Journal article
Sheltered sandy beaches of southwestern Australia
Geological Society Special Publication, Vol.346, pp.23-42
2010
Abstract
Four beach types were identified from field surveys of beach profiles on low-energy sandy beaches in Cockburn Sound, a micro-tidal, semi-enclosed basin in southwestern Australia. These were delineated by an exposure factor (Ef), which provided a surrogate for the relationship between incident wave energy and attenuation as a result of structures, banks and shoals. The four beach profiles identified were exponential, segmented, concave-curvilinear and convex-curvilinear in form. Whether the different profile shapes occurred in environments subject to different degrees of sheltering and protection under the same tidal regime was open to question. Beach profiles were examined for Como Beach and Princess Royal Harbour in Western Australia and compared with observations from Cockburn Sound to test this proposition. Cockburn Sound and Princess Royal Harbour are subject to minimal penetration of swell waves whereas Como Beach, in the Swan River Estuary, is wholly fetch limited. Profile forms identified in each environment were consistent with those described from Cockburn Sound. Similar profile types had similar exposure values for all sites such that Ef <1 was characteristic of exponential profiles, 1-1.5 of segmented, 1.5-2 of concave-curvilinear, and Ef>2 of convex-curvilinear. Although this approach requires further testing in low-energy environments subject to different tidal ranges and fluctuations in sea level, use of the exposure factor for delineation of low-energy sheltered beach types appears to be a robust procedure.
Details
- Title
- Sheltered sandy beaches of southwestern Australia
- Authors
- Ailbhe Travers (Author) - University of Western AustraliaM J Eliot (Author) - University of Western AustraliaM Jendrzejczak (Author) - University of Western Australia
- Publication details
- Geological Society Special Publication, Vol.346, pp.23-42
- Publisher
- Geological Society Publishing House
- Date published
- 2010
- DOI
- 10.1144/SP346.3
- ISSN
- 0305-8719
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Sustainability Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449398802621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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