Systematic mass spectrometric 230Th ages are reported for a Ponies coral reef terrace from Dengloujiao, Leizhou Peninsula, South China Sea. Seven episodes of coral growth were recognized in this terrace: 7125±96,...Systematic mass spectrometric 230Th ages are reported for a Ponies coral reef terrace from Dengloujiao, Leizhou Peninsula, South China Sea. Seven episodes of coral growth were recognized in this terrace: 7125±96, 6764±29, 5826±37, 5006±54, 2543±24, 1915±15, and 1513±22 calendar years before present (cal. aBP). 50% of the coral age popula-tion fall between 7200 and 6600 cal. aBP, marking post-glacial stabilization of global sea level. Considering the facts that (i) Dengloujiao reef flat was measured at 1.6-2.5 m above modern tidal datum plane; (ii) modern Parties corals in the South China Sea are living at least ~1 m below the modern tidal datum plane; (iii) the top 20-30 cm of the reef was eroded; and (iv) crustal subsidence in the region since mid-Holocene was negligible, we conclude that the above age groups record at least two major periods (7200-5000 and 2500-1500 cal. aBP) of high sea-level at least 2.9-3.8 m above the present-day level.展开更多
基金This work wassupported by Australian Kesearch Council, University of Queensland and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49902014).
文摘Systematic mass spectrometric 230Th ages are reported for a Ponies coral reef terrace from Dengloujiao, Leizhou Peninsula, South China Sea. Seven episodes of coral growth were recognized in this terrace: 7125±96, 6764±29, 5826±37, 5006±54, 2543±24, 1915±15, and 1513±22 calendar years before present (cal. aBP). 50% of the coral age popula-tion fall between 7200 and 6600 cal. aBP, marking post-glacial stabilization of global sea level. Considering the facts that (i) Dengloujiao reef flat was measured at 1.6-2.5 m above modern tidal datum plane; (ii) modern Parties corals in the South China Sea are living at least ~1 m below the modern tidal datum plane; (iii) the top 20-30 cm of the reef was eroded; and (iv) crustal subsidence in the region since mid-Holocene was negligible, we conclude that the above age groups record at least two major periods (7200-5000 and 2500-1500 cal. aBP) of high sea-level at least 2.9-3.8 m above the present-day level.
