together with surface fossil corals suggest that the land
areas in the atoll were formed on the reef flat about 2,000
to 1,000 years ago. In 1972, cyclone Bebe struck Funafuti
and showed tropical storms also play a significant role in
the land formation of the atoll. Recently, floods have often
occurred on Fongafale islet during spring high tides. In
future, Funafuti will suffer the ravages of both high-energy
events and rising sea levels.
Bibliography
Baines, G. B. K., Beverridge, P. J., and Maragos, J. E., 1974. Storms
and island buildings at Funafuti Atoll, Ellice Islands. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Coral Reef Symposium. Australia:
Brisbane, Vol. 2, pp. 485–496.
Buckley, R. C., 1985. Environmental survey of Funafuti Atoll. In
Proceedings of the 5th International Coral Reef Congress.
Tahiti, Vol. 6, pp. 305–310.
Collen, J. D., and Garton, D. W., 2004. Larger foraminifera and sedimentation around Fongafale Island, Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu.
Coral Reefs, 23, 445–454.
Connell, J., 2003. Losing ground? Tuvalu, the greenhouse effect
and the garbage can. Asian Pacific Viewpoint, 44, 89–107.
Darwin, C., 1842. The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs.
London: Smith, Elder.
Dickinson, W. R., 1999. Holocene sea-level record on Funafuti and
potential impact of global warming on central Pacific atolls.
Quaternary Research, 51, 124–132.
Emery, K. O., Tracey, J. I., and Ladd, H. S., 1954. Geology of Bikini
and nearby atolls. United States Geological and Survey Professional Papers. Vol. 260A, pp. 265.
Fairbanks, R. G., 1989. A 17,000-year glacio-eustatic sea level
record; influence of glacial melting rates on the Younger Dryas
event and deep-ocean circulation. Nature, 342, 637–642.
Grimsdale, T. F., 1952. Cycloclypeus (foraminifera) in the Funafuti
boring, and its geological significance. Occasional Papers of the
Challenger Society, 2,1–10.
Hunter, J. R., 2002. A note on relative sea level change at Funafuti,
Tuvalu. Antarctic Cooperative Research Centre, University of
Tasmania. Technical Report.
Ladd, H. S., and Schlanger, S. O., 1960. Drilling operations on
Enewetok Atoll. United States Geological and Survey Professional Papers. Vol. 260Y, pp. 863–903.
Maragos, J. E., Baines, G. B. K., and Beveridge, P. J., 1973. Tropical cyclone Bebe creates a new land formation on Funafuti Atoll.
Science, 181, 1161–1164.
McLean, R. F., 1992. A two thousand year history of low latitude
tropical storms: preliminary results for Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu.
In Proceedings of the 7th International Coral Reef Symposium.
Guam, Vol. 1, p. 223.
McLean, R. F., 2004. Higher sea level or storm impact? Resolve
Funafuti’s one hundred year old scientific debate. In 10th International Coral Reef Symposium, Okinawa, Japan. Abstracts, 32.
Mortreux, C., and Barnett, J., 2009. Climate change, migration and
adaptation in Funafuti, Tuvalu. Global Environmental Change,
19, 105–112.
Ohde, S., Greaves, M., Massuzawa, T., Buckley, H. A., van Woesik,
R., Wilson, P., Pirazzoli, P. A., and Elderfield, H., 2002. The
chronology of Funafuti Atoll: revisiting an old friend. Proceedings of the Royal Society Series A, 458, 2289–2306.
Patel, S. S., 2006. A sinking feeling. Nature, 440, 734–736.
Rodgers, K. A., and Cantrell, C., 1988. The biology and geology of
Tuvalu: an annotated bibliography. Technical Report of the Australian Museum, 1, 1–103.
Royal Society, 1904. The atoll of Funafuti. Borings into a coral reef
and the results. Royal Society of London, London, 420pp.
Schofield, J. C., 1977. Late Holocene sea level, Gilbert and Ellice
Islands, west central Pacific Ocean. New Zealand Journal of
Geology and Geophysics, 20, 503–529.
United Nation Environmental Programme, 1988. Tuvalu. In Coral
Reefs of the World, Vol. 3, pp. 305–309.
Woodroffe, C. D., 2008. Reef-island topography and vulnerability of
atolls to sea-level rise. Global and Planetary Change, 62, 77–96.
Yamano, H., Kayanne, H., Yamaguchi, T., Kuwahara, Y., Yokoki, H.,
Shimazaki, H., and Chikamori, M., 2007. Atoll island vulnerability to flooding and inundation revealed by historical reconstruction: Fongafale Islet, Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu. Global and
Planetary Change, 57, 407–416.
Cross-references
Atoll Islands (Motu)
Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands
Climate Change: Impact of Sea Level Rise on Reef Flat Zonation
and Productivity
Climate Change: Increasing Storm Activity
Darwin, Charles (1809–1882)
David, Tannant Edgeworth (1858–1934)
Dolomitization
Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands
Radiocarbon (
14 C): Dating and Corals
Reef Drilling
Royal Society of London
Sea Level Change and Its Effect on Reef Growth
Tropical Cyclone/Hurricane
FUNAFUTI ATOLL
449
areas in the atoll were formed on the reef flat about 2,000
to 1,000 years ago. In 1972, cyclone Bebe struck Funafuti
and showed tropical storms also play a significant role in
the land formation of the atoll. Recently, floods have often
occurred on Fongafale islet during spring high tides. In
future, Funafuti will suffer the ravages of both high-energy
events and rising sea levels.
Bibliography
Baines, G. B. K., Beverridge, P. J., and Maragos, J. E., 1974. Storms
and island buildings at Funafuti Atoll, Ellice Islands. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Coral Reef Symposium. Australia:
Brisbane, Vol. 2, pp. 485–496.
Buckley, R. C., 1985. Environmental survey of Funafuti Atoll. In
Proceedings of the 5th International Coral Reef Congress.
Tahiti, Vol. 6, pp. 305–310.
Collen, J. D., and Garton, D. W., 2004. Larger foraminifera and sedimentation around Fongafale Island, Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu.
Coral Reefs, 23, 445–454.
Connell, J., 2003. Losing ground? Tuvalu, the greenhouse effect
and the garbage can. Asian Pacific Viewpoint, 44, 89–107.
Darwin, C., 1842. The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs.
London: Smith, Elder.
Dickinson, W. R., 1999. Holocene sea-level record on Funafuti and
potential impact of global warming on central Pacific atolls.
Quaternary Research, 51, 124–132.
Emery, K. O., Tracey, J. I., and Ladd, H. S., 1954. Geology of Bikini
and nearby atolls. United States Geological and Survey Professional Papers. Vol. 260A, pp. 265.
Fairbanks, R. G., 1989. A 17,000-year glacio-eustatic sea level
record; influence of glacial melting rates on the Younger Dryas
event and deep-ocean circulation. Nature, 342, 637–642.
Grimsdale, T. F., 1952. Cycloclypeus (foraminifera) in the Funafuti
boring, and its geological significance. Occasional Papers of the
Challenger Society, 2,1–10.
Hunter, J. R., 2002. A note on relative sea level change at Funafuti,
Tuvalu. Antarctic Cooperative Research Centre, University of
Tasmania. Technical Report.
Ladd, H. S., and Schlanger, S. O., 1960. Drilling operations on
Enewetok Atoll. United States Geological and Survey Professional Papers. Vol. 260Y, pp. 863–903.
Maragos, J. E., Baines, G. B. K., and Beveridge, P. J., 1973. Tropical cyclone Bebe creates a new land formation on Funafuti Atoll.
Science, 181, 1161–1164.
McLean, R. F., 1992. A two thousand year history of low latitude
tropical storms: preliminary results for Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu.
In Proceedings of the 7th International Coral Reef Symposium.
Guam, Vol. 1, p. 223.
McLean, R. F., 2004. Higher sea level or storm impact? Resolve
Funafuti’s one hundred year old scientific debate. In 10th International Coral Reef Symposium, Okinawa, Japan. Abstracts, 32.
Mortreux, C., and Barnett, J., 2009. Climate change, migration and
adaptation in Funafuti, Tuvalu. Global Environmental Change,
19, 105–112.
Ohde, S., Greaves, M., Massuzawa, T., Buckley, H. A., van Woesik,
R., Wilson, P., Pirazzoli, P. A., and Elderfield, H., 2002. The
chronology of Funafuti Atoll: revisiting an old friend. Proceedings of the Royal Society Series A, 458, 2289–2306.
Patel, S. S., 2006. A sinking feeling. Nature, 440, 734–736.
Rodgers, K. A., and Cantrell, C., 1988. The biology and geology of
Tuvalu: an annotated bibliography. Technical Report of the Australian Museum, 1, 1–103.
Royal Society, 1904. The atoll of Funafuti. Borings into a coral reef
and the results. Royal Society of London, London, 420pp.
Schofield, J. C., 1977. Late Holocene sea level, Gilbert and Ellice
Islands, west central Pacific Ocean. New Zealand Journal of
Geology and Geophysics, 20, 503–529.
United Nation Environmental Programme, 1988. Tuvalu. In Coral
Reefs of the World, Vol. 3, pp. 305–309.
Woodroffe, C. D., 2008. Reef-island topography and vulnerability of
atolls to sea-level rise. Global and Planetary Change, 62, 77–96.
Yamano, H., Kayanne, H., Yamaguchi, T., Kuwahara, Y., Yokoki, H.,
Shimazaki, H., and Chikamori, M., 2007. Atoll island vulnerability to flooding and inundation revealed by historical reconstruction: Fongafale Islet, Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu. Global and
Planetary Change, 57, 407–416.
Cross-references
Atoll Islands (Motu)
Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands
Climate Change: Impact of Sea Level Rise on Reef Flat Zonation
and Productivity
Climate Change: Increasing Storm Activity
Darwin, Charles (1809–1882)
David, Tannant Edgeworth (1858–1934)
Dolomitization
Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands
Radiocarbon (
14 C): Dating and Corals
Reef Drilling
Royal Society of London
Sea Level Change and Its Effect on Reef Growth
Tropical Cyclone/Hurricane
FUNAFUTI ATOLL
449