Rapid subsidence of Kohala Volcano and its effect on coral reef growth

Evidence collected on the Kohala Terrace off northwest Hawaii shows that the volcanic edifice has subsided rapidly. This rapid subsidence, combined with Pleistocene glacio-eustactic sea level changes, twice produced relative sea level changes sufficient to drown coral reefs. Such activity can be an explanation for the paradox of reef drowning, i.e., reefs should be able to grow fast enough to avoid drowning by normal subsidence. This explanation can only accommodate the paradox under restrictive circumstances where rapid island subsidence is combined with rapid sea level changes. Because of these restrictive conditions, the general paradox of reef drowning remains.