Geomorphology, Sediment Transport, and Sedimentary Environments of a Tropical Macrotidal Embayment: Keppel Bay, South-east Queensland, Australia  


Authors / CoAuthors

Ryan, D.A. | Brooke, B. | Bostock, H. | Radke, L.C. | Siwabessy, P.J.W. | Margvelashvili, N. | Skene, D.

Abstract

Macrotidal coastal environments are characterised by complex patterns of sediment transport that have been poorly documented in the international literature. Of particular environmental concern is the transport of sediment from tropical coastal catchments, through estuaries and into coral reef environments. Consequently, knowledge of the distribution of benthic environments, and transport pathways of both fine and coarse sediment is required for the effective management of this issue. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is located on the continental shelf adjacent to the coast of tropical northeastern Australia. The GBR comprises an outer coral-dominated environment that encloses a large lagoon dominated by catchment-derived sediments. Keppel Bay is a macrotidal environment that represents the interface of the large catchment of the Fitzroy River with the southern GBR lagoon. We classified the benthic sediments of Keppel Bay into five distinct facies based on the statistical analysis of physical and geochemical sediment data and modelled seabed shear stress (the influence of waves and tidal currents). Multibeam sonar was employed to determine bedload sediment transport directions as indicated by bedform geometry, and to identify areas of sediment accumulation and erosion. Our findings suggest that much of the catchment-derived fine sediment accumulates in the mouth of the Fitzroy River. Outer Keppel Bay is dominated by relict palaeochannels, and the shoreward transport of sediment from the continental shelf. The Fitzroy River-Keppel Bay system provides a useful facies model for a seasonal, sediment-starved macrotidal depositional setting in which bedrock configuration and relict features dominate geomorphology, and restrict processes of modern sediment accumulation.

Product Type

nonGeographicDataset

eCat Id

64802

Contact for the resource

  Custodian

EGD  

  Point of contact

Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)  
Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia

Keywords

  • External PublicationScientific Journal Paper
( Theme )
  • geomorphology
( Theme )
  • bathymetry
( Theme )
  • habitat
( Theme )
  • coasts
( Theme )
  • marine
  • AU-QLD
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
  • Earth Sciences
  • Published_Internal

Publication Date

2006-06-30T00:00:00

Creation Date

Security Constraints

Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem    

Classification - unclassified

Legal Constraints

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence    

Access - restricted

Use - license

Status

Purpose

Maintenance Information

unknown

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

Series Information

Lineage

Unknown

Parent Information

Extents

[-24.0, -23.0, 150.4, 151.5]

Reference System

Spatial Resolution

Service Information

Associations

Downloads and Links

Source Information

Source data not available.