Modelling the Response of Atoll Reef Islands to Multi-Millennial Sea Level Rise from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Coming 10kyr: the Case of Mururoa Atoll (Tuamotu, French Polynesia)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Le Cozannet, G.; Duvat, V.; Salvat, B., Etienne, S.; Terorotua, H.; Garcin, M.; Lecacheux, S., and Montaggioni, L., 2018. Modelling the Response of Atoll Reef Islands to Multi-Millennial Sea Level Rise from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Coming 10kyr: the Case of Mururoa Atoll (Tuamotu, French Polynesia). In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 511–515. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Composed of biodetritic sediments and lying just a few meters above present sea-level, atoll reef islands are liable to be highly exposed to coastal flooding and shoreline erosion. Nevertheless, the analysis of multi-decadal shoreline change has shown that most reef islands either remain stable in area or are expanding within the context of current sea level rise. This article addresses the key issue of future atoll-island persistence using a simple mor...