- Title
- A study of estuarine channel morphology having special reference to the Manning River Delta, New South Wales
- Creator
- Jenks, Walter Neil
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 1982
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- The study presented is a comparative analysis of estuarine channel morphology having special reference to the distributaries and associated tidal streams of the Manning River Delta, New South Wales. The purpose of the study is to elucidate the character of channel morphology deriving from late Holocene riverine-marine interaction with a particular delta setting, the themes of study selected for this purpose being those of: (1) cross-sectional morphology. ; and (2) channel pattern. The argument prefacing the thesis is, that, depending upon the antecedent trends in the relative contribution of riverine and marine influences to the development of estuarine channel morphology, certain identifiably discrete morphologies 9in terms of cross-sectional/channel pattern form, and rates of end-to-end form variation) will characterize various parts of the estuarine environment. The associated thesis is, that, provided such discrete (and diagnostic) morphological patterns can be determined generally, then it follows that they can be modelled and used to indicate particular modes of riverine-marine interaction as reflected in various parts of the estuarine environment. It is sought in the present study therefore to advance knowledge of morphological variation in the context of riverine-marine process interaction trends as a determined from the late Quaternary morphostratigraphic record of a particular channel network. The model that the writer poses for late Holocene riverine-marine interaction is one appropriate to the present New South Wales coast in general, where numerous studies have shown: (1) that sea level has fluctuated little during the last 5-6,000 years. ; and (2) that estuaries continue to fill. Three sets of hypotheses are developed under the thesis, in order to: 1. formulate the structure and directions of the study. ; 2. provide the initial objectives in terms of data collection and hypothesis testing. ; and 3. specify the nature of the morphological variation that is theoretically anticipated in accordance with the process-interaction model posed. The hypotheses refer respectively to variation of cross-sectional morphology; channel pattern in terms of sinuosity; an channel pattern in terms of network topology and geometry. The methodology employed to evaluate the hypotheses, and to thereby assess the tenability of the thesis, involves application of multivariate-analytic technique to morphometric, hydraulic, sedimentary and directional data, obtained for the grater part in the field. In the case of channel pattern, techniques of time series and topological analysis are applied also. The thesis is developed in four parts, with Part I (Chapters 1-3) being devoted primarily to: 1. A state-of-the-art review of work in estuary, delta, coastal and river research, which leads to the development of the thesis logic, and the choice of study area. ; 2. An introduction to the Manning River Delta, and to the factors that influence the morphologies of the estuarine channels there. ; and 3. An outline of the methodology adopted. Part 2 (Chapters 4-5) consists of a descriptive, followed by an explanatory analysis of channel cross-sectional properties. In Part 3 (Chapters 6-7) the same structure of presentation is employed in the analysis of channel pattern. The presentation concludes in Part 4 (Chapter 8) with a review of the results of the study, and the suggestion of areas for further work. In essence the study shows: (1) That the argument prefacing the thesis is justified. ; (2) That the hypotheses - with one exception - can be accepted. ; and (3) That the thesis itself is tenable. The cross-sectional and channel-pattern morphologies that characterize various modes of riverine-marine interaction within the system, are described in the body of the work.
- Subject
- estuarine channels; estuarine channel morphology; tidal streams; Manning River Delta; Australia; channel pattern
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1311062
- Identifier
- uon:22138
- Rights
- Copyright 1982 Walter Neil Jenks
- Language
- eng
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