Great Barrier Reef, Ribbon Surficial Cover Facies maps

Updated: 2025-05-21

The Bureau of Mineral Resources has developed a reconnaissance-style mapping technique for documenting surficial cover on reefs. These maps exhibit only surficial facies. Subsurface facies will be integrated on future maps. A simple bathymetric classification has been applied to these maps with the differentiation of supratidal, intertidal and subtidal zones. The intertidal zone is confined to upper and lower levels that approximate highest astronomical tide and low water datum at Townsville respectively. Map resolution is variable over the reef and generally it decreases with increasing water depth. Maximum resolution has been retained where possible, to provide the user with the means of location on these reefs. Compiled 1982 by B.M. Radke BMR Edited 1983 by G.W. D'Addario Cartography by G.A. Young, R.A. Swoboda Drawn by G.A. Young Doc Fisher Geoscience Library Link https://geoscienceaustralia.intersearch.com.au/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=21026