Morphodynamic Controls for Growth and Evolution of a Rubble Coral Island

Rubble islands are dynamic sedimentary features present on reef platforms that evolve under a variety of morphodynamic processes and controlling mechanisms. They provide valuable inhabitable land for small island nations, critical habitat for numerous species, and are threatened by climate change. A...

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Published inRemote sensing (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 13; no. 8; p. 1582
Main Authors Talavera, Lara, Vila-Concejo, Ana, Webster, Jody M., Smith, Courtney, Duce, Stephanie, Fellowes, Thomas E., Salles, Tristan, Harris, Daniel, Hill, Jon, Figueira, Will, Hacker, Jörg
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.04.2021
Subjects
Aerial photography
Climate change
Coral reefs
Cyclones
Datasets
DEMs of difference
Digitization
El Nino
Evolution
geomorphic change
Geomorphology
Global positioning systems
GPS
Great Barrier Reef
Investigations
Island growth
Islands
Kinematics
Morphology
reef island dynamics
Remote sensing
rubble spit dynamics
Satellite altimetry
Sediment transport
Shorelines
Software
Southern Oscillation
Threatened species
Topography
Wave interaction
Wave power
One Tree Island
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Summary:Rubble islands are dynamic sedimentary features present on reef platforms that evolve under a variety of morphodynamic processes and controlling mechanisms. They provide valuable inhabitable land for small island nations, critical habitat for numerous species, and are threatened by climate change. Aiming to investigate the controlling mechanisms dictating the evolution of One Tree Island (OTI), a rubble island in the Southern Great Barrier Reef, we combined different remotely-sensed data across varying timescales with wave data extracted from satellite altimetry and cyclone activity. Our findings show that (1) OTI had expanded by 7% between 1978 and 2019, (2) significant gross planform decadal adjustments were governed by the amount, intensity, proximity, and relative position of cyclones as well as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phases, and (3) the mechanisms of island growth involve rubble spits delivering and redistributing rubble to the island through alongshore sediment transport and wave overtopping. Frequent short-term monitoring of the island and further research coupling variations in the different factors driving island change (i.e., sediment availability, reef-wave interactions, and extreme events) are needed to shed light on the future trajectory of OTI and other rubble islands under a climate change scenario.
ISSN:2072-4292
2072-4292
DOI:10.3390/rs13081582