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Science 28 June 1991:
Vol. 252. no. 5014, pp. 1834 - 1836
DOI: 10.1126/science.252.5014.1834
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Articles

Quaternary Raised Coral-Reef Terraces on Sumba Island, Indonesia

P. A. PIRAZZOLI 1, U. RADTKE 2, W. S. HANTORO 3, C. JOUANNIC 4, C. T. HOANG 5, C. CAUSSE 6, and M. BOREL BEST 7

1 Laboratoire de Géographic Physique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1 Place A. Briand, 92190 Meudon-Bellevue, France
2 Geographisches Institut, Heinrich-Heine Universität, 4000 Düsseldorf, Germany
3 Laboratoire de Géologie du Quaternaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Luminy, Case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France, and Research and Development Centre for Geotechnology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Jalan Cisitu 21/154D, Bandung 40135, Indonesia
4 Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération (ORSTOM), Département TOA, 213 rue La Fayette, 75480 Paris Cedex 10, France, and Marine Geological Institute, JI. Dr. Junsunan 236, Post Office Box 215, Bandung 40174, Indonesia
5 Centre des Faibles Radioactivités, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, et Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
6 Laboratoire d'Hydrologie et de Géochimie Isotopique, Université de Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 504, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
7 Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, Post Office Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands

A spectacular sequence of coral-reef terraces (six steps broader than 500 meters and many minor substeps) is developed near Cape Laundi, Sumba Island, between an ancient patch reef 475 meters high and sea level. Several raised reefs have been dated with the electron spin resonance and the uranium-series dating methods. The uplift trend deduced from these reefs is 0.5 millimeter per year; most terraces, although polycyclic in origin, appear to correspond to specific interglacial stages, with the oldest terrace formed 1 million years ago. This puts them among the longest and most complete mid-Quaternary terrace sequences.

Submitted on December 20, 1990
Accepted on April 17, 1991


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
High-Resolution Reconstruction of Quaternary Crustal Movement Based on Sedimentary Facies Analysis: An Example from the Oga Peninsula, Northern Japan.
(2002)
Journal of Sedimentary Research 72, 386-392
Variable rates of Late Quaternary surface uplift along the Banda Arc-Australian plate collision zone, eastern Indonesia.
D. Merritts, R. Eby, R. Harris, R. L. Edwards, and H. Chang (1998)
Geological Society, London, Special Publications 146, 213-224
   Abstract »    PDF »
Continental collision in the Banda arc.
A. N. Richardson, D. J. Blundell, and A. N. Richardson (1996)
Geological Society, London, Special Publications 106, 47-60
   Abstract »    PDF »


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