Authors: P. S. Kench, C. Liang, M. R. Ford, S. D. Owen, M. Aslam, E. J. Ryan, T. Turner, E. Beetham, M. E. Dickson, W. Stephenson, A. Vila-Concejo, R. F. McLean
Published: 2023-01-31
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36171-2
Source: Full article
AbstractGlobal environmental change is identified as a driver of physical transformation of coral reef islands over the past half-century, and next 100 years, posing major adaptation challenges to island nations. Here we resolve whether these recent documented changes in islands are unprecedented compared with the pre-industrial era. We utilise radiometric dating, geological, and remote sensing techniques to document the dynamics of a Maldivian reef island at millennial to decadal timescales. Results show the magnitude of island change over the past half-century (±40 m movement) is not unprecedented compared with paleo-dynamic evidence that reveals large-scale changes in island dimension, shape, beach levels, as well as positional changes of ±200 m since island formation ~1,500 years ago. Results highlight the value of a multi-temporal methodological approach to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamic trajectories of reef islands, to support development of adaptation strategies at timeframes relevant to human security.