Coral Reefs off Tahiti
Replica of core section: 310-M0024A-10R-01
IODP Expedition 310 Tahiti Sea-Level Change
Replica of a core drilled in Pleistocene fossil coral reefs off the coast of Tahiti by the ECORD Science Operator, Hole 24A, Core 10R, Section 1.
Coral boundstone with microbialites
This core section is one of the critical samples from IODP Exp. 310. It provides an invaluable record of a dramatic sea-level rise (Meltwater Pulse 1A; MWP-1A) related to a major collapse of polar ice sheets, which occurred between 14,650 and 14,310 years ago.
The coral boundstone is composed of robust branching Pocillopora at the bottom and fragments of branching Porites at the top signifying change in coral assemblage composition from shallow to moderate water depth.
Coral reef sequences drilled offshore Tahiti during IODP Expedition 310 provide evidences that the global ocean rose of 17 m in 350 years at a rate of 45 mm/yr (vs 3 mm/yr currently) during the MWP-1A. This episode corresponds to the fastest sea-level rise in Earth history.
Downloads
Photo of the core 310-M0024A-10R sections »
(JPG, 324 kb)
Detailed photos of the core 310-M0024A-10R »
(link to PANGAEA database with selection of images)
Tahiti Sea-level core replica flyer »
(English, PDF)
Read more
Camoin, G.F., Seard, C., Deschamps, P., Webster, J.M., Abbey, E., Braga, J.C., Iryu, Y., Durand, N., Bard, E., Hamelin, B., Yokoyama, Y., Thomas, A.L., Henderson, G.M. and Dussouillez, P. (2012) Reef response to sea-level and environmental changes during the last deglaciation: Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 310, Tahiti Sea Level. Geology, 40, 643–646. https://doi.org/10.1130/G32057.1
Deschamps P., Durand N., Bard E., Hamelin B., Camoin G., Thomas A.L., Henderson G.M., Okuno J., & Yokoyama Y. (2012) Ice-sheet collapse and sea-level rise at the Bølling warming 14,600 years ago. Nature 483, 559–564 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature10902
Request to loan the Tahiti Sea-level core replica
Core replicas are loaned free of charge for a time-limited period to scientists, museums, universities and research institutions based in ECORD member countries.
In order to loan the core replica please contact Malgo Bednarz (bednarz@cerege.fr)
About expedition
IODP Expedition 310 Tahiti Sea Level
Drillship: DP Hunter
The Tahiti Sea-level core replica is based on a core recovered during mission-specific platform (MSP) expedition: IODP Expedition 310 Tahiti Sea-level.
IODP Expedition 310 to the reef terraces around Tahiti, French Polynesia, was designed to establish the course of the last deglacial sea level rise at Tahiti, to define sea-surface temperature variations for the region 20,000–10,000 years ago, and to analyse the impact of sea level changes on reef growth and geometry. To meet these objectives, the last deglacial reef sequence, which consists of successive reef terraces seaward of the living barrier reef, was cored from a dynamically positioned vessel.
IODP Expedition 310 was operated by ECORD Science Operator (ESO) in October-November 2005 and recovered sediment cores up to 1100 meters beneath seafloor in water depths ranging from 46.65 to 117.54 m.
