Agenda

Speaker:
Dr. Denovan Chauveau, Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica (DAIS), Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

Abstract:
During the Quaternary, the glacio-eustatic variations, sometimes associated with tectonic uplift, locally caused the emergence of coral reefs, forming coral reef terrace sequences. They are widespread throughout the world and form an important part of coastal geological formations. From global to local scales, coral reef terrace sequences are essential records of sea-level, paleoclimate, and tectonics in the Quaternary. Most of theses sequences recorded the environmental conditions of the last Interglacial, a period when the sea-level was higher than today and which may have undergone rapid sea-level changes. This is all the more important for understanding the current sea-level rise. My research seeks to improve the understanding of the morphogenesis of coral reef terrace sequences by studying the different processes of generation (tectonic movements, glacio-eustatic variations, reef bioconstructions) and degradation (marine erosion and continental denudation) of these sequences. For this purpose, I use precise geomorphological and geochemical analysis and numerical modeling. My work highlights that careful modeling can explain the morphology of terraces and, to a greater extent, discuss precisely the processes that generated it, including the past sea-level variations and especially that of the Last Interglacial.