The Geomorphology of the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

This 2007 book reviews the history of geomorphological studies of the Great Barrier Reef and assesses the influences of sea-level change and oceanographic processes on the development of reefs over the last 10,000 years. It presents analyses of recently attained data from the Great Barrier Reef and reconstructions of the sequence of events which have led to its more recent geomorphology. The authors emphasise the importance of the geomorphological time span and its applications for present management applications. This is a valuable reference for academic researchers in geomorphology and oceanography, and will also appeal to graduate students in related fields.

Morphological characterisation of reef types in Torres Strait and an assessment of their carbonate production

“…Hopley (1982) proposed a classification of coral reef types for the GBR based on interpretation of intra-reef geomorphic zones from large-scale aerial photography. It was complemented by a thorough analysis of surface and subsurface sediments, stratigraphy and radiocarbon dating and it remains central to description of GBR reefs, 25 years later (Hopley et al 2007). The different reef types were interpreted to represent progressive evolutionary stages in platform development, from juvenile reefs (submerged and patches), through mature (crescentic and lagoonal), to senile reefs (planar).…”

“…Three proxies were used instead: water depth, wave exposure and geographic location. An assumption was made that the general bathymetric trend followed the progressive west to east cross-shelf deepening in Pleistocene foundation, as noted by Hopley et al (2007). A global trend (3rd order polynomial) was fitted to the 110 m resolution digital elevation model elaborated by Daniell (2008).…”

“…Examples of the reef types were chosen following descriptions by Hopley et al (2007) and geomorphic zones were classified using Landsat ETM+ satellite imagery, except were indicated, as described in Leon and Woodroffe (2011). The following reefs were classified: …”

“…They have continued to pose an obstacle to mariners since the skilled Galician navigator, Luis Vaz de Torres (after whom the strait is named), commanded the first known voyage through the passage in 1606, taking two months to battle the strong winds and tidal currents. As Hopley et al (2007) noted, the reefs in Torres Strait still remain inadequately studied and mostly uncharted at a detailed level, away from major shipping routes, despite being adjacent to the well-studied GBR. This represents a gap in understanding regional spatial patterns of coral reef geomorphology and evolution, which are important for the longterm management of these ecosystems.…”

“…Estimates of the carbonate budget for an emergent reef in Torres Strait are described, extending the earlier studies of that reef (Hart and Kench, 2007). CaCO 3 productivity is extrapolated across the entire region adopting a regional census based approach (Vecsei, 2001(Vecsei, , 2004 and building on methods to scale-up the gross CaCO 3 production for the complete GBR reef system (Kinsey and Hopley, 1991) based on the geomorphic characteristics of these reef types (Hopley, 1982;Hopley et al, 2007).…”