Potential multidisciplinary aspects:
We have discussed the following projects for GEOS3009. This unit is inherently multidiscipliany as we have students from different majors taking it. The multidisciplinarity of the projects will arise organically from the multidisciplinarity of the cohort but we will make sure that the students look into these projects taking into account biological, engineering, physics, and geology aspects.
OPTION 1 - KIOLOA
As part of GEOS3009, students travel to Kioloa in a compulsory fieldtrip. Some students could focus in the data from this fieldtrip to complete a project.
- Morphodynamics: waves and sediment transport on beaches
- Biology: vegetation as proxies for coastal environments.... dunes... a bit vague.
- Get vibro cores and do geochem analyses durign practicals? statistics skills from bio students will be handy
- Structure from motion: using drones to map the coast, numerical part of data processing (engineering?), bio part of habitat mapping
- Decadal evolution of habitats (using aerial photos)
OPTION 2 - CORAL REEF MORPHODYNAMICS
This combines some of the research strengths of Jody, Tristan, and Ana.
- Bio- coral eco and bio intro (Jody's part)
- Coral reefs as sedimentary units and wave dissipaters; coral reef health affects the morphodynamics of reefs (Ana's part). I could then have 1 practical based on Kioloa and 1 practical based on wave dissipation on coral reefs.
- Modelling of reefs, geo and contemporary processes (including biology). Tristan, could you do pybadlands or something simpler with the students? we could have the students working in teams so students from different majors work together in a team. They could investigate different scenarios of reef health (bleached, not bleached...) and associated wave dissipation and sediment transport.... We can certainly try to use pyReef-core as an example. It will be good as it is based on a ecological model.
+ pyReef-core interaction coral sea-level - holocene reef development GBR - sediment input - wave input - nutrient/pH/temperature - erosion subaerial
+ Grain-size settling velocity different laws for siliclastics and carbonates
+ airy model
OPTION 3 - NSW COASTAL MANAGEMENT
OEH is currently doing extensive fieldwork measurements off the coast of NSW, they are measuring multi-beam and sampling sediments. They are also undertaking wave measurements using mini wave riders to refine an exisitng wave transformation model for NSW (
http://www.forecast.waves.nsw.gov.au/index.php?init=1&cont=10&zoom=7&mod=20). There are opportunities to engage with OEH (I just spoke with Dr Mike Kinsela, Honorary Associate to the School) and he is enthusiastic about the idea. Some ideas for these projects would be:
- Use wave measurements and wave propagation pools to establish different energy levels around the coast and relate them with different habitats and coastal management issues (e.g., coastal erosion, mangrove zonation...)
- Beach management projects including beach monitoring, habitat mapping, and wave modelling. Students could learn field techniques at Kioloa and then take onto local beaches for a monitoring/management project. This can easily include biology with species to conserve, diversity, eco-engineering, etc.