How was the Great Barrier reef formed?
Geology and geography Satellite image of part of the Great Barrier Reef adjacent to the Queensland coastal areas of Proserpine and Mackay.Australia moved northwards at a rate of 7 cm per year, starting during the Cainozoic.[9] Eastern Australia experienced a period of tectonic uplift, leading to the drainage divide in Queensland moving 400 km inland. Also during this time, Queensland experienced volcanic eruptions leading to central and shield volcanoes and basalt flows.[10] Some of these granitic outcrops have become high islands.[11] After the Coral Sea Basin was formed, coral reefs began to grow in the Basin, but until about 25 million years ago, northern Queensland was still in temperate waters south of the tropics – too cool to support coral growth.[12] The history of the development of the Great Barrier Reef is complex; after Queensland drifted into tropical waters, the history is largely influenced by how reefs fluctuate (grow and recede) as the sea level changes.[13] They can i
The Great Barrier Reef is located in Queensland, Australia. It is not only the largest living structure, but also the largest coral reef in the world. The Great Barrier Reef was formed as a result of the rise and fall of sea levels during the final years of the Ice Age. The Great Barrier Reef is visible clearly from outer space. To know more about this World Heritage Park read this article.
Reefs are only formed in shallow water where there is adequate light for the organisms that build them. Reefs do not form at depths greater than about 30 meters. They also do not form where the water temperature drops below about 18 degrees Celsius. This is why coral reefs mostly form in clean, clear, shallow tropical seas.
