New constraints on the postglacial shallow-water carbonate accumulation in the Great Barrier Reef.

ABSTRACT: More accurate global volumetric estimations of shallow-water reef deposits are needed to better inform climate and carbon cycle models. Using recently acquired datasets and International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 325 cores, we calculated shallow-water CaCO₃ volumetrics and mass for the Great Barrier Reef region and extrapolated these results globally. In our estimates, we include deposits that have been neglected in global carbonate budgets: Holocene Halimeda bioherms located on the shelf, and postglacial pre-Holocene (now) drowned coral reefs located on the shelf edge. Our results show that in the Great Barrier Reef alone, these drowned reef deposits represent ca. 135 Gt CaCO₃, comparatively representing 16-20% of the younger Holocene reef deposits. G

SUBMITTER: Hinestrosa G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8766595 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature