10 Reasons why geomorphology is important!

Be sure to check out the British Society for Geomorphology's new publication here.

Spray Day

I've been fortunate to be involved in lots of different fieldwork the last few years but today was the first that involved taking to the air! 

In conjunction with Airborne Research Australia two planes were flown along the Young Husband and Sir Richard Peninsula's here in South Australia measuring salt spray along the coast.

Both planes in flight along one of the sites. 

Another 'action' shot.

Dr Graziela Miot Da Silva as part of the ground based team.

ICAR 8 and the Badain Jaran Desert

In July the International Society for Aeolian Research held its biennial conference in Lanzhou, China. As part of the conference we were fortunate to visit the Badain Jaran desert which hosts some of the tallest dunes of earth.

As well as some massive dunes, over 140 lakes can be found between the dunes in Badain Jaran desert. 

A trip to Minqin desert control experiment station was also organised. Checkerboarding from the bus!

Chinese hospitality after a long day on the road, Inner Mongolia. 

Chinese Nebkha

Yours truly rolling the prayer wheels in Ta'er Monastry

Online seminar: Sand dunes, Shipwrecks and Space

I recently gave a presentation as part of Flinders University 'Environment Matters!' seminar series.

The seminar and presentation slides can be viewed online or downloaded here. 

NEW PUBLICATION : Sediment transport patterns in a trough blowout

The trough blowout investigated in the study. (County Donegal, Ireland.)

This study examines the variability of sediment flux and its relationship with near surface wind in a trough blowout. Results demonstrated that sediment flux rates were highly variable even over distances of less than 0.5 m. Where wind flow was steadiest, flux was greatest, consequently highest rates of sediment transport were measured on the erosional walls of the blowout. Interestingly however, correlation between sediment flux and wind parameters was best in the centre of the blowout and poorest on the erosional wall crest.

Authors: Thomas Smyth, Derek Jackson and Andrew Cooper

Published in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms

Fieldwork - Northern California 2014

Unloading the gear. Thankfully we didn't have to bring all this from Australia!

Calibration time. Ian Walker and Michael Grilliot from the University of Victoria check the instruments

Dunes, glorious dunes.

Making use of all that drift wood

Yours truly enjoying the west coast sunshine!

The Coorong

Patrick, Stefano (a visiting PhD student from Italy) and I took a trip down to the Coorong National Park at the weekend. This was my first visit and I was blown away by the coastline. So much variety in wave energy and dune types all on one beach. From no energy in Lacepede Bay in the South to a very high energy environment at the Murray Mouth.  Hopefully it will make the perfect laboratory!

The Granites. The only rock on 194 km of continuous beach.

It's hard to fully appreciate the scale of the landforms here and the processes that drive their evolution.

Australia's second longest continuous beach.