SGER: Seismic Profiling of Rapidly Subsiding Reefs on Sabine Bank, Vanuatu: Preparing for a Future Opp'ty to Drill Ancient Reefs Representing Off-Peak and Lowstand Sea Levels ...

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

Sabine Bank, a shoal located in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, is postulated to be a coral reef that preserves a rare record of sea level fall during marine isotopic stages 2 through 5. This project will take advantage of a ship of opportunity to acquire high-resolution boomer images and deep-towed Chirp images on lines spaced at ~0.1 km on the Sabine Bank. The data will be used to identify and map reef accumulations on the feature as a site survey task for possible eventual drilling of this relatively rare fossil reef system under the auspices of an IODP project. Broader impacts of the research include providing a non-paleoceanographic indicator of global climate change and strengthening collaboration with a French research team.