Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T18:37:51.641Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Stratigraphy and Chronology of Late Pleistocene Reefs in the Southern Cook Islands, South Pacific

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Colin D. Woodroffe ,
Stephen A. Short ,
David R. Stoddart ,
Tom Spencer  and
Russell S. Harmon
Colin D. Woodroffe
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2500, Australia
Stephen A. Short
Affiliation:
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, New South Wales 2234, Australia
David R. Stoddart
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of California Berkeley, California 94720
Tom Spencer
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EN, United Kingdom
Russell S. Harmon
Affiliation:
NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, Keyworth, NG12 5GG, United Kingdom
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The Makatea Islands in the southern Cook Islands consist of a degraded volcanic core surrounded by emergent “makatea” limestones. While much of this reefal limestone is of Tertiary age, the seawardmost reefs are late Pleistocene. Last-interglacial reefs (oxygen isotope substage 5e) identified by U-series dating reach 12.2 m on Atiu (mean age of three samples 126,000 ± 5000 yr B.P.), 9.8 m on Mitiaro (mean age of five samples 119,000 ± 3000 yr B.P.), 10.0–12.7 m on Mauke (mean age of four samples 128,000 + 5000, −4,000 yr B.P.), and 14.5–20.0 m on Mangaia (mean age of four samples 115,000 ± 7000 yr B.P.). On Atiu, Mauke, and Mitiaro a lower reef unit has been identified, and is separated from the overlying substage 5e reef by a sharp discontinuity, often with a crust of coralline algae. U-series dating from Atiu and Mauke indicates that this is a stage 7 reef formed in the penultimate interglaciation. The Makatea Islands have emerged as a result of flexure of the lithosphere in response to loading by the Pleistocene volcanic island of Rarotonga. Isolated outcrops of makatea limestone on Rarotonga reach 3.5 m and are probably of substage 5e age. Elastic and viscoelastic models of lithospheric flexure predict that much of the compensatory movement should occur shortly after the emplacement of the load. However, the age and elevation of late Quaternary reefs on the southern Cook Islands, where a Pleistocene volcanic island has loaded relatively old ocean floor (>80 myr), indicate that differential uplift has been continuing over the last 250,000 yr.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , March 1991 , pp. 246 - 263
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aharon, P. Chappell, J. Compston, W. Stable isotope and sea-level data from New Guinea supports Antarctic ice-surge theory of ice ages Nature (London) 283 1980 649 651 Google Scholar
Bardintzeff, J.M. Brousse, R. Gachon, A. Conditions of building of coral reefs on a volcano: Mururoa in Tuamotu and Rurutu in Australes (French Polynesia) Proceedings of the 5th International Coral Reef Congress. Tahiti 6 1985 401 405 Google Scholar
Beaglehole, J.C. The Voyage of the Resolution and Discovery 1776–1780: The Journals of Captain James Cook on His Voyages of Discovery Vol. 3 1967 Cambridge Hakluyt Society Part 2 Google Scholar
Berryman, K. Tectonic processes and their impact on the recording of relative sea-level changes Devoy, R.J.N. Sea Surface Studies: A Global View 1987 Croom Helm London 127 161 Google Scholar
Bloom, A.L. Pleistocene shorelines: A new test of isostasy Geological Society of America Bulletin 78 1967 1477 1494 Google Scholar
Bloom, A.L. Broecker, W.S. Chappell, J. Matthews, R.K. Mesolella, K.J. Quaternary sea level fluctuations on a tectonic coast: New Th230/U234 dates from New Guinea Quaternary Research 4 1974 185 205 Google Scholar
Bourrouilh-Le Jan, F.G. An attempt at datation by isotopic stratigraphy of Holocene and Pleistocene notches and deposits of some so-called uplifted atolls Proceedings of the 5th International Coral Reef Congress, Tahiti 3 1985 125 130 Google Scholar
Calmant, S. Cazenave, A. The effective elastic lithosphere under the Cook-Austral and Society islands Earth and Planetary Science Letters 77 1986 187 202 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calmant, S. Cazenave, A. Anomalous elastic thickness of the oceanic lithosphere in the south-central Pacific Nature (London) 328 1987 236 238 Google Scholar
Cazenave, A. Souriau, A. Dominh, K. Global coupling of Earth surface topography with hotspots, geoid and mantle heterogeneities Nature (London) 340 1989 54 57 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chappell, J. Geology of coral terraces, Huon Peninsula, New Guinea: A study of Quaternary tectonic movements and sea level changes Geological Society of America Bulletin 85 1974 553 570 Google Scholar
Chappell, J. Shackleton, N.J. Oxygen isotopes and sea level Nature (London) 324 1986 137 140 Google Scholar
Chappell, J. Veeh, H.H. Late Quaternary tectonic movements and sea level changes at Timor and Atauro Island Geological Society of America Bulletin 89 1978 356 368 2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalrymple, G.B. Jarrard, R.D. Clague, D.A. KAr ages of some volcanic rocks from the Cook and Austral Islands Geological Society of America Bulletin 86 1975 1463 1467 Google Scholar
Darwin, C. The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs 1842 Smith Elder London Google Scholar
Davis, W.M. The coral reef problem American Geographical Society Special Publication 9 1928 1 596 Google Scholar
Dodge, R.E. Fairbanks, R.G. Benninger, L.K. Maurrasse, F. Pleistocene sea levels from raised coral reefs of Haiti Science 219 1983 1423 1425 Google Scholar
Grigg, R.W. Epp, D. Critical depth for the survival of coral islands: Effect on the Hawaiian Archipelago Science 243 1989 638 641 Google Scholar
Harmon, R.S. Mitterer, R.M. Kriausakul, N. Land, L.S. Schwarcz, H.P. Garrett, P. Larson, G.J. Vacher, H.L. Rowe, M. U-series and amino-acid racemization geochronology of Bermuda: Implications for eustatic sea-level fluctuation over the past 250,000 years Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology and Palaeoecology 44 1983 41 70 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoffmeister, J.E. Ladd, H.S. The foundations of atolls: A discussion Journal of Geology 43 1935 653 665 Google Scholar
Hunt, P.J. Atiu Island 1:7920 1969 University of Otago, Department of Surveying (map) Google Scholar
Jarrard, R.D. Clague, D.A. Implications of Pacific island and seamount ages for the origin of volcanic chains Review of Geophysics and Space Physics 15 1977 57 76 Google Scholar
Jarrard, R.D. Turner, D.L. Comments on ‘Lithospheric flexure and uplifted atolls’ by M. McNutt and H. W. Menard Journal of Geophysical Research 84 1979 5691 5697 Google Scholar
Jouannic, C. Hoang, C.-T. Hantoro, W.S. Delinom, R.M. Uplift rate of coral reef terraces in the area of Kupang, West Timor: Preliminary results Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 68 1988 259 272 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaufman, A. The distribution of 230Th/234U ages in corals and the number of last interglacial high-sea stands Quaternary Research 25 1986 55 62 Google Scholar
Konishi, K. Omura, A. Nakamichi, O. Radiometric coral ages and sea level records from the late Quaternary reef complexes of the Ryukyu Islands Proceedings of the 2nd International Coral Reef Symposium 2 1974 595 613 Google Scholar
Ku, T.-L. Ivanovich, M. Luo, S. U-series dating of last interglacial high sea stands: Barbados revisited Quaternary Research 33 1990 129 147 Google Scholar
Ku, T.-L. Kimmel, M.A. Easton, W.H. O'Neil, T.J. Eustatic sea level 120,000 years ago on Oahu, Hawaii Science 183 1974 959 961 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ladd, H.S. Ingerson, E. Townsend, R.C. Russel, M. Stephenson, H.K. Drilling on Eniwetok atoll, Marshall Islands Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists 37 1953 2257 2280 Google Scholar
Lambeck, K. Flexure of the ocean lithosphere from island uplift, bathymetry and geoid height observations Geophysical Journal 67 1981 91 114 Google Scholar
Lambeck, K. Lithospheric response to volcanic loading in the southern Cook Islands Earth and Planetary Science Letters 55 1981 482 496 Google Scholar
Lalou, C. Labeyrie, J. Delibrias, G. Datation des calcaires coralliens de l'atoll de Mururoa (Archipel des Tuamotu) de l'époque actuelle jusqu'a 500,000 ans Compte Rendu de l'Académie des Sciences Paris série D 263 1966 1946 1949 Google Scholar
Marshall, P. Geology of Mangaia Bulletin of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum 36 1927 1 48 Google Scholar
Marshall, P. Geology of Rarotonga and Atiu Bulletin of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum 72 1930 1 75 Google Scholar
Marty, J.C. Cazanave, A. Regional variations in subsidence rate of oceanic plates: A global analysis Earth and Planetary Science Letters 94 1989 301 315 Google Scholar
McNutt, M. Menard, H.W. Lithospheric flexure and uplifted atolls Journal of Geophysical Research 83 1978 1206 1212 Google Scholar
Menard, H.W. Islands 1986 Scientific American Library Google Scholar
Mesolella, K.J. Mathews, P.K. Broecker, W.S. Thurber, D.L. The astronomical theory of climatic change: Barbados data Journal of Geology 77 1969 250 274 Google Scholar
Montaggioni, L.F. Richard, G. Bourrouilh-Le Jan, F. Naim, O. Payri, C. Salvat, B. Geology and marine biology of Makatea, an uplifted atoll, Tuamotu Archipelago, Central Pacific Ocean Journal of Coastal Research 1 1985 165 171 Google Scholar
Moore, W.S. Late Pleistocene sea-level history Ivanovich, M. Harmon, R.S. Uranium Series Disequilibrium: Applications to Environmental Problems 1982 Oxford Univ. Press London/New York 481 496 Google Scholar
Moore, W.S. Somayajulu, B.L.K. Age determination of fossil corals using 230Th/234Th and 230Th/227Th Journal of Geophysical Research 79 1974 5065 5068 Google Scholar
Parsons, B. Sclater, J.G. An analysis of the variation of ocean floor bathymetry and heat flow with age Journal of Geophysical Research 82 1977 803 827 Google Scholar
Schofield, J.C. Notes on late Quaternary sea levels, Fiji and Rarotonga New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 13 1970 199 206 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scoffin, T.P. Stoddart, D.R. Tudhope, A.W. Woodroffe, C.D. Exposed limestones of Suwarrow Atoll Proceedings of the 5th International Coral Reef Congress, Tahiti 3 1985 137 140 Google Scholar
Scott, G.A.J. Rotondo, G.M. A model to explain the difference Pacific plate atoll types Coral Reefs 1 1983 139 150 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spencer, T. Stoddart, D.R. Woodroffe, C.D. Island uplift and lithospheric flexure: observations and cautions from the south Pacific Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, N.F., Supplement band 63 1987 87 102 Google Scholar
Spencer, T. Stoddart, D.R. Woodroffe, C.D. Harmon, R.S. Lithospheric flexure and raised reef limestones, S. Cooks-Austral Islands Proceedings of the 6th International Coral Reef Congress 3 1988 485 489 Google Scholar
Stoddart, D.R. Spencer, T. Rurutu reconsidered: The development of makatea topography in the Austral Islands Atoll Research Bulletin 297 1987 1 19 Google Scholar
Stoddart, D.R. Spencer, T. Scoffin, T.P. Reef growth and karst erosion on Mangaia, Cook Islands: A reinterpretation Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, N.F. Supplement band 57 1985 121 140 Google Scholar
Stoddart, D.R. Woodroffe, C.D. Spencer, T. Mauke, Mitiaro and Atiu: Geomorphology of Makatea islands in the southern Cooks Atoll Research Bulletin 341 1990 1 66 Google Scholar
Taylor, F.W. Bloom, A.L. Coral reefs on tectonic blocks, Tonga island arc Proceedings of the 3rd International Coral Reef Symposium 2 1977 275 281 Google Scholar
Trichet, J. Repellin, P. Oustrière, P. Stratigraphy and subsidence of the Mururoa Atoll (French Polynesia) Marine Geology 36 1984 241 257 Google Scholar
Turner, D.L. Jarrard, R.D. KAr dating of the Cook-Austral chain: A test of the hot-spot hypothesis Journal of volcanology and geothermal research 12 1982 187 226 Google Scholar
Veeh, H.H. Th230/U238 and U234/U238 ages of Pleistocene high sea level stand Journal of Geophysical Research 71 1966 3379 3386 Google Scholar
Watts, A.B. Ribe, N.M. On geoid heights and flexure of the lithosphere at seamounts Journal of Geophysical Research 89 1984 11152 11170 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood, B.L. Hay, R.F. Geology of the Cook Islands New Zealand Geological Survey Bulletin, New Series 82 1970 1 103 Google Scholar
Woodroffe, C.D. Stoddart, D.R. Spencer, T. Scoffin, T.P. Tudhope, A.W. Holocene emergence in the Cook Islands, South Pacific Coral Reefs 9 1990 31 39 Google Scholar
Yonekura, N. Ishii, T. Saito, Y. Maeda, Y. Matsushima, Y. Matsumoto, E. Kayanne, H. Holocene fringing reefs and sea-level change in Mangaia Island, Southern Cook Islands Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 68 1988 177 188 Google Scholar