Holocene Reef Associated Carbonate Sediments and Their Pleistocene Counterparts, Miyako Islands, Ryukyus, Southwest of Japan: ABSTRACT

Abstract

Holocene carbonate sedimentary facies distribution, from sea level to shelf slope about 1,000 m in depth, and its relationship to bathymeltry, off Miyako Island, Ryukyus, southwest of Japan were clarified by surveys with sidescan sonar, sparker, uniboom, sea-bottom camera, and sediment sampler. Six facies were recognized using the acoustic data, sample analytical data, and sea-bottom photographs. These are as follows: (A) Reef facies: made mainly of autochthonous hermatypic corals and encrusting algae, 0-60 m deep. (B) Inter-reef muddy facies: consists of very fine sand-size carbonate fraction and line mud, 20-60 m deep surrounded area be reefal relief and islands. (C) Inter-reef and near-reef sandy facies: characterized by tests of shallow benthic foraminifera Calcarina and Marginopora, and Halimeda fragments, 0-90 m deep. (D) Rhodolith and large foraminiferal gravelly shelf facies: contains pebble to cobble-size rhodolith and/and foraminifera Cycloclypeus and Operculina, 60-200 m deep. (E) Bryozoan sandy shelf facies: rich in byrozoan fragments, 80-200 m deep. (F) Shelf slope pelagic foraminiferal facies: dominated by pelagic foraminifera and pteropod molluscan tests, deeper than 200 m. Counterparts of these facies in emerged Pleistocene limestone sequences have been recognized in outcrops and core samples. The results of the marine survey on Holocene deposits made itmore » easy to interpret the Pleistocene depositional environments and sea level changes.« less