grossman, Eric E.; Engels, Mary; Field, Michael E.

doi:10.1353/psc.2004.0022

Cited by 28 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…This hiatus in the initiation of new reef growth may be a sampling artefact, with reefs from this interval potentially suffering subsequent erosion, or they simply may not have been recovered in the limited sampling of the GBR . However, similar collapses in reef accretion have been observed in Japan from 5,900-5,800, 4,400-4,000 and 3,300-3,200 years BP [Hamanaka et al, 2012]; the Pacific coast of Panama around 4,000-1,820 years BP [Toth et al, 2012]; Hawaii from 5,000 years BP [Rooney et al, 2004] and Moreton Bay at 5,800 [Leonard et al, 2013] and 3,200-2,800 years BP [Lybolt et al, 2011]. Low reef accumulation rates were also experienced in the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica between 4,000 and 1,500 years BP .…”

Section: Evolution Of the Great Barrier Reefsupporting

confidence: 67%

“…Low reef accumulation rates were also experienced in the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica between 4,000 and 1,500 years BP . Due to the Pacific wide disturbance in reef accretion during this period, forcing is likely to be large scale climate alteration, possibly due to changes in the ENSO system with stronger more frequent events [Conroy et al, 2008;Corrѐge et al, 2000;Donders et al, 2008;Gagan et al, 2004;Riedinger et al, 2002;Rooney et al, 2004;Toth et al, 2012].…”

Section: Evolution Of the Great Barrier Reefmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reef cores as records of Holocene water temperatures of the southern Great Barrier Reef: Geochemical analysis of traditional (Porites) and non-traditional (Acropora) reef building corals

Sadler¹

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In order to accurately predict future climate variations induced by natural and anthropogenic forcings, we require a detailed understanding of the Earth's climate system. With such temporally limited instrumental records, proxy-based reconstructions are an invaluable source of climate information. Current paleoclimate databases indicate a lack of records representing the southern hemisphere and tropics; key regions that can be represented by high resolution, coral geochemistry-based climate reconstructions.Reef coring techniques allow the recovery of significant proportions of coral material from throughout the Holocene, Pleistocene and beyond. Given the high species diversity of IndoPacific coral reefs, the presence of massive Porites commonly used for climate reconstruction is likely to be limited in reef cores. Corymbose Acropora, however, displays a high abundance in modern and fossil reef records and thus could act as a major source of new climate information from the Earth's recent history.Previous investigations of Acropora geochemistry have focused on branches, with significant levels of secondary thickening smoothing environmental signals otherwise recorded by the Sr/Ca ratio paleothermometer. This project investigates the potential of Acropora interbranch skeleton as a climate archive, following the identification of annual density banding patterns in computed tomography scans. Scanning electron microscopy based documentation of structure and growth patterns reveal that inter-branch skeleton is atypical for Acropora.Low linear extension rates, a simplified skeletal structure with limited secondary aragonite deposition, approximately horizontal density bands and seasonal cyclicity in Sr/Ca ratios bear a greater resemblance to massive corals such as Porites. These observations, combined with a high abundance in past and present Indo-Pacific reefs, suggest that inter-branch skeletal growth in Acropora may prove to be a valuable source of untapped paleoclimate information.A site-specific calibration for Acropora inter-branch skeleton Sr/Ca ratios to water temperature was conducted using modern corymbose Acropora colonies and concomitant instrumental water temperature records from the lagoon and fore-reef slope of Heron Reef, southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Large inter-colony differences in Sr/Ca ratios were observed in the modern cores, suggesting that inter-branch skeleton may not be a suitable archive for absolute temperature reconstruction. Normalisation of each Sr/Ca record to the corresponding core mean does, however, remove these inter-colony differences and allows the reconstruction of the seasonal water temperature amplitude with a sensitivity of −0.05 ii mmol/mol/°C. Application of the resulting transfer equation to the modern inter-branch skeleton Sr/Ca record successfully identified the greater seasonal temperature range of the lagoon compared to the adjacent reef slope. A site-specific calibration also was completed for southern GBR Porites at Heron Reef using the reef slope water te...

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Section: Evolution Of the Great Barrier Reefsupporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Evolution Of the Great Barrier Reefmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reef cores as records of Holocene water temperatures of the southern Great Barrier Reef: Geochemical analysis of traditional (Porites) and non-traditional (Acropora) reef building corals

Sadler¹

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“…On Oahu, environments suitable for reef accretion have diminished through time. Rooney et al (2003) summarize the findings of several drill-core studies of Holocene reefs around Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai. They reveal that in nearly all cases (subject to localized variations) fringing reef accretion proceeded apace through early Holocene time and ended at the start of the middle Holocene ca.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Holocene Reef Accretion: Southwest Molokai, Hawaii, U.S.A.

Engels¹,

Fletcher²,

Field³

et al. 2004

Journal of Sedimentary Research

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Two reef systems off south Molokai, Hale O Lono and Hikauhi (separated by only 10 km), show strong and fundamental differences in modern ecosystem structure and Holocene accretion history that reflect the influence of wave-induced near-bed shear stresses on reef development in Hawaii. Both sites are exposed to similar impacts from south, Kona, and trade-wind swell. However, the Hale O Lono site is exposed to north swell and the Hikuahi site is not. As a result, the reef at Hale O Lono records no late Holocene net accretion while the reef at Hikauhi records consistent and robust accretion over late Holocene time. Analysis and dating of 24 cores from Hale O Lono and Hikauhi reveal the presence of five major lithofacies that reflect paleo-environmental conditions. In order of decreasing depositional energy they are: (1) coral-algal bindstone; (2) mixed skeletal rudstone; (3) massive coral framestone; (4) unconsolidated floatstone; and (5) branching coral framestone-bafflestone. At Hale O Lono, 10 cores document a backstepping reef ranging from ϳ 8,100 cal yr BP (offshore) to ϳ 4,800 cal yr BP (nearshore). A depauperate community of modern coral diminishes shoreward and seaward of ϳ 15 m depth due to wave energy, disrupted recruitment activities, and physical abrasion. Evidence suggests a change from conditions conducive to accretion during the early Holocene to conditions detrimental to accretion in the late Holocene. Reef structure at Hikauhi, reconstructed from 14 cores, reveals a thick, rapidly accreting and young reef (maximum age ϳ 900 cal yr BP). Living coral cover on this reef increases seaward with distance from the reef crest but terminates at a depth of ϳ 20 m where the reef ends in a large sand field. The primary limitation on vertical reef growth is accommodation space under wave base, not recruitment activities or energy conditions. Interpretations of cored lithofacies suggest that modern reef growth on the southwest corner of Molokai, and by extension across Hawaii in general, is controlled by wave-induced near-bed shear stress related to refracted North Pacific swell. Holocene accretion patterns here also reflect the long-term influence of wave-induced near-bed shear stress from north swell during late Holocene time. This finding is consistent with other studies (e.g., Grigg 1998; Cabioch et al. 1999) that reflect the dominance of swell energy and sea level in controlling modern and late Holocene accretion elsewhere in Hawaii and across the Pacific and Indian oceans. Notably, however, this result is refined and clarified for Hawaii in the hypothesis of Rooney et al. (2003) stating that enhancement of the El Niño Southern Oscillation beginning approximately 5000 years ago led to increased north swell energy and signaled the end to net accretion along exposed coastlines in Hawaii. The exposure of Hale O Lono to north swell and the age of sea floor there (ca. 4,800 cal yr BP), coupled with the lack of north swell incidence at Hikauhi and the continuous accretion that has occurred there over the last mill...

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“…The front of the shelf is characterized by reefal carbonates from MIS 5a-d, and the shallow landward portion in some areas is covered by eolianites of similar age. Covering the shelf in a patchy distribution around the island and filling in available accommodation space are Holocene reef carbonates (Grigg, 1998;Rooney et al, 2004;Grossman and Fletcher, 2004). The shelf surface has been sculpted through episodes of subaerial weathering and erosion characterizing the last two interglacial cycles.…”

Section: Insular Shelfmentioning

confidence: 99%