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The Torres Reefs, North Queensland, Australia —strong tidal flows a modern control on their growth

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Abstract

High resolution seismic data from Torres Strait off northern Australia provide the first insights into the development of the striking platform reefs of the region. In the southern part of Torres Strait, where the sea floor is shallow and featureless, the Torres Reefs have developed as long, narrow platforms parallel to very strong east-west flowing tidal currents. The reefs have expanded since the end of the post-glacial marine transgression (approximately 6000 years ago) through preferential growth at each end of their platforms. In these localized areas sheltered from the strong tidal currents, patch reefs have developed. Sediments swept from the reef margin and the inter-reef channels are deposited in these current lee areas at the ends of the reefs. The combination of the patch reefs and reefal sediments provides the essentials for extension of the platform reefs. The seismic data confirm that modern reef expansion is occurring without there being a high substrate for coral colonization. The evolutionary sequence from an uncolonized seafloor to a mature platform reef envisages a synchronous process of patch reef development and sediment accumulation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Minerals and Energy, Geological Survey Division, GPO Box 194, 4001, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    M. R. Jones

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  1. M. R. Jones
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Jones, M.R. The Torres Reefs, North Queensland, Australia —strong tidal flows a modern control on their growth. Coral Reefs 14, 63–69 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00303424

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