Logo image
Implications of migrating geoid anomalies for the interpretation of high-level fossil coral reefs
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Implications of migrating geoid anomalies for the interpretation of high-level fossil coral reefs

Patrick Nunn
Geological Society of America Bulletin, Vol.97(8), pp.946-952
1986
url
https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1986)97<946:IOMGAF>2.0.CO;2View
Published Version

Abstract

Atlantic eustasy Indian Oceans Pacific
Uplift of islands is frequently inferred from high-level fossil coral reefs, and evolutionary chronologies and regional geotectonic models are developed on the assumption that only uplift and glacio-eustatic fluctuations constitute observed shoreline movements. This practice is unsatisfactory, as it omits the effects of geoidal eustasy. The "emergence" of selected islands with high-level fossil coral reefs in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans is reviewed and the likely contribution of geoidal eustasy highlighted, particularly in cases in which geotectonic reasons for island uplift are absent or doubted. A simple model is used to illustrate the similar effect of uplift and of the passage of a positive geoid anomaly on coastal geomorphology. The possibility of island emergence either having been incorrectly calculated or being simply illusory is shown graphically. Uplift of particular islands must be inferred or deduced independently of high-level fossil coral reefs.

Details

Metrics

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Web Of Science research areas
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#13 Climate Action

Source: InCites

Logo image