This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, Jul 16, 2018
We propose a type of a quasi-equilibrium, which describes a convergence of the estuarine system t... more We propose a type of a quasi-equilibrium, which describes a convergence of the estuarine system towards a form whose planimetric orientation is along the prevailing winds. By using the microtidal Lake Illawarra in southeastern Australia as an example, we describe sediment convergent and divergent processes that induce such an equilibrium controlled by the complex configuration of the shoreline relative to the prevailing winds. For a complex estuarine sedimentary system with a mixture of non-cohesive and cohesive sediments, alongshore distribution of fluvial or marine sand deposition and associated subaqueous morphology reflects alongshore redistribution of sediments from rivers and the tidal inlet. The orientation of the second-order polynomial trend surface of estuarine morphology is consistent with prevailing wind directions. Along the lake shore, there are extensive narrow flats mainly covered by fluvial or marine sands shaped by the prevailing winds. The implementation of the Delft3D flow model coupled with SWAN wave model driven by idealized prevailing winds indicates the potential of sediment convergent and divergent transport at the embayment and promontory shoreline, which appears to be similar to the alongshore distribution of sandy sediments and the nearshore flats. Alongshore transport of 2 sandy sediments is primarily induced by the wave refraction on the shore, while the currents are more effective in transporting fine-grained sediments such as mud or clay. Finally, we suggest a conceptual model that describes potential sediment transport of convergence and divergence on the embayment or promontory shoreline that is normal to the prevailing winds. Orientation of the estuary follows the convergence centre of sediment transport driven by the prevailing winds with the largest fetch. A quantitative threshold for such sediment redistribution may be determined in the future.
A mid-Permian mafic intrusion into wet marine sediments of the lower Shoalhaven Group and its significance in the volcanic history of the southern Sydney Basin
Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, Jun 19, 2022
Reassessing the chronostratigraphy and tempo of climate change in the Lower-Middle Permian of the southern Sydney Basin, Australia: Integrating evidence from U–Pb zircon geochronology and biostratigraphy
Smoke aerosol dispersion and transport have a significant impact on air quality levels and can be... more Smoke aerosol dispersion and transport have a significant impact on air quality levels and can be examined by environmental monitoring and modelling techniques. The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics of the smoke aerosols and the level of air quality during November and December 2019 under the influence of extensive bushfires in the Sydney area, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. To achieve this goal, air quality and meteorological data were analysed in combination with remote sensing satellite measurements. Meteorological and air quality data were obtained from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and Environmental Protection Agency monitoring sites in NSW. In Richmond the daily maximum average hourly concentration of particulate matter (PM10) was 848.9 μg/m3 at 07:00 UTC on 26 November 2019 and 785 μg/m3 at 07:00 UTC on 12 December 2019. On 10 December 2019, the highest PM10 recorded in the Sydney region was 961.5 μg/m3 in St Marys at 01:00 UTC, while the highest ...
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, May 14, 2022
in Sydney ranged from 480 to 385 μg/m 3 , well above the standard air quality level in Australia ... more in Sydney ranged from 480 to 385 μg/m 3 , well above the standard air quality level in Australia (50 μg/m 3 per 24 h). The HYSPLIT back trajectories of air parcels suggest that the potential sources of the dust episode originated from the Lake Eyre Basin and northeast South Australia, the Mundi Mundi plains west of Broken Hill, Cobar and the grazing lands and the red sandplains in northwestern NSW. It then travelled towards the east coast. These long-range airflows transported suspended dust particles, raising air quality to hazardous levels (elevated PM10 levels) over most areas of NSW. The results from the HYSPLIT model for dust movement are confirmed by MODIS satellite images. Many areas of NSW experienced this intense dust storm due to northwest wind generated by the low-pressure systems and cold fronts over South Australia and many parts of western NSW as it moved eastward.
Contemporary foraminiferal sediment samples were collected from the intertidal sabkha of Al-Kharr... more Contemporary foraminiferal sediment samples were collected from the intertidal sabkha of Al-Kharrar Lagoon, Saudi Arabia, to study the vertical distribution of foraminifers and, based on a modern training set, their potential to develop a predictor of former sea-level changes in the area. Based on hierarchical cluster analysis, the intertidal sabkha is divided into three vertical zones (A, B, and C) represented by three foraminiferal assemblages, where agglutinated species occupied Zone A and calcareous species occupied the other two zones. In Zone A (high intertidal), Agglutinella compressa, Clavulina angularis and C. multicamerata are dominant species with a minor presence of Peneroplis planatus, Coscinospira hemprichii, Sorites orbiculus, Quinqueloculina lamarckiana, Q. seminula, Ammonia convexa and A. tepida. In contrast, in Zone B (middle intertidal) the most abundant species are P. planatus, C. hemprichii, S. orbiculus, Q. lamarckiana, Q. seminula and Q. laevigata, while Zone ...
A comprehensive study was conducted to examine the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) w... more A comprehensive study was conducted to examine the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which exist in groundwater at Southlands-Botany Bay (Sydney region). The ability of nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) as advanced treatments was investigated using two commercially available NF or RO membranes. Laboratory-scale tests were used with cross-flow; tests were conducted with 16 ubiquitous compounds that represented the significant volatile organic compounds found in the contaminated groundwater. The results reported in this study indicate that the removal efficiency of reverse osmosis (RO) was better than NF in rejecting the VOCs detected in groundwater. This study revealed that the performance of NF and RO membranes in rejecting hydrophilic volatile organic compounds was higher than that for hydrophobic compounds and the highest rejection achieved by NF and RO membranes amounted 98.4% and 100%, respectively. Hydrophilic compounds can be effectively rejected by NF/RO membranes using the size exclusion mechanism (steric hindrance), whereas hydrophobic compounds can be adsorbed into NF/RO membranes and then diffuse through the dense polymeric matrix, resulting in the lower removal for these compounds compared to hydrophilic compounds.
Lithostratigraphic and sequence stratigraphic architecture of the Winduck Lithostratigraphic and ... more Lithostratigraphic and sequence stratigraphic architecture of the Winduck Lithostratigraphic and sequence stratigraphic architecture of the Winduck Interval, central Darling Basin, Australia, based on integration of wireline logs, Interval, central Darling Basin, Australia, based on integration of wireline logs, cores and cuttings data cores and cuttings data
Geomorphic evidence for mid Holocene higher sea level from southeastern Australia
An elevated sheltered pocket beach sequence at Batemans Bay, NSW, Australia, composed of shelly f... more An elevated sheltered pocket beach sequence at Batemans Bay, NSW, Australia, composed of shelly fine- to medium-grained sand provides geomorphological evidence of higher than present sea level during the mid-Holocene. The sequence is composed of a sand facies with variable amounts of shell and contains a number of well-defined dipping reflectors identified in GPR profiles indicative of a small prograded
Lithostratigraphy of the Holocene Lake Illawarra barrier estuary on the New South Wales coast, Au... more Lithostratigraphy of the Holocene Lake Illawarra barrier estuary on the New South Wales coast, Australia, adds details to previous models of barrier estuary evolution. Establishment of a detailed chronology, with the use of 121 aspartic acid-derived ages and six radiocarbon ages, has allowed the definition of a five-stage geomorphic model for the infill of the barrier estuary. A broad incised valley formed during the sea level lowstand represents the initial stage. Stage two is represented by a basal transgressive marine sand sheet deposited in response to rising sea levels associated with the last postglacial marine transgression, which inundated the shallow incised valley ca. 8000-7500 years ago. This feature is not present in the deeper and narrower incised valleys used to establish previous barrier estuary models. The more open marine conditions, with a diverse assemblage of estuarine and marine mollusc species, persisted until ca. 5000 years ago when the barrier started to become emergent and resulted in the development of a low-energy back-barrier lagoonal environment (stage 3). A late Holocene regression (1-2 m) of sea level between 3200-2500 years ago (stage 4) further restricted oceanic circulation and increased the rate of fluvial bay-head delta progradation. The final stage has seen a rapid extension of the fluvial deltas and increased rates of lagoonal sedimentation during the past 200 years as a result of land clearing for agriculture and urban and industrial development. This five-stage evolutionary model of barrier estuary evolution developed for Lake Illawarra can be applied to other shallow estuaries on tectonically stable, wave-dominated coastlines.
Coastal lagoons and estuaries in southeastern Australia mainly occupy lowstand incised valley sys... more Coastal lagoons and estuaries in southeastern Australia mainly occupy lowstand incised valley systems that have been impounded by post-glacial sea-level rise. Most previous research has focused on larger estuarine and deltaic systems but the Swan Lake deposits record the geomorphic evolution of a small perched saline coastal lagoon that has remained in a youthful stage of estuary infilling with very slow progradation of the bayhead delta and slow accumulation of the central basin mud facies. This can be attributed to the relatively small catchment that is covered with natural vegetation. Marine influences at the flood-tide delta have been restricted by the perched nature of the lagoon and the high wave energy on the coast that rapidly closes the entrance with sand. Comparison with other similar lagoons along the NSW coast between Sydney and Batemans Bay illustrates the general geomorphic evolution of saline coastal lagoons. Such lagoons are also very similar to small perched lagoons in South Africa and to a lesser extent with those on the east coast of South America.
Aminostratigraphy of Two Holocene Wave-Dominated Barrier Estuaries in Southeastern Australia
Journal of Coastal Research, 2006
ABSTRACT An aminostratigraphy of Lake Illawarra and St Georges Basin, two wave-dominated barrier ... more ABSTRACT An aminostratigraphy of Lake Illawarra and St Georges Basin, two wave-dominated barrier estuaries in southeastern Australia, has been derived on the basis of the extent of aspartic acid racemisation in the Holocene fossil molluscs Anadara trapezia and Notospisula trigonella. Relative ages were also assigned to Late Pleistocene fossil molluscs on the basis of the extent of racemisation of the slower racemising amino acids valine, leucine, and praline. Aminostratigraphy indicates that remnant Last Interglacial deposits within both incised valleys form a substrate over which Holocene estuarine sediments have been deposited and form a core for the Holocene barrier. Results from this study also indicate that the early geomorphological evolution of wave-dominated barrier estuaries formed in broad and relatively shallow, incised valleys is different from previously published models of Holocene barrier estuary evolution that explain successions in narrow, drowned valleys. Divergence from previous models is seen with the deposition of a near-basinwide shell-rich transgressive sandsheet deposited as rising sea levels breached remnants of Last Interglacial barriers during the most recent postglacial marine transgression (PMT; ca. 12,000-7000 Cal BP). Subsequent development of the estuaries follows the previously developed models with the Holocene barrier and central mud basin accumulating over the initial transgressive sandsheet. The aminostratigraphic framework derived from this study will serve as a geochronological template for future studies in wave-dominated barrier estuaries on the southeast coast of Australia.
Amino acid racemisation is a chemical dating method that measures the relative abundance of amino... more Amino acid racemisation is a chemical dating method that measures the relative abundance of amino acid isomers preserved within organic materials (expressed as a D/L ratio). It has been successfully applied to the dating of marine and terrestrial molluscs, teeth, bone, and aeolanites (Rutter and Blackwell 1995). Traditionally, amino acid racemisation has been used in the dating of Quaternary sedimentary successions (e.g. Murray-Wallace and Kimber, 1987; Murray-Wallace, 2000 and references therein). Goodfriend (1992) has shown that the fast racemising acid, aspartic acid (Asp) may be applied in the dating of recent sedimentary successions younger than 600 years (Goodfriend et al., 1992; Goodfriend et al., 1996; Goodfriend and Stanley, 1996). Thus, the racemisation of aspartic acid has the potential to provide a geochronology for Late Holocene to recent sedimentary successions that are otherwise difficult to date using more conventional dating techniques such as radiocarbon dating.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, Apr 24, 2020
Open-air sites in arid and semi-arid landscapes are often subject to prolonged periods of exposur... more Open-air sites in arid and semi-arid landscapes are often subject to prolonged periods of exposure and episodes of erosion that can lead to the redistribution of artefacts and the loss of behaviorally significant spatial information. This is true along the Doring River, South Africa, where archaeologically rich sediment stacks with records exceeding 200,000 years are undergoing rapid erosion in response to modern climatic conditions and land use practices. This paper evaluates the impacts of past and future erosion on the disaggregation of artefacts from these open-air sites and the resulting loss of stratigraphic context and behaviorally significant spatial information. We use low elevation aerial images of the Klein Hoek 1 locality captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to develop a high-resolution local digital terrain model (DTM), which we use to model surface flow paths and quantify the potential for future sediment loss using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). We compare the results of these analyses to the distribution of artefacts of different ages to assess artefact dispersion and to guide future research priorities at the locality. We find that some artefact clusters retain significant spatial integrity, whereas others are dispersed and likely out of primary context. The results also indicate that the geomorphic stability of a large part of Klein Hoek 1 has been compromised by erosion, with limited prospects for longterm survival given the present climate and land use practices.
Coastal environments are subject to trace metal pollution via a combination of industry and urban... more Coastal environments are subject to trace metal pollution via a combination of industry and urbanised sources. The pollutants accumulate within surface sediments, especially in the quieter backwaters of estuaries. An environmental assessment of the Port Hacking estuary, southern Sydney, Australia, was undertaken using 233 surface samples. Trace metal concentrations (Ni, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, and As) in these samples indicated that most elements in Port Hacking were below the relevant ANZECC/ARMCANZ guideline low trigger value (ISQG-low), but a few sites exceeded this value. The low trace metal concentrations are mainly because the catchment areas have limited urban development and few discharge points. In contrast, one site in Gunnamatta Bay has Zn and Cu concentrations that exceeded the high trigger value (ISQG-high), due to moored vessels, boatyards, and stormwater outlets in this vicinity. Port Hacking is considered to be relatively unpolluted and healthy when compared with other Sydne...
Global elevation datasets such as the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation m... more Global elevation datasets such as the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation model (DEM) are the best available terrain data in many parts of the world. Consequently, SRTM is widely used for understanding the risk of coastal inundation due to climate change-induced sea level rise. However, SRTM elevations are prone to error, giving rise to uncertainty in the quality of the inundation projections. This study investigated the error propagation model for the Shatt al-Arab River region (SARR) to understand the impact of DEM error on an inundation model in this sensitive, low-lying coastal region. The analysis involved three stages. First, a multiple regression model, parameterized from the Mississippi River delta region, was used to generate an expected DEM error surface for the SARR. This surface was subtracted from the SRTM DEM for the SARR to adjust it. Second, residuals from this model were simulated for the SARR. Modelled residuals were subtracted from the adjust...
Middle to Late Quaternary palaeolandscapes of the central Azraq Basin, Jordan: Deciphering discontinuous records of human-environment dynamics at the arid margin of the Levant
The present work is conducted on the Paleozoic (Ordovician) Khabour and the (Silurian) Akkas shal... more The present work is conducted on the Paleozoic (Ordovician) Khabour and the (Silurian) Akkas shales in the Akkas-1 well of western Iraq. The study is aiming to determine the implications of clay mineral transformation, organic mineral distribution and maturity of hydrocarbon generation, using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in addition to organic matter concentrations. In the shale of the Khabour Formation, amorphous organic matter is common and includes various Tasmanite-type organic matter, vitrinite, inertinite, and bituminite. The main clay minerals observed include illite, chlorite, kaolinite, in addition to mixed-layer illite-smectite and rare smectite. In Silurian shale, high content of organic matter is recorded in addition to abundant vitrinite and low content of grainy organic matter (Tasmanites) and pyrite. Illite and kaolinite are commonly found in addition to chlorite and illite-smectite clay minerals. Conversion of smectite to mixed-layer il...
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