Quantitative morphology of a fringing reef tract from high-resolution laser bathymetry: Southern Molokai, Hawaii

Research Article| November 01, 2003 Quantitative morphology of a fringing reef tract from high-resolution laser bathymetry: Southern Molokai, Hawaii C.D. Storlazzi; C.D. Storlazzi 1U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Science Center, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, California 95064-1077, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar J.B. Logan; J.B. Logan 1U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Science Center, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, California 95064-1077, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar M.E. Field M.E. Field 1U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Science Center, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, California 95064-1077, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information C.D. Storlazzi 1U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Science Center, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, California 95064-1077, USA J.B. Logan 1U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Science Center, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, California 95064-1077, USA M.E. Field 1U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Science Center, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, California 95064-1077, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 21 Jun 2002 Revision Received: 11 Mar 2003 Accepted: 06 May 2003 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2003) 115 (11): 1344–1355. https://doi.org/10.1130/B25200.1 Article history Received: 21 Jun 2002 Revision Received: 11 Mar 2003 Accepted: 06 May 2003 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation C.D. Storlazzi, J.B. Logan, M.E. Field; Quantitative morphology of a fringing reef tract from high-resolution laser bathymetry: Southern Molokai, Hawaii. GSA Bulletin 2003;; 115 (11): 1344–1355. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B25200.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract High-resolution Scanning Hydrographic Operational Airborne Lidar Survey (SHOALS) laser-determined bathymetric data were used to define the morphology of spur-and-groove structures on the fringing reef off the south coast of Molokai, Hawaii. These data provide a basis for mapping and analyzing morphology of the reef with a level of precision and spatial coverage never before attained. An extensive fringing coral reef stretches along the central two-thirds of Molokai's south shore (∼40 km); along the east and west ends there is only a thin veneer of living coral with no developed reef complex. In total, ∼4800 measurements of spur-and-groove height and the distance between adjacent spur crests (wavelength) were obtained along four isobaths. Between the 5m and 15m isobaths, the mean spur height increased from 0.7 m to 1.6 m, whereas the mean wavelength increased from 71 m to 104 m. Reef flat width was found to exponentially decrease with increasing wave energy. Overall, mean spur-and-groove height and wavelength were shown to be inversely proportional to wave energy. In high-energy environments, spur-and-groove morphology remains relatively constant across all water depths. In low-energy environments, however, spur-and-groove structures display much greater variation; they are relatively small and narrow in shallow depths and develop into much larger and broader features in deeper water. Therefore, it appears that waves exert a primary control on both the small- and large-scale morphology of the reef off south Molokai. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.