Seismic stratigraphy and development of the shelf-edge reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Coral reef response to Quaternary sea‐level and environmental changes: State of the science

“…Although this approach has improved knowledge of the internal structure of reef systems (see Kennedy & Woodroffe, ; Montaggioni, ; for reviews), relatively few studies have recovered more than a few cores from a reef zone or even a reef system; this has hampered understanding of the full spatial variability in reef architecture. Seismic stratigraphy has been used in a limited number of Quaternary reef sites (Mayotte: Zinke et al ., ; Central Red Sea: Dullo & Montag‐gioni, ; Maldives: Purdy & Bertram, ; Great Barrier Reef: Harvey, ; Webster et al ., ; Hinestrosa et al ., ; Tasman Sea: Woodroffe et al ., ; Mururoa: Guille et al ., ; Tahiti: Camoin et al ., , ,b; Gulf of Elat: Hartman, ). Seismic surveys have been used to determine the nature and topography of the pre‐Holocene foundations beneath modern reefs; although little of the internal reef structure is normally revealed by these studies due to diffractions and dispersions of seismic energy, Hinestrosa et al .…”

“…Seismic surveys have been used to determine the nature and topography of the pre‐Holocene foundations beneath modern reefs; although little of the internal reef structure is normally revealed by these studies due to diffractions and dispersions of seismic energy, Hinestrosa et al . () have imaged significant regressive reefal accumulations formed during the sea‐level fall to the Last Glacial Maximum overlain by a postglacial, transgressive reefal unit along the seaward margin of the Great Barrier Reef. Similarly, high‐resolution multibeam mapping has now been used in various regions (e.g.…”

Coral-reef records of Quaternary changes in climate and sea-level

“…Any earlier growth will typically have been on what is now the deep platform foreslope and will not form part of the borehole succession (see Braithwaite and Camoin, 2011). Hinestrosa et al (2014) showed that the post-glacial history of shelf-edge reefs on the Great Barrier Reef reflects accretion on successive antecedent surfaces, pointing to significant sea-level variation and a lack of continuity within this period. Camoin et al (2004) provided a regional pattern of late-glacial and post-glacial sea-levels for the western Indian Ocean but relied on dating submerged terraces in addition to the established sequence of exposed reef deposits.…”

Exploring the Earth under the Sea: Australian and New Zealand achievements in the first phase of IODP Scientific Ocean Drilling

“…Holes M0031-39A, 43A, 55A, 53A, 54A, 54B) are composed of dark grainstones and packstones characterised by shells, coral, coralline algae, Halimeda and abundant larger benthic foraminifera representing lower shelf/slope settings (Webster et al, 2011). The contact between the two sequences represents a major unconformity surface and has also been recognised in the downhole and sample petrophysical data (Webster et al, 2011;Yokoyama et al, 2011), and mapped regionally as well-defined seismic reflectors (Hinestrosa et al, 2014).…”