Mid-Holocene sea surface conditions and riverine influence on the inshore Great Barrier Reef

Roche, Ronan C., Perry, Christopher T., Smithers, Scott G., Leng, Melanie J., Grove, Craig A., Sloane, Hilary J., and Unsworth, Catherine E. (2014) Mid-Holocene sea surface conditions and riverine influence on the inshore Great Barrier Reef. The Holocene, 24 (8). pp. 885-897.

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Abstract

We present measurements of Sr/Ca, δ18O, and spectral luminescence ratios (G/B) from a mid-Holocene Porites sp. microatoll recovered from the nearshore Great Barrier Reef (GBR). These records were used as proxies to reconstruct sea surface temperature (SST), the δ18O of surrounding seawater (δ18Osw), and riverine influence, respectively, and compared with records from a modern Porites sp. microatoll growing in the same environment. Strong riverine influence in the mid-Holocene record is indicated by (1) an increased annual δ18Osw range in the mid-Holocene record, (2) negative peaks in δ18O characteristic of flood events, and (3) a higher G/B luminescence ratio. Seasonal cycles in G/B suggest that humic acid inputs were elevated for a longer portion of the year during the mid-Holocene. The seasonal cycle of δ18Osw peaked earlier in the year in the mid-Holocene record relative to the modern, while mean δ18Osw values from the mid-Holocene record were similar to modern values. These records provide an insight into the oceanographic conditions the nearshore GBR experienced during mid-Holocene climatic shifts and are consistent with a strong Australian–Indonesian Summer Monsoon (AISM) system at ~ 4700 cal. yr BP.

Item ID: 36086
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1477-0911
Keywords: Great Barrier Reef, luminescence, microatoll, mid-Holocene, Porites, riverine influence
Additional Information:

This publication is freely available on publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683614534739

Funders: Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC)
Projects and Grants: NERC Isotope Geosciences Allocation (IP-1122-0509), NERC (NE/ F01077X/1)
Date Deposited: 12 Nov 2014 12:37
FoR Codes: 04 EARTH SCIENCES > 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience > 040699 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience not elsewhere classified @ 50%
04 EARTH SCIENCES > 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience > 040605 Palaeoclimatology @ 20%
04 EARTH SCIENCES > 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience > 040606 Quaternary Environments @ 30%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9609 Land and Water Management > 960903 Coastal and Estuarine Water Management @ 100%
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