Meta-study of carbonate sediment delivery rates to Indo-Pacific coral
reef islands
Abstract
Coral reef islands are amongst the most vulnerable environments to
sea-level rise (SLR). Recent physical and numerical modelling studies
have demonstrated that overwash processes may enable reef islands to
keep up with SLR through island accretion. Sediment supply to these
islands from the surrounding reef system is critical in understanding
their morphodynamic adjustments, but is poorly constrained due to
insufficient knowledge about sediment delivery rates. This paper
provides the first estimation of sediment delivery rates to coral reef
islands. Analysis of topographic and geochronological data from 28 coral
reef islands indicates an average rate of sediment delivery of c.
0.1m3.m-1.yr-1, but with substantial inter-island variability.
Comparison with carbonate sediment production rates from census-based
studies suggests that this represents c. 26% of the amount of sediment
produced on the reef platform. Results of this study are useful in
future modelling studies for predicting morphodynamic adjustments of
coral reef islands to SLR