A group of Australian scientists have for the first time unravelled the history of climate change upheaval on the Great Barrier Reef over the past eight millennia.
A group of Australian scientists have for the first time unravelled the history of climate change upheaval on the Great Barrier Reef over the past eight millennia.
Led by University of Queensland graduate Dr Marcos Salas-Saavedra, the team analysed rare earth elements in drilled reef cores, unveiling a deep history of wild weather.
“Eight thousand years ago, extreme runoff from an intense Indian-Australian summer monsoon affected water quality in the southern offshore Reef,” Dr Salas-Saavedra said.
“Water in the GBR was much dirtier, and poor water quality is known to be a major cause of reef decline around the world.
“But 1,000 years later, monsoonal rains eased and the water quality greatly improved.
“We noticed water quality declined during times of dampened El Niño Southern Oscillation frequency, which may have led to more La Niña-dominated wet climates in Queensland at those times – like the weather we have seen this year in Queensland.”
Read more at: The University of Queensland
Heron Reef, where researchers have been investigating 8000 years of climate history of the Great Barrier Reef. (Photo Credit: Gregory Webb)
