Australia's Great Barrier Reef is very young

2001/06/04 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Geologia

This project brings together 17 European and Australian researchers. The team chose the right place and made two big holes. The first, 86 meters, reaches the inner layer of the barrier. The other, 210 meters, was built in another narrow and elongated coral colony that surrounds the barrier. Samples were extracted from both holes and their composition was analyzed.

The results of the study have been published in the journal Geology. Initially, based on the proportion of strontium isotopes, scientists have concluded that the oldest coral stretch is between 490,000 and 1,050,000 years old.

Another technique used was paleomagnetism. The Earth's magnetic field last underwent a sharp change in coral structure 790.000 years ago. This means that the coral is younger, according to experts, about 600,000 years old.

Therefore, these coral colonies have had a very high growth rate. Scientists believe this may be related to climate change.