| In New Caledonia, core data indicate that the fringing reefs grew during the last interglacial and the Holocene, while the barrier reefs developed during several high sea level stands of the Quaternary. These growth periods are archived in a 128-m-long core from Ilot Amedee, offshore of Noumea. Directly upon the peridotitic substrate (reached at 126.50 m), a basal unit comprising abundant rhodoliths, molluscs and rare corals is characteristic of the pioneer stage of barrier reef development. Above it, a severely calcitized unit contains corals, molluscs and abundant micritic levels. Then, a sequence punctuated by several minor discontinuities and by a downward increase in diagenetic alteration is found. At 47 m core depth, a unit, which is thought to be... |
