Geomorphology and the Great Barrier Reef

Hopley, David; Smithers, Scott G.; Parnell, Kevin E.

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511535543.002

Cited by 43 publications

(91 citation statements)

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“…Authors such as Hamylton [9,10] have used high resolution satellite imagery to assess geomorphic changes in coral reefs. Rubble-dominated reef flats are common features on the windward margins of exposed high-energy reefs [11][12][13]. While many studies have focused on coral dominated reef flats, rubble flats have been relatively neglected, and studies are largely limited to the production and deposition of rubble as a result of high-energy events over short times scales [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of Coral Rubble Deposits on a Reef Platform as Detected by Remote Sensing

et al. 2012

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An investigation into the evolution of coral rubble deposits on a coral reef platform is assessed using high-resolution remote sensing data and geospatial analysis. Digital change detection analysis techniques are applied to One Tree Reef in the southern Great Barrier Reef by analysing aerial photographs and satellite images captured between 1964 and 2009. Two main types of rubble deposits were identified: (1) rubble flats that are featureless mass accumulations of coral rubble; and, (2) rubble spits that are shore-normal linear features. While both deposits prograde in a lagoon-ward direction, rubble spits move faster (~2 m/yr) than rubble flats (~0.5 m/yr). The volume of rubble, the underlying substrate, the energy regime, and storm frequency control the rate of progradation. Rubble flat occurrence is restricted to the high-energy (windward) margin of the coral reef platform, while rubble spits are distributed reef wide, both in modal high energy and modal low energy regions of the reef. Rubble spit deposition is considered to be a result of enlarged spur and groove morphology of the forereef, whereby wave energy is focused through the enlarged groove formations causing the preferential deposition of coral rubble in particular zones of the adjacent reef flat. One last control is thought to be the elevation of the reef crest whereby lower areas are more prone to rubble flat development. A vertical and ocean-ward accumulation of rubble is occurring on the windward margin of the reef leading to a build-up and build-out of the reef, governing the expansion of the reef footprint. This study shows for the first time the evolution of a coral reef rubble flat and rubble spits over decadal time scales as detected through remotely sensed images spanning 45 years. OPEN ACCESSRemote Sens. 2013, 5

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of Coral Rubble Deposits on a Reef Platform as Detected by Remote Sensing

et al. 2012

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“…The only other wooded cay on the southern half of the GBR, Bushy Island, is also forested with Pisonia grandis (Part 11) . The situation on these cays has sometimes led to a belief that Pisonia grandis is a common or dominant species on cays of the GBR ( Hopley 1982) however Pisonia forest has rarely been described elsewhere on the GBR (MacGillivray 1852, Domm 1977 and with one or two exceptions the few reports of this species on northern islands describe small amounts of low or stunted trees.…”

Section: S E Amentioning

confidence: 99%

The distribution, abundance and dispersal by seabirds of Pisonia grandis

Walker¹

1991

Atoll Research Bulletin

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“…High productivity is required for the reef factory as the platform slope clinoforms (representing a large volume of the Esino Limestone) are composed predominantly of reef-derived sediment. Framework growth rates in the Holocene Great Barrier Reef up to 16 m/ka, with a modal value of 7-8 m/ka (Hopley et al, 2007 and references therein). We adopted a maximum production rate of 8 m/ka, comparable with these values.…”

Section: Sediment Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forward modelling of carbonate platforms: Sedimentological and diagenetic constraints from an application to a flat-topped greenhouse platform (Triassic, Southern Alps, Italy)

Berra

Lanfranchi

Smart³

et al. 2016

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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•We propose a quantitative analysis of a carbonate platform using 3d numerical models.• Parameter definition is critical to produce realistic 3d numerical models.• Modelling parameters were defined by architectural and sedimentological studies. •The obtained model has been tested by comparison with outcrop and laboratory data.• 3d numerical models may help to parameterise petrophysical properties of geobodies.Key words: carbonate platform, forward modelling, Triassic, facies analysis, diagenesis 2 AbstractQuantitative analysis of depositional systems using numerical models can provide insights into the interaction of sedimentological and diagenetic processes, difficult to interpret from observation of the geological products alone. Numerical models can highlight the interactions between controlling parameters, and generate best estimate simulations of case studies from the geological record. Different data sources (e.g., outcrop data, uniformitarian constraints, paleogeography) need to be considered in the process of defining the parameters required to produce models that honour individual case studies. We present a best-estimate forward model of a high-relief Triassic carbonate platform (Southern Alps, Italy) generated using CARB3D+, a 3D process-based forward modelling package able to simulate sedimentary facies, geometries and early diagenesis of isolated carbonate platforms. The parameters used for the presented forward model have been deduced by the study of architectural, sedimentological and diagenetic features of the platform, and by data from modern and ancient analogues. Sensitivity analysis is used to tune values of the parameters within ranges defined from field, laboratory and uniformitarian constraints. Critical evaluation of the model allowed 1) verification of the validity of the used parameters; 2) evaluation of the interaction between controlling parameters; 3) development of a numerical model that can be used for quantitative elaborations. Furthermore, the process of generating the numerical model required a detailed interpretation of field and laboratory data, crucial to define the required input parameters. Modelling the studied carbonate platform also enabled evaluation of the effects of the interaction between productivity, environmental energy and creation of accommodation space, promoting the understanding of their role on the architecture of carbonate systems. Forward modelling also allows the integration of data from conventional data sets with data from presentday observations and seismic geometries, promoting a transition from a qualitative to a semiquantitative/quantitative sedimentological approach. Forward models can further be used to parameterise petrophysical properties of complex geobodies, with potential application for the management of georesources.

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Geomorphology and the Great Barrier Reef

Cited by 43 publications

References 0 publications

Evolution of Coral Rubble Deposits on a Reef Platform as Detected by Remote Sensing

Evolution of Coral Rubble Deposits on a Reef Platform as Detected by Remote Sensing

The distribution, abundance and dispersal by seabirds of Pisonia grandis

Forward modelling of carbonate platforms: Sedimentological and diagenetic constraints from an application to a flat-topped greenhouse platform (Triassic, Southern Alps, Italy)

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