Hi, what is the unique combination of factors that makes Great Barrier Reef the world’s largest coral reef system? What are some other places in the world that come close and in what ways do they fall short?
In: Planetary Science
it is unique in that it is the youngest coral reef that we know of; with the oldest geological foundation of coral being 600,000 years old and an average age of about 10,000 years.
the great barrier reef sits on a plateau which has allows coral to build up with relative ease as the the sea level has changed over the millions of years.
the GBR exists due to extreme luck of tectonic plate movements and cycles of ice ages and thawings
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