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Uplift rates of the Loyalty Islands as Determined by 230Th/234U Dating of Raised Coral Terraces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

John F. Marshall  and
Jean Launay
John F. Marshall
Affiliation:
Bureau of Mineral Resources, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia and ORSTOM, B.P. A5, Noumea, New Caledonia France
Jean Launay
Affiliation:
Bureau of Mineral Resources, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia and ORSTOM, B.P. A5, Noumea, New Caledonia France
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Abstract

Uplift rates of the Loyalty Islands (S.W. Pacific) have been determined from 230Th/234U dating of raised coral terraces standing 2 to 7.5 m above sea level. The ages of the terraces on Ouvéa and Lifou correspond closely to previously documented periods of high sea levels at 120,000 and 180,000 yr BP. A +2-m terrace on Beautemps-Beaupré is considered to be beyond the range of the dating technique. The uplift rates of the various islands show a decrease toward the west. This lends support to the hypothesis of a lithospheric bulge of the leading edge of the Australian plate prior to its subduction at the level of the New Hebrides trench.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , March 1978 , pp. 186 - 192
Copyright
University of Washington

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