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Fraser Island (K'gari) and initiation of the Great Barrier Reef linked by Middle Pleistocene sea-level change

Earth Sciences

Fraser Island (K'gari) and initiation of the Great Barrier Reef linked by Middle Pleistocene sea-level change

D. Ellerton, T. M. Rittenour, et al.

Discover the intriguing timeline of Fraser Island and the Great Barrier Reef! This research by D. Ellerton, T. M. Rittenour, and their team reveals how the formation of Fraser Island's dunes during the Middle Pleistocene linked to significant coral reef development.

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Playback language: English
Abstract
The timing and drivers of the formation of Fraser Island (K'gari) and the Great Barrier Reef remain poorly understood. This study uses optically stimulated luminescence and palaeomagnetic dating to constrain the formation of Fraser Island's dunes and the adjacent Cooloola Sand Mass. Both formed between 1.2 Ma and 0.7 Ma during the Middle Pleistocene transition, due to increased sea-level fluctuation amplitudes. Fraser Island's development reduced sediment supply to the continental shelf, facilitating coral reef formation in the southern and central Great Barrier Reef.
Publisher
Nature Geoscience
Published On
Nov 14, 2022
Authors
D. Ellerton, T. M. Rittenour, J. Shulmeister, A. P. Roberts, G. Miot da Silva, A. Gontz, P. A. Hesp, P. Moss, N. Patton, T. Santini, K. Welsh, X. Zhao
Tags
Fraser Island
Great Barrier Reef
Middle Pleistocene
sea-level fluctuation
sediment supply

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