Submarine landslides offshore Yamba, NSW, Australia: an analysis of their timing, downslope motion and possible causes

2018 ◽  
Vol 477 (1) ◽  
pp. 207-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Hubble ◽  
Serena Yeung ◽  
Samantha Clarke ◽  
Alan Baxter ◽  
Fabio De Blasio
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Good Evidence ◽  
Morphological Evidence ◽  
Submarine Landslides ◽  
Small Individual ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Failure Event ◽  
Complete Disintegration ◽  
Scale Failure

AbstractRadiocarbon isotopic ages and sedimentological data are presented for material recovered from three adjacent translational submarine landslides (YS1, YS2 and YS3) identified on the upper-continental slope offshore Yamba, New South Wales, Australia. The age data indicate that these three co-located upper-slope slides probably occurred independently of each other and not in a single, widespread regional-scale failure event.Numerical estimates of the likely runout distances for slide blocks corresponding to the entire landslide scar volumes range between 10 and 27 km, and represent a ‘runout zone’ in which landslide blocks or debris might reasonably be expected to be located. There is no morphological evidence for large blocks or debris fields derived from two of the Yamba landslide scars within their identified runout zones (YS1 and YS2), suggesting these two failures involved complete disintegration of large slide blocks after failure or the removal of sediment from the landslide sites as grainflows or turbidites. In contrast, the third runout zone (YS3) presents good evidence of at least 12 slide blocks between 100 and 200 m in diameter, suggesting that they were shed as relatively small individual blocks or they were generated due to the dismemberment of a larger slab.

Scalar Politics of Climate Change: Regions, Emissions and Responsibility

2012 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Waitt ◽  
Carol Farbotko ◽  
Barbara Criddle
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
New South ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Daily Newspaper ◽  
South Wales ◽  
The Social ◽  
Geographical Scale ◽  
Scalar Politics ◽  
Climate Change Politics

The print media have facilitated multiple types of claim-making and an oppositional climate change politics. Drawing on arguments about the social construction of geographical scale as a category for understanding media practice, this article examines such politics. We focus on the Illawarra Mercury, the only daily newspaper in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, to showcase exactly how this tabloid newspaper engages readers in a scalar politics of climate change. We argue that a regional scalar politics shapes the framing of emissions in the Illawarra Mercury. A key question organising this article concerns the way in which geographical scale is invoked, and reproduced, in this newspaper to structure a certain rationale in reporting on emissions from one of Australia's largest greenhouse gas emitters, the Port Kembla Steelworks. The argument is that the regional scale is evoked as a pre-given, natural and contained entity to justify why the steelworks need not shoulder greenhouse gas emissions reductions. We argue that a better understanding of scalar politics is integral to explain how responsibility for emissions is shifted elsewhere.

Shallow groundwater dynamics in smectite dominated clay on the Liverpool Plains of New South Wales

Soil Research ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Timms ◽  
R. I. Acworth ◽  
D. Berhane
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Groundwater Levels ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Aquifer Systems ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Shallow Groundwater System

Dynamic shallow (<5 m) groundwater levels are an important indicator of water and salt fluxes in smectite-dominated clay on the Liverpool Plains in north-eastern New South Wales. Previous hydrogeological assessments of shallow groundwater related salinity risk have focused on regional scale distribution and interaction with rising pressure levels in confined aquifer systems. In this study, groundwater levels over a 7-year period for the saline Yarramanbah subcatchment are presented, along with data from 60 new and existing shallow piezometers and precise elevation surveying and intensive automated monitoring at selected sites. The shallow groundwater system is shown to respond to recharge; however, over the medium-term it is in hydrologic balance, with no evidence of increased water storage. A proportion of recharge is lost by discharge into deeply incised surface channels. Groundwater salinity in the banks of Warrah Creek indicate that flushing of salts from clay is related to increased flux of fresh water. Concern exists that there may be increased salt export from the catchment. If this is in fact occurring while the plains are in hydrologic equilibrium, then increased salt fluxes must be related to factors other than rising groundwater levels.

Revision of the Australian wolf spider genus Anomalosa Roewer, 1960 (Araneae: Lycosidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 1304 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
VOLKER W. FRAMENAU
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Wolf Spider ◽  
Original Description ◽  
Morphological Evidence ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Systematic Revision ◽  
South Wales ◽  
As Species ◽  
Males And Females

The wolf spider genus Anomalosa Roewer, 1960 is revised with Anomalosa kochi (Simon, 1898) as type species. Anomalosa includes a further Australian species, A. oz sp. nov. Representatives of Anomalosa are small, elongated lycosids with a longitudinal light median band on the dorsal shield of the prosoma and on the opisthosoma, the latter being particularly distinct in males. They are closely related to Venonia Thorell, 1894. Similar to Venonia, males have a bipartite prolateral tegular lobe on the pedipalp, but it is much larger than in Venonia and, in contrast to Venonia, larger than the membranous tegular apophysis. Anomalosa kochi has only been found in Queensland, whereas the distribution of A. oz sp. nov. includes New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. This allopatric distribution coincides with the McPherson Range as a biogeographical border. Although most males and females of Anomalosa have been caught in pitfall traps or running freely in moderately moist habitats, such as near creeks and dams, there is evidence that representatives of this genus build sheet-webs similar to Venonia. This behaviour is supported by morphological evidence as species of Anomalosa have elongated posterior spinnerets. The original description of A. harishi (Dyal, 1935) from Panjab, India, does not match the diagnosis of Anomalosa. Consequently, I reject the inclusion of A. harishi in Anomalosa and re-transfer it to its original genus Anomalomma Simon, 1890, Anomalomma harishi Dyal, 1935, pending a systematic revision of this genus.

scholarly journals Floodplain Inhabitation: A Socio-Spatial Resilience Network

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Rebecca Boyle
Keyword(s):  
Flood Control ◽  
New South ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
City Council ◽  
Flood Mitigation ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Spatial Resilience ◽  
South Wales

<p>The inadequacy of current approaches to managing floodplain inhabitation was highlighted in the 2010-11 Queensland, northern New South Wales and Victorian floods; the most costly floods in Australia’s history. Despite technological advancements and the prevalence of flood mitigation infrastructure, floods continue to have widespread adverse physical, social, economic, and emotional impacts. This situation is mirrored internationally and is anticipated to worsen as scientists predict an increase in the severity and prevalence of natural disasters such as flooding. In response to this, management of floodplain inhabitation must shift from flood prevention to adaptation. Adaptation is a key term in ecological resilience, defined as the capacity of a system to adapt and persist in the face of disturbance (Holling 1976). Hendstra et al (2004) suggests that in the context of disaster-resilient cities, resilience can be defined as the “capacity to adapt to stress from hazards and the ability to recover quickly from their impacts” (Henstra, Kovacs, McBean, & Sweeting, 2004, p. 5). Analysis of ecosystems reveals that interdependence across scales, variety, redundancy, adaptability and feedback are the key resilience principles enabling the system to adapt and maintain stability during flooding. At present there is a sparsity of literature exploring spatial resilience approaches to improving floodplain inhabitation. Whilst amphibious approaches improve individual resilience, there is a lack of innovative solutions to improve community and city resilience to flooding. Resilience approaches have the potential to reduce safety concerns, financial losses and the emotional stress associated with residing on Australian floodplains. Such approaches acknowledge the interconnected nature of riverine floodplains and their inhabitants. However resilience principles need to be given a physical spatial function within specific social contexts. Architecture provides a platform to test new and retrofit adaptable approaches to promote a more suitable spatial relationship with the river. This thesis will take the theory and literature of resilience and apply it to a site-specific spatial context: Maitland. Maitland city is built on one of the most flood prone regions in New South Wales (Keys, 1999). Despite the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme, which consists of 170 kilometers of levees and flood control structures, flooding continues to occur in and around Maitland. Regardless of these flood risks, Maitland City Council is proposing large scale residential development on the floodplain to encourage population increase. Maitland will be used as the primary case study for investigating the opportunities socio-spatial resilience interventions have for improving the longterm inhabitation of the floodplain. This thesis proposes a multi-scaled approach to examine flood hazard and exposure at the individual, community, city and regional scale. As spatial designers it is imperative that architects play a part in this explorative process</p>

scholarly journals Floodplain Inhabitation: A Socio-Spatial Resilience Network

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Rebecca Boyle
Keyword(s):  
Flood Control ◽  
New South ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
City Council ◽  
Flood Mitigation ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Spatial Resilience ◽  
South Wales

<p>The inadequacy of current approaches to managing floodplain inhabitation was highlighted in the 2010-11 Queensland, northern New South Wales and Victorian floods; the most costly floods in Australia’s history. Despite technological advancements and the prevalence of flood mitigation infrastructure, floods continue to have widespread adverse physical, social, economic, and emotional impacts. This situation is mirrored internationally and is anticipated to worsen as scientists predict an increase in the severity and prevalence of natural disasters such as flooding. In response to this, management of floodplain inhabitation must shift from flood prevention to adaptation. Adaptation is a key term in ecological resilience, defined as the capacity of a system to adapt and persist in the face of disturbance (Holling 1976). Hendstra et al (2004) suggests that in the context of disaster-resilient cities, resilience can be defined as the “capacity to adapt to stress from hazards and the ability to recover quickly from their impacts” (Henstra, Kovacs, McBean, & Sweeting, 2004, p. 5). Analysis of ecosystems reveals that interdependence across scales, variety, redundancy, adaptability and feedback are the key resilience principles enabling the system to adapt and maintain stability during flooding. At present there is a sparsity of literature exploring spatial resilience approaches to improving floodplain inhabitation. Whilst amphibious approaches improve individual resilience, there is a lack of innovative solutions to improve community and city resilience to flooding. Resilience approaches have the potential to reduce safety concerns, financial losses and the emotional stress associated with residing on Australian floodplains. Such approaches acknowledge the interconnected nature of riverine floodplains and their inhabitants. However resilience principles need to be given a physical spatial function within specific social contexts. Architecture provides a platform to test new and retrofit adaptable approaches to promote a more suitable spatial relationship with the river. This thesis will take the theory and literature of resilience and apply it to a site-specific spatial context: Maitland. Maitland city is built on one of the most flood prone regions in New South Wales (Keys, 1999). Despite the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme, which consists of 170 kilometers of levees and flood control structures, flooding continues to occur in and around Maitland. Regardless of these flood risks, Maitland City Council is proposing large scale residential development on the floodplain to encourage population increase. Maitland will be used as the primary case study for investigating the opportunities socio-spatial resilience interventions have for improving the longterm inhabitation of the floodplain. This thesis proposes a multi-scaled approach to examine flood hazard and exposure at the individual, community, city and regional scale. As spatial designers it is imperative that architects play a part in this explorative process</p>

scholarly journals Genomic and morphological evidence of distinct populations in the endemic common (weedy) seadragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus (Syngnathidae) along the east coast of Australia

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0243446
Author(s):  
O. Selma Klanten ◽  
Michelle R. Gaither ◽  
Samuel Greaves ◽  
Kade Mills ◽  
Kristine O’Keeffe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Morphological Evidence ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Temperate Reefs ◽  
South Central ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Genetic Clusters ◽  
Morphological Differences

The common or weedy seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus, is an iconic and endemic fish found across temperate reefs of southern Australia. Despite its charismatic nature, few studies have been published, and the extent of population sub-structuring remains poorly resolved. Here we used 7462 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify the extent of population structure in the weedy seadragon along the temperate southeast coast of Australia. We identified four populations, with strong genetic structure (FST = 0.562) between them. Both Discriminant Analysis of Principle Components (DAPC) and Bayesian clustering analyses support four distinct genetic clusters (north to south: central New South Wales, southern NSW, Victoria and Tasmania). In addition to these genetic differences, geographical variation in external morphology was recorded, with individuals from New South Wales shaped differently for a few measurements to those from the Mornington Peninsula (Victoria). We posit that these genetic and morphological differences suggest that the Victorian population of P. taeniolatus was historically isolated by the Bassian Isthmus during the last glacial maximum and should now be considered at least a distinct population. We also recorded high levels of genetic structure among the other locations. Based on the genomic and to a degree morphological evidence presented in this study, we recommend that the Victorian population be managed separately from the eastern populations (New South Wales and Tasmania).

scholarly journals Hippocampus whitei Bleeker, 1855, a senior synonym of the southern Queensland seahorse H. procerus Kuiter, 2001: molecular and morphological evidence (Teleostei, Syngnathidae)

ZooKeys ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 824 ◽  
pp. 109-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Short ◽  
David Harasti ◽  
Healy Hamilton
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Character ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
New South ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Morphological Evidence ◽  
Intraspecific Divergence ◽  
Mitochondrial Coi ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Eastern Australia

The taxonomic status of the seahorse Hippocampusprocerus Kuiter, 2001, type locality Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia, was re-examined based on its strong morphological similarity and geographical proximity to its congener H.whitei Bleeker, 1855, a species recorded in ten estuaries of New South Wales, Australia. Kuiter (2001) distinguished H.procerus from H.whitei by a taller coronet, marginally lower meristics, and spinier physiognomy. Meristic, morphometric, and key diagnostic morphological character comparisons from vouchered specimens of the two purported species collected from Sydney Harbour, Nelson Bay, Port Stephens, NSW and Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, and Moreton Bay, QLD did not show diagnostic differences to support species-level classification of H.procerus. Furthermore, partial mitochondrial COI sequence data from specimens sampled from known geographical distributions in NSW and Southport, QLD failed to discriminate between populations as a result of shared haplotypes, and revealed an average intraspecific divergence of 0.002%. Hippocampusprocerus is hereby placed in the synonymy of H.whitei; a redescription is provided, with a revised record of its range across eastern Australia.

Distribution and Floristics of Terricolous Lichens in Soil Crusts in Arid and Semi-Arid New South Wales, Australia

1996 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 581 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Eldridge
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Poor Predictor ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Terricolous Lichens ◽  
Landscape Types ◽  
Semi Arid

This paper examines the distribution of terricolous lichens at a regional scale across seven landscape types over 60 000 km2 in western New South Wales. Data are also presented on the distribution of lichens within a geomorphic sequence of runoff and runon zones on a red earth soil near Cobar. On a regional scale, 48 taxa from 23 genera were collected from 282 sites in semi-arid and arid eastern Australia, Of these, 74% were crustose or squamulose, and the remainder (26%) were foliose. Six genera (Acarospora, Endocarpon, Catapyrenium, Diploschistes, Peltula and Xanthoparmelia) accounted for 57% of species. Landscape type was a poor predictor of lichen floristics or crust cover. Instead, a core group of species comprising Collema coccophorum, Heppia despreauxii, Endocarpon rogersii, E. simplicatum var. bisporum, E. pallidum, Psora decipiens, Peltula patellata ssp. australiensis, Catapyrenium squamulosum and Synalissa symphorea, occurred in all landscape types. Plains with red earths had the greatest mean number of species per site (11.2) and the greatest mean crust cover (27.7%). Plains of calcareous earths yielded the greatest number of species (38). Across all sites, crust cover was a poor predictor of lichen species richness. However, on landscape types with non-calcareous soils, mean crust cover explained 88% of the variation in mean number of species. Whilst there was no difference in total number of species across a sequence of geomorphic zones, crust cover was significantly greater in the interception zones (79.0%) compared with either the run-on (6.6%) or run-off (24.0%) zones. These distributional data are compared with other published and unpublished studies from similar areas in Australia. The role of terricolous crusts as indicators of ecosystem health, and the influence of land management on crust cover and subsequent landscape stability are discussed.

The monophyly of the Glaurocarini (Diptera: Tachinidae: Tachininae) with the description of a new species of Semisuturia from Australia

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego J. Inclán ◽  
James E. O’Hara ◽  
John O. Stireman III ◽  
Hiroshi Shima ◽  
Jaakko Pohjoismäki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
New South ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Morphological Evidence ◽  
Larval Stages ◽  
First Instar ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
A New Species

The Glaurocarini are a small Old World tribe of tachinids belonging to the subfamily Tachininae. Two genera are currently recognized, Glaurocara Thomson with 16 species and Semisuturia Malloch with eight species. In this study we describe Semisuturia moffattensis Inclán, O’Hara, Stireman & Cerretti sp. n. from Queensland and New South Wales and compare it with congeners as well as other glaurocarines. The new species is readily identifiable among world glaurocarines by having a row of setae on lower 2/3 of facial ridge. We further evaluate the monophyly of the Glaurocarini on the basis of morphological characters of both adult and larval stages. A molecular phylogenetic analysis also supports monophyly of the tribe but does not support a close relationship between Glaurocarini and Ormiini as has been suggested previously. Finally, we provide new morphological evidence from both adults and first instar larvae to support the monophyly of both Semisuturia and Glaurocara.

The sedimentology and tsunamigenic potential of the Byron submarine landslide off New South Wales, Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kendall C. Mollison ◽  
Hannah E. Power ◽  
Samantha L. Clarke ◽  
Alan T. Baxter ◽  
Emily M. Lane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Continental Margin ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Colour Change ◽  
Submarine Landslide ◽  
Radiocarbon Age ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Age Gap ◽  
Failure Event ◽  
Australian Coastline

AbstractExtensive evidence for submarine landslide failure is found along the east Australian continental margin. This paper assesses the sedimentological properties and models the failure event that created the Byron landslide scar, located on the SE Australian continental margin, c. 34 km off the coast of Byron Bay, New South Wales. Sedimentological analyses and dating (radiocarbon and biostratigraphic) were conducted on three gravity cores collected from within the Byron landslide scar. A paraconformity, identified in one of the three cores by a distinct colour change, was found to represent a distinct radiocarbon age gap of at least 25 ka and probably represents the detachment surface of the slide plane. The core-derived sediment properties for the Byron landslide scar were used to inform hydrodynamic modelling using the freely available numerical modelling software, Basilisk. Model results highlight the important role of sediment rheology on the tsunamigenic potential of the slide and on the resulting inundation along the east Australian coastline, therefore providing a greater understanding of the modern hazard posed by comparable future submarine landslide events for the east Australian coastline.

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