Late Quaternary development, architecture, and paleoecology of Rasdhoo Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean

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The aim of the proposed study is to reconstruct the development of the Maldivian atoll of Rasdhoo including its reef islands since the last glacial maximum. As there exists hardly any data on reef and island development in the Maldives during the past several thousand years, it is proposed to drill 10-15 shallow coreholes on the marginal and lagoonal reefs of Rasdhoo atoll down to 25 m below present sea-level using a portable hydraulic drill. The age of corals along the rock cores obtained as well as the rock itself can be determined using the standard C14- and/or U/Th methods. Preferentially, shallow-water corals will be dated with the intention to get a large number of sea-level data from different depths. With these data, it will be possible to evaluate the influence of controlling factors of atoll and island development such as sea-level fluctuations and antecedent topography of the underlying ice-age islands. These data will also allow to make predictions for the future development of reefs and reef islands in the light of global warming and the rise in global sea-level.