@article{fdi:010066297,
  title = {{R}elative sea-level changes during the last century recorded by coral microatolls in {B}elloc, {H}aiti},
  author = {{W}eil-{A}ccardo, {J}. and {F}euillet, {N}. and {J}acques, {E}. and {D}eschamps, {P}ierre and {S}aurel, {J}.{M}. and {T}hirumalai, {K}. and {D}emeza, {S}. and {A}nglade, {D}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{W}e present here the first study of coral microatolls in the {C}aribbean. {A}n exceptional site ({B}elloc reef) where dozens of microatolls were growing was uplifted and exposed during the 12 {J}anuary 2010 {M}w 7 {H}aiti earthquake. {T}otal station measurements of the old pre-earthquake and the new post-earthquake coral highest level of survival ({HLS}) on two generations of {S}iderastrea siderea corals allowed us to estimate a value of 45 ± 14 cm for the coseismic uplift. {I}n this small 90 m × 70 m reef, microatolls of different shapes (cups, hats or flats) coexist, indicating long term submergence, emergence or stable relative sea-level. {T}his variability in coral shape is uncommon. {T}wo slices of microatolls, one cup-shaped ({B}8) and one hat-shaped ({B}10) were sampled with a chain saw and {X}-rayed to study their stratigraphy. {B}10 recorded a mean relative sea-level decrease of about - 1 mm/yr over the last five decades, whereas {B}8 has grown in a context of relative sea-level rise at a rate of about 1 mm/yr over nine decades. {S}everal sudden and temporary die downs simultaneously disrupted the growth of both corals in 1940 ± 2, 1963 ± 2, 1983 ± 2, 1992 ± 1, 2001 ± 1 and 2009 and may be caused by oceanographic/climatic phenomena occurring in the tropical {N}orth {A}tlantic. {T}he last one, in 2009, was associated with a clear sea-level height decrease (about 10 cm) in the satellite data. {B}10 was strongly affected by these events and records die downs of systematically larger amplitude, which tended to delay its upward growth compared to {B}8. {T}his makes {B}10 less reliable for the evaluation of the relative sea-level trend, its emergence rate being only an apparent estimate due to die downs. {F}ossil coral microatolls of {D}iploria strigosa which died between 1958 and 1966 (according to {U}/{T}h dating), probably during one of the strongest hurricane reported in {H}aiti ({F}lora, 1963), display a cup shape attesting for submergence. {T}heir {HLS} is 1 cm below the {HLS} of the {S}. siderea killed in 2010. {T}he record of {B}8, the diversity in shape of the {S}. siderea microatolls and the position of fossil {D}. strigosa corals overall indicate stable to slightly increasing relative sea-level (about 1 mm/yr). {T}his is on the same order of magnitude, although slightly lower, as the rate we determined over the last 74 years by using eight tide gauge records around {H}ispaniola (1.63 ± 0.20 mm/yr) and the mean rate of sea-level rise previously published (2.0 ± 0.5 mm/yr) in the area. {T}his study demonstrates that coral microatolls can be used to infer relative sea-level changes over the last decades or centuries in the {C}aribbean, where tide gauge records are often sparse, incomplete or nonexistent. {T}his is of prime importance for the numerous small and flat {C}aribbean islands, highly vulnerable to the threat of global sea-level rise.},
  keywords = {{CARAIBE} ; {HAITI} ; {ATLANTIQUE} ; {MER} {DES} {ANTILLES} ; {CARAIBES} {MER}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{G}lobal and {P}lanetary {C}hange},
  volume = {139},
  numero = {},
  pages = {1--14},
  ISSN = {0921-8181},
  year = {2016},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.gloplacha.2015.12.019},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010066297},
}