On a subsiding platform on which coral reefs are growing, calculate the rate of sea level rise that is required to drown the reef. The subsidence rate of the platform is 3 mm/yr. The growth rate of corals is well captured by the curve shown in Figure 4.29. Contrast this with the sea level histories reported in Chapter 16, and answer whether there is a time within the last deglaciation that this rate was exceeded.

Figure 4.29

Transcribed Image Text:

Depth (m) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Growth rate (mm/yr) 7 8 9 10