Download Real World Applications: The Hawaiian Case

Goals of the activity:
1. Compare and contrast different conceptual models that exist for how
reefs develop on interglacial-glacial timescales.
1. Apply equations that relate coral growth to light attenuation with water
depth to understand how coral reefs respond to changes in sea level.
2. Analyze geophysical or core stratigraphy from the literature in the
context of a simple numerical model of reef development to explore the
tectonic history of specific coral islands.
MOTIVATION—WHY ARE REEFS IMPORTANT AND
WHAT CAN THEY TELL US ABOUT EARTH
HISTORY+PROCESSES?
Darwin Heirlooms Trust, Wikipedia, USGS, Schematic adapted from: Purdy [1974]
Toomey et al., 2013--
What’s Next?
1. Simple numerical models can be
useful for introducing students to
important geologic concepts such
as interglacial-glacial sea level
cycles and subsidence.
1. Many possibilities exist for
applying these models to study
past tectonic movements
recorded by reefs including
dynamic topography.
Real World Applications: The Hawaiian
Case
1. A number of drowned coral terraces exist offshore the northwestern coast of Hawaii.
2. Bathymetry at this site and worldwide can be obtained using GeoMapApp, a free Java app
provided by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
3. The morphology and position of these terraces can be used to constrain long-term
subsidence rates.
Webster et al.,2007—G3; Webster et al., 2009—Global and Planetary
Real World Applications: The Hawaiian
Case
By iteratively adjusting the model parameters, it is
possible to match model to real world morphology.
Look at data-model limitations.
QUESTIONS
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