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reef

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences | 1999 | | Â© A Dictionary of Earth Sciences 1999, originally published by Oxford University Press 1999. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

reef
1. A rigid, wave-resistant build-up constructed by carbonate organisms. Types of reef include patch reefs (small and circular in shape); pinnacle reefs (conical in form); barrier reefs (separated from the coast by a lagoon); fringing reefs (attached to a coast); and atolls (isolated reefs enclosing lagoons). Factors influencing reef growth include: (a) water temperature (optimum 25°C); (b) water depth (must be less than 10 m); (c) salinity (normal marine salinity is necessary); (d) wave action (intense wave action favours coral growth); and (e) turbidity (coral growth requires clear water and an absence of terrigenous suspended sediment). The diversity of species found in a reef will be a function of salinity and water temperature, with stressful conditions resulting in a reduction of species present.

2. In mining, certain palaeoplacer gold deposits in Australia and South Africa.

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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "reef." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "reef." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (December 10, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-reef.html

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "reef." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved December 10, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-reef.html

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