1 research outputs found
Morphology and development of the Cape Tribulation fringing reefs, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
on the reef crest and most of the back reef ceased approximately5400 years before present, probably in response to increasing
turbidity and water quality deterioration as fine sediments accumulated offshore and became resuspended during strong winds.
Significant coral growth is now restricted to the subtidal fore reef but reef progradation has been minimal over the last 5000 years.The height of the reef crests relative to present day sea level and the absence of low magnesian calcite cements in the fringing
reefs suggest that they have not been subjected to extensive subaerial exposure, with a maximum Holocene relative sea level
of only 0.6 to 1.0 m above its present position being responsible for the height of the present algal covered reef crest.
The fringing reefs can be divided into four lithologic assemblages:
i) a fluvial gravel basement deposited as alluvial fans from the steeply sloping hinterland
ii) a lower framestone unit
iii) a detrital assemblage and
iv) an upper framestone-bandstone unit