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Figure 3.1 A, Curve for the past 1.5 million years showing the change in frequency and amplitude of the climatic, and by
inference, sea level fluctuations after the mid-Pleistocene transition (MPT) at 0.9–0.6 My (MPT, a shift in the periodicity of
radiative forcing by atmospheric carbon dioxide that caused higher amplitude climate periodicities). Growth of the GBR
occurred after the MPT (after Larcombe and Carter 2004.) B, Photographs from the Ribbon Reef 5 core showing the major
coral components of ‘Assemblage A’. These include robust branching corals of species from the Acropora humilis group
(AH), the Acropora robusta group (AR), Acropora palifera (AP), Stylophora pistillata (S), and Pocillopora (P). Much of the
coral framework is encrusted with coralline algae. C, Photographs from the Ribbon Reef 5 core showing the major coral
components of ‘Assemblage B1’ and ‘B2’. These include massive Porites (e.g. Porites cf lutea) (PO), encrusting Porites
(EPO), and massive faviids such as Favites (FA) and Plesiastrea versipora (PE). Again, extensive coralline algal rims encrust
much of the coral framework. (B and C from Webster and Davies 2003.)
(B)
(C)
(A)
Figure 3.1 A, Curve for the past 1.5 million years showing the change in frequency and amplitude of the climatic, and by
inference, sea level fluctuations after the mid-Pleistocene transition (MPT) at 0.9–0.6 My (MPT, a shift in the periodicity of
radiative forcing by atmospheric carbon dioxide that caused higher amplitude climate periodicities). Growth of the GBR
occurred after the MPT (after Larcombe and Carter 2004.) B, Photographs from the Ribbon Reef 5 core showing the major
coral components of ‘Assemblage A’. These include robust branching corals of species from the Acropora humilis group
(AH), the Acropora robusta group (AR), Acropora palifera (AP), Stylophora pistillata (S), and Pocillopora (P). Much of the
coral framework is encrusted with coralline algae. C, Photographs from the Ribbon Reef 5 core showing the major coral
components of ‘Assemblage B1’ and ‘B2’. These include massive Porites (e.g. Porites cf lutea) (PO), encrusting Porites
(EPO), and massive faviids such as Favites (FA) and Plesiastrea versipora (PE). Again, extensive coralline algal rims encrust
much of the coral framework. (B and C from Webster and Davies 2003.)
(B)
(C)
(A)