The Sea-Level Indicative Meaning of Porites Microatolls and Its Application to Middle Holocene Sea-Level Reconstructions in the Northern South China Sea
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摘要: 南海北部雷琼海岸的珊瑚礁是研究古海平面变化的重要标志物.但因重建标准不统一,海平面重建结果存在显著时空差异性.本研究通过对海南岛东部珊瑚礁区27块现代滨珊瑚微环礁的顶面高程进行实地测量,精确量化其海平面指示意义;同时对该区域65个已发表的海平面标志点数据进行重新校正,重建了更可靠的海平面变化历史.研究表明,这些顶部死亡但整体存活的现代滨珊瑚已达到生长上限,其顶面高程位于清澜港平均潮位以下146.09 cm,最低低潮位(lowest low tide,LLT)以下15.09 cm,且生长上限高差仅±8.35 cm,呈现典型的滨珊瑚微环礁发育形态,证实其生长主要受最低低潮位控制,是理想的海平面标志物.海平面重建结果显示,在(6 143±34)cal a BP至(3 013±9)cal a BP期间,南海北部相对海平面呈波动下降趋势,变化范围为(25.0±9.8)cm至(136.09±9.80)cm.与周边地区海平面记录对比发现,中全新世高海平面的出现时间和高度存在差异,这可能与标志物的高程估算方法及测年技术差异有关.此外,将研究结果和GIA模型(ICE-6G_HetML14)预测结果对比显示,南海北部雷琼海岸3个地点的中晚全新世海平面数据均低于模型预测曲线,表明该区域过去几千年可能经历构造沉降过程.本研究结果为预测南海北部未来海平面变化趋势提供重要科学依据,也为区域构造演化研究提供新视角.Abstract: The coral reefs along the Leiqiong Coast in the northern part of the South China Sea are key indicators for studying paleo-sea level changes. However, due to the lack of unified standards, significant spatiotemporal discrepancies exist in coral-derived sea-level data. In this study, through field measurements of the top surface elevation of 27 modern Porites microatolls in the coral reef area of eastern Hainan Island, the sea level indicative meaning of Porites microatolls was first precisely quantified. Meanwhile, 65 published sea-level index proxies based on U-Th dated fossil Porites (microatoll) corals from the region were systematically recalibrated and integrated to reconstruct a more accurate and reliable sea-level change history during the Middle Holocene in the northern South China Sea. The research reveals that those modern Porites colonies with dead upper surfaces but intact overall viability have reached their growth limits. Their top elevation lies 146.09 cm below the mean tide level of Qinglan Port and 15.09 cm below the lowest low tide, and the height difference of the growth limit is only ±8.35 cm, representing a typical developmental pattern of Porites microatolls. It is confirmed that their growth limits are primarily controlled by the lowest low tide level, and they are ideal indicators for reconstructing past sea levels. Sea level reconstruction results indicate that the relative sea level in the northern South China Sea exhibited a fluctuating downward trend from (6 143±34) cal a BP to (3 013±9) cal a BP, ranging from (25.0±9.8) cm to (136.09±9.80) cm. Comparison with sea level records from surrounding South China Sea regions reveals spatiotemporal variations in the timing and magnitude of Middle Holocene high sea-level, which may be attributable to differences in indicator elevation estimation methods and dating techniques. In addition, a comparison of the research results with the sea level predicted by the GIA model (ICE-6G_HetML14), reveals that the Middle and Late Holocene sea-level data at three locations along the Leqiong coast are all below the model curve. This indicates that these regions may have undergone tectonic subsidence over the past several thousand years. The results of this study offer an important scientific basis for predicting the future sea-level change trend in the northern South China Sea, and provide a new perspective on regional tectonic evolution studies.
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图 1 南海地理位置图(a)以及南海北部雷琼地区现代珊瑚礁空间分布(b),前期在海南岛东部沿海多个地点开展野外踏勘和滨珊瑚采样的地点(b),野外发现的现代滨珊瑚微环礁(c)及化石滨珊瑚(d)
Fig. 1. Geographical location map of the South China Sea (a), spatial distribution of modern coral reefs in Leiqiong area in the north of the South China Sea (b), and field survey and coral sampling sites along the east coast of Hainan Island (b), modern Porites microatoll (c) and fossil Porites corals (d) found in the field
图 2 海南岛文昌铜鼓岭珊瑚礁区27块现代活滨珊瑚微环礁顶面高程与清澜港潮汐的关系
高程数据由Leica GS18 T RTK设备测量获取,为相对于MSL数值;清澜港属不正规日潮,基于1985年国家高程基准,其平均潮位为103 cm,平均低潮位为58 cm,平均高潮位为147 cm,最高高潮位(highest high tide,HHT)为315 cm,最低低潮位为-28 cm,平均潮差为89 cm,最大潮差为255 cm(中国人民解放军海军司令部航海保证部,2022)
Fig. 2. Relationship between the top elevation of 27 modern live Porites (microatolls) in Tongguling coral reef area and tides at Qinglan Harbor in Wenchang, Hainan Island
图 4 基于滨珊瑚及滨珊瑚微环礁重建的南海北部中全新世海平面
红色数据来源于Yue et al.(2024);绿色数据来源于时小军等(2008);紫色数据来源于颜廷礼(2022)和Yan et al.(2024)
Fig. 4. Middle Holocene sea level reconstruction of the northern South China Sea based on Porites corals and Porites microatolls
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