Narrow Coastal Plain Research Articles

Preliminary Study on Geoarchaeology of the Batu Kalde Temple, Pangandaran, West Java, Indonesia

The Batu Kalde Site is a ruin of Hindu Temple in Pangandaran, West Java, Indonesia. Despite it has been reported since 1915 and subsequently studied by several archaeological teams, a lot of aspects including geoarchaeology of this temple are still unrevealed. This preliminary study was an overview of general aspects of geoarchaeology of the temple. The result shows that the temple was constructed before the 14th century by a population of farmers and fishermen lived on the fertile coastal plain of Pangandaran in south coast of Java Island. The temple was constructed in a narrow coastal plain of a small island on a Quaternary marine sediment offshore of the present Pangandaran coast. The existing tombolo morphology of Penanjung has not been completely formed when the temple was being constructed. The temple was constructed using bedded sandstone of the Pamutuan Formation quarried from outcrops in the vicinity of the temple. This study shows that utilization of materials from local available resource might have been a model of temple construction within the classical period in the period of between the 7-14th century in West Java, Indonesia.

COASTAL EROSION AND FLOOD SUSCEPTIBILITY IN PARATY, SOUTHEAST BRAZIL

This study aimed to characterize the behavior of the Paraty shoreline, in the south of the state of Rio de Janeiro, and identify the areas that are most susceptible to erosion and flooding. This region is characterized by a drowned coast, marked by a succession of small embayments and narrow coastal plains. The methodology consisted of using a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) for the production of orthoimage mosaics (2019) and digital surface models (DSM); shoreline mapping between 2005 and 2019; identification of areas susceptible to erosion and flooding; and flood simulation performed on the Simulate Water Level Rise/Flooding package, from Global Mapper software. The results show that the southern sector of Jabaquara Beach, the beaches of Pontal and Terra Nova (in the center of Paraty - Centro) in the sheltered portion of the coast of Paraty, in addition to Cepilho and Fora (in Trindade), showed erosive behavior over the 14 years analyzed. Ranchos Beach (Trindade) and the northern sector of Jabaquara showed stable behavior and the central sector of Jabaquara showed an accretion during the same period. The coast of Jabaquara, the central area of Paraty, and the southwest sector of Trindade were considered the most vulnerable to flooding due to their susceptibility and the high concentration of the urban and tourist infrastructure of the municipality, where the problems caused by erosion and flooding have been frequently reported by residents and visitors.

CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT FOR AMERICAN SAMOA: FOCUS ON TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Essential transportation infrastructure around the globe will be increasingly compromised by interrelated climate change impacts. Due to geographic isolation and limited natural resources, the economy and security of many Pacific territories and nations, including American Samoa, depend heavily on the resilience of these transportation infrastructure systems. Of particular relevance are the coastal impacts of climate changes such as sea level rise and storm surges which will threaten transportation infrastructure including both temporary and long-term flooding of airports, ports and harbors, and roads which are vital lifelines for trans-Pacific, interisland, and intra-island commerce and community services. The majority of the transportation assets in American Samoa are along a narrow coastal plain backed by steep topography, precluding relocation or retreat in response to increased coastal flooding accompanying a changing climate.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/k-qJPMVwvVc

Geomorphology of the coastal alluvial fan complex Guanillos, northern Chile

ABSTRACT The evolution of alluvial fans on the narrow coastal plain of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile is so far poorly investigated. Therefore, a detailed geomorphological map at a scale of 1:7500 of a coastal alluvial fan complex at Guanillos (21°58′S, 70°10.5′W) is provided as a first step to understand the fan’s morphogenesis. Geomorphological mapping was based on a digital elevation model with a resolution of 2 m generated from Pleiades-1 tri-stereo satellite imagery, derived terrain parameters, and on-site field mapping. The resultant map is used to characterize and categorize the overall morphology of the alluvial fan complex. In particular, linear features constructed by primary alluvial fan processes can be differentiated successfully from those developed by secondary processes. Furthermore, the advanced evolutionary state of the fan complex is revealed. We introduce a morphostratigraphic model comprising the fan’s prograde evolution, dissection, and successive abandonment of surface generations.

Mineralogical and geochemical implications of weathering rates in coastal dunes and beach sands close to a volcanic rock source in the western Gulf of Mexico, Mexico

Coastal dune (CD) and beach sand samples were mineralogically and chemically studied to assess the weathering rates in a coastal area surrounded by the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB). The study area is a narrow coastal plain with sub-humid warm weather and vigorous coastal dynamics located in the Western Gulf of Mexico (WGM). Our results show that the grain size parameters remain homogeneous along nine CD and beach sites, probably due to the hydrodynamic mechanisms prevailing in the area, i.e. wind deflation, longshore currents, and waves. The minerals found in the CD and beach sands are enriched in recycled, highly corroded monocrystalline quartz (Qm), with loss of plagioclase (P) and olivine (ol), with ilmenite fractions (op) especially in the northern sites. The geochemical data show that the sands are controlled by the exhumation of the TMVB rocks composed of a high volcanic lithic content with lathwork, microlithic, and negligible vitric textures. These volcanic fractions are in agreement with the presence of lavas of calc alkaline, andesite, Na-alkaline lavas, and rhyolite tuffs derived from the TMVB. Significant Spearman Rank Correlations (SRCs) resulted from high silica, titanium, iron, magnesium, calcium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, associated with the presence of Qm, ilmenite, clinopyroxene, shell fragments, and volcanic lithics. Monocrystalline quartz enrichments, compared to a quartz dilution effect (<Qm; < Qm) at the northern and southern beach sites, reflect the vigorous coastal dynamics. The presence of ilmenite lag deposits in the northern sites indicate that high energy hydrodynamic conditions prevail at the site. The rare earth element (REE) patterns support the mineralogical and compositional framework of the CD and beach sands as part of the TMVB exhumation. We used various chemical indices such as the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), the Chemical Index of Weathering (CIW), the Plagioclase Index of Alteration (PIA), and the Weathering Index of Plagioclase (WIP). The WIP values reflect the depletion of mobile elements such as Ca, Na, K, and enrichment of Qm at the northern beach sites, e.g. the Istirinchiá site. The CIA/WIP ratio of 2.13 indicates intermediate weathering under warm climatic conditions and recycling of CD and beach sands.

Urban development and landuse change patterns in Muscat city, Oman

Urban sprawl is a remarkable characteristic of cities of the Arabian Gulf region, including Muscat city, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman. The city has grown from discrete isolated settlements to a compact, dense urban metropolitan region across narrow coastal alluvial plain. This paper examines the specific implications and trends of urban landuse dynamic in Muscat city in the last five decades. Urban landuse patterns were traced and analyzed from different sources, including: Landsat, IRS, IKONOS, QuickBird, GeoEye, Aerial photos and Printed map. RS and GIS change detection techniques using Normalized Difference Building Index (NDBI) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were used. The categorization of landused classes was mainly based on high resolution images like IKONOS, QuickBird and GeoEye. The results indicated that, residential, commercial and industrial landuses have shown large increase, basically at the expense of vacant and agricultural areas. The trend of urban landuse patterns was largely filling the gap and empty areas, creating an urban structure of high density. The actual range of urban expansion might have been small, and the degree of change for the whole city region, might have been not remarkable because of the relatively new expansions of urbanization and industrial development in Muscat. However, the negative impacts of these changes might escalate in the future if a plan to regulate land development is not developed and implemented.

A volcano under China's Great Wall

Cone sheets are rare in China but are found in the Houshihushan sub‐volcanic Ring Complex (HRC) near the town of Shanhaiguan, Hebei Province. The HRC rises above a narrow coastal plain as the Houshihushan mountain massif (Fig. ) in a scenic region about 400 km ENE of Beijing by the Bohai Gulf, where the Great Wall reaches the sea. It has a discontinuous outer ring‐dyke of porphyritic quartz syenite, separated from an inner stock of alkaline granite by a discontinuous screen of pyroclastic rocks down‐faulted to the present erosion level by caldera subsidence. The pyroclastic rocks, which have similar petrographic and geochemical characteristics to intrusive rocks of the ring‐dyke, cone‐sheets and central stock, were erupted from the same volcano and subsequently foundered during caldera subsidence.

Recent damaging events on alluvial fans along a stretch of the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria (southern Italy)

Debris flow and flood phenomena constitute the main natural hazards on alluvial fans. These processes, often occurring during intense rainfall events, may put many communities living on fan surfaces at high risk. This article focuses on an area along the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria (southern Italy) where a set of mountain front alluvial fans has developed on the narrow coastal plain. This area has been heavily exploited, and tourism constitutes an important source of income. Rainfall events occurring in 2009, 2010 and 2011, albeit not significantly intense, induced debris flows endangering the population and damaging private property and infrastructures. The analysis highlighted that in the study area the risk due to debris flow and the vulnerability of the area have increased as a consequence of both the reactivation of construction processes in the alluvial fan feeder basin and the intense development of human activities in the same areas. The construction of protection facilities and the loss of the historical accounts of past catastrophic events have encouraged this development. Given the characteristics of the study area, the choice and design of the most appropriate measures need particular attention.

Migratory behaviour of bird species occurring in critical numbers at Besh Barmag bottleneck in Azerbaijan

SummaryA narrow coastal plain located between the Greater Caucasus and the Caspian Sea was recently discovered to be a major avian flyway through Transcaucasia. Here at the Besh Barmag bottleneck in Azerbaijan an estimated 1.24–1.51 million migrants passed through in autumn 2011 and a further 0.65–0.82 million in spring 2012, elevating this bottleneck to international importance. Furthermore, 34 bird species were observed in numbers in excess of the 1% threshold of world or flyway population in at least one of the observation seasons. Due to the high concentration of these species, any dangers affecting this passage can be threatening at a population scale. This study therefore aims to describe the migratory behaviour of these 34 species and subsequently to identify the dangers involved in passage through the area. Collision with anthropogenic obstacles was regarded as the main threat in the coastal plain. Ten (40%) of the species studied and observed in autumn 2011 were flying at the lowest altitudes and are therefore under threat on migration through the bottleneck due to overhead power lines, buildings, traffic and hunting. Planned infrastructural developments with heights of up to 200 m (e.g. towers, wind farms) pose a future threat for an additional 13 (52%) of the study species observed in autumn, making a total of 23 species that would be threatened. Only two species, Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus and Grey Heron Ardea cinerea, can be expected to maintain their currently safe passage in future as they migrate mainly above 200 m above ground level. In spring 2012, all 14 (100%) of the species that used the coastal plain as flyway, migrated below 50 m and are therefore imminently threatened by collision. Although birds migrating over the Caspian Sea were concentrated at the lower altitudes, there was no identifiable threat for migrants using this flyway, but hazards can be expected in the oil production areas further south.

The Human influence on the Mediterranean coast over the last 200 years: a brief appraisal from a geomorphological perspective

The Mediterranean coast has been significantly modified by human interventions, especially over the last two centuries, and large stretches are now subject to geomorphic instability. The numerous dams constructed for agricultural and hydroelectric purposes and river channel modifications over the last two centuries have affected many of the Mediterranean rivers, commonly generating drastic reductions in sediment inputs necessary for maintaining dynamic beach and dune systems. Large stretches of shoreline and commonly narrow coastal plains have also been massively engineered. These shoreline modifications have been notably associated with the construction of marinas, leisure harbours and artificial beaches, and have resulted in the emergence of veritable artificial shorelines. Rocky shores in the Mediterranean are also being subjected to increasing pressures from housing and tourism. Future sustainable development of the Mediterranean coast will require a clear identification of the stakes and a better re-evaluation of management strategies.

The Importance of Besh Barmag Bottleneck (Azerbaijan) for Eurasian Migrant Birds

Abstract Migrating birds are known to avoid topographical barriers. At these barriers, the local environmental conditions often lead to a high concentration of migrants at certain corridors or points usually referred to as ‘bottlenecks’. The Greater Caucasus and the Caspian Sea are such barriers for migrating birds in south-western Asia. A narrow coastal plain between the Greater Caucasus and the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan (Besh Barmag bottleneck) provides excellent conditions for studying bird migration of a poorly known region. Here, surveys were carried out in autumn 2011 and spring 2012 to count raptor, passerine and waterbird migration from three different observation points. Data for fixed block of six hours continual observations together with random counting hours have been interpolated by a special calculation to obtain estimated grand totals per species. In total, 278 bird species were recorded, eight of which are red-listed as globally threatened by the IUCN (i.e. Sociable Lapwing Vanellus grega...

Spatial Variation in Soil Chemistry on a Sub-Antarctic Island

On both west and east sides of sub-Antarctic Marion Island (47oS, 38oE), total Na and exchangeable Na, Mg and K concentrations in the soil decline with increasing distance inland and altitude, related to a decrease in the intensity of seaspray deposition. On the east side, the coastal plain is wide and slopes gently up to the mountainous interior and total C, total N and soil moisture content all decrease significantly, whereas bulk density increases significantly, as one moves away from the sea, reflecting a gradual change from organic, wet, low bulk density peats characteristic of low-land coastal regions to mineral, dry, high bulk density volcanic soils characteristic of inland areas. On the west side, the narrow coastal plain is bounded by an escarpment that rises up very steeply to the highland interior. There, sampling was largely restricted to the coastal plain (soils are rare on the escarpment and interior) and did not cover the same transition from organic to mineral soils as on the east side. Hence, total C, total N and bulk density did not change significantly with increasing distance inland on the west side. Most total Mg is in the mineral fraction of the soil, with a lesser contribution by organic, exchangeable and soil solution forms of Mg. On the east side the gradual transition from highly organic peats to very mineral soils results in an increase in total Mg going inland, but on the west, where there was not this change in soil minerality, total Mg decreased with increasing distance inland, reflecting the decreasing intensity of seaspray. Once the between-side differences in the influence of altitude and distance from the sea are accounted for, there are significant differences in soil chemical composition between the two sides of the island. Overall, west side soils are more influenced by both seaspray and the parent volcanic basalts than are east side soils.

Tectonic control on the sedimentary architecture of Early Mesozoic mixed siliciclastic-carbonate Pseudoverrucano successions (southern Tuscany, Italy)

The mixed siliciclastic-carbonate successions of Early Mesozoic age exposed in the Pseudoverrucano tectonic units, along the coast of southern Tuscany (Montebrandoli and Punta delle Rocchette, Early Liassic) and in the Monti dell’Uccellina (Porticciolo di Cala di Forno and Salto del Cervo, Late Triassic) are characterized by fossil assemblages suggesting a close relationship with the coeval, mainly carbonate successions of the “Tuscan Series” while the depositional features are completely different. The composition of the mixed facies are similar, characterized by: i) recurring fining-upward sequences with well rounded but poorly selected white quartz-conglomerates, ii) coarse quartz sand grading to lagoonal lime-muds, or iii) thin intercalations or isolated quartz pebbles enclosed together with shell debris, within open marine although shallow carbonates. The depositional environments correspond to alluvial-fan complexes on narrow coastal plains merging with sandy beaches and lagoonal to shallow marine settings where the carbonate micritic deposition prevailed. This sedimentary style suggests that unsorted quartz debris was transported from an adjacent uplifted source area by gravity currents through very narrow coastal plains, and flowing into coastal lagoons or directly into the open sea, mixed coarse, land derived debris with open marine carbonate muds. The peculiar vertical evolution of the Pseudoverrucano facies suggests that the episodic input of siliciclastic materials was connected with storm events most probably triggered by tectonic pulses since no evidences of eustatic or climatic constrain on the sedimentation is apparent. The depositional features and fossil content of the mixed silicicla - stic-carbonate Pseudoverrucano successions argues for a coastal sedimentation on narrow shelves delimited by active, fault-bounded highs, representing the landward extension of the epicontinental/ pericontinental pelagic basins that from late Triassic in a regime of continental rifting, developed on the east-facing shelf of central Pangea.

Southern African topography and erosion history: plumes or plate tectonics?

AbstractThe physiography of southern Africa comprises a narrow coastal plain, separated from an inland plateau by a horseshoe‐shaped escarpment. The interior of the inland plateau is a sedimentary basin. The drainage network of southern Africa is characterized by three river divides, broadly parallel to the coastline. These features contrast strongly with the broad dome and radial drainage patterns predicted by models which ascribe the physiography of southern Africa to uplift over a deep mantle plume. The drainage divides are interpreted as axes of epeirogenic uplift. The ages of these axes, which young from the margin to the interior, correlate closely with major reorganizations of spreading regimes in the oceanic ridges surrounding southern Africa, suggesting an origin from stresses related to plate motion. Successive epeirogenic uplifts of southern Africa on the axes, forming the major river divides, initiated cyclic episodes of denudation, which are coeval with erosion surfaces recognized elsewhere across Africa.

Geomorphology of the Ammassalik Island, SE Greenland

Geografisk Tidsskrift, Danish Journal of Geography 108(1):5–20, 2008 Ammassalik Island is located on the elevated, passive continental margin of SE Greenland. The island itself is dominated by high ground, presumably representing part of an upwarped zone along the continental margin, separated from an adjacent narrow coastal plain. Most of the present relief must have formed during the Palaeocene and Eocene, or later, during the Neogene. During the Quaternary the area was covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet, with the exception of a few nunataqs located at the junction of the elevated bedrock plateau and the escarpment. The geomorphological evolution during the Holocene has been characterised by both glacial and periglacial processes, intensifying during the late Holocene. Especially the Little Ice Age period (c. 1200–1900 AD) appears to have been a period of enhanced geomorphological activity, mainly controlled by growing glaciers and increasing activity of periglacial processes and aggrading permafrost. Following the end of the Little Ice Age, the 20th century have seen a net development towards warmer climate with retreating glaciers and presumably also in the intensity degrading of periglacial processes and of permafrost.

Textural characterization of beach sands from the Gulf of California, Mexico: implications for coastal processes and relief

Grain size determinations were carried out for 54 beach-sand samples from the western (n = 25) and eastern (n = 29) coasts of the Gulf of California, Mexico, in order to establish the relationship among coastal processes, relief, and grain size parameters for both areas based on grain size distributions. This was done because both coastal areas are controlled by marine processes and the geomorphology of the coast, since fluvial discharges are negligible in the distribution of sands. In general, sands from the western coast are mainly coarse, moderately sorted, near-symmetrical with leptokurtic and very leptokurtic distributions. Correlations between grain-size parameters for the western coast are controlled by less selectivity in the coastal processes to concentrate fractions in a specific range of sizes, a narrow coastal plain, and compositional differences in the sands due to the heterogeneous lithology and the presence of carbonate shells. Eastern coast beach sands are medium, moderately well sorted, near-symmetrical with mesokurtic to leptokurtic distributions. Correlations between grain size parameters for the eastern coast are controlled by longshore current drifts in a northwestern direction and a wider coastal plain compared to the western coast.

Atmospheric boundary layer development over a narrow coastal plain during onshore flow

A study of the structure of the daytime atmospheric boundary layer during onshore flow over a narrow coastal plain is presented. The main emphasis of the study is on the nature and causes of heating and cooling observed in the boundary layer temperature profiles. Measurements included vertical temperature profiles above at least two sites derived from radiosondes and aircraft, as well as surface estimates of radiative and sensible heat fluxes. Surface meteorological and pilot balloon data were also available, providing further evidence of short-term changes in atmospheric boundary layer structure. The Manawatu case was representative of autumnal anticyclonic conditions with weak pressure gradients, and illustrated typical diurnal development of a convective boundary layer over a coastal plain bordered by mountain ranges, with a transition from a stable nocturnal situation to a well-mixed profile in the afternoon. The profiles show surface input of heat propagating upwards through the boundary layer during the day, as well as entrainment of heat at the top associated with shear induced turbulence and/or penetrative convection. Applying a one-dimensional model, estimates of boundary layer heat budget components were obtained for four time periods during the day. Later periods were affected by cumulus cloud development at the top of the boundary layer, resulting in significant changes in individual components. Input of sensible heat from the surface decreased, while the addition of heat to the boundary layer from both cloud condensation and advection increased.

Steel Town: The Making and Breaking of Port Kembla

The sun moves across the narrow coastal plain that borders the range to the north ...It shows once separate places now merged into one suburban entity, a ribbon of residential, commercial and industrial development ...There is a commercial centre whose tall metallic and glass structures reflect the light, and celebrate an industrial heritage. And to the south, an area where a mass of industrial buildings converge around a large harbour. This area stands as a telling symbol of the region's golden industrial age. To most Australians Port Kembla is a grimy, polluted, industrial wasteland located down the coast from Sydney. Such images were formed over fifty years ago when industrial development in the town was at its height, and when the expanse of breathtaking coast had been colonised by the stacks and furnaces of heavy industry. Yet the vision of stacks and pollution from furnaces was never the whole storyandmdash;there was always more to Port Kembla. Although these ideas persist even today, they obscure the real experiences of the people of the port. Steel Town illuminates our understanding of the processes of industrial and social change. Port Kembla was unique in Australian termsandmdash;an urban environment where industrial society shaped local life and politics like nowhere else. This book explores the advent and implications of industrial societyandmdash;and the impact of economic decline and deindustrialisation. In his comprehensive and persuasive account of local life Erik Eklund draws together themes of migration, gender, class and identity. Using archival records, oral history interviews and company documents, Steel Town charts the relationship between economic change and the human experience of that change. The story of Port Kembla is the story of the 'big issues' of Australian history writ small on the lives of three generations of local people. The legacy of industrial society is a mixed one; its experiences and consequences are full of contradictions. And that, of course, is the beauty of history.

Landsliding in an urban area

The city of Wollongong is nestled within a narrow coastal plain approximately 70 km south of Sydney in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia (Fig. 1 ). Over the last 150 years of settlement the population of the Wollongong area, extending from Helensburgh in the north to Windang in the south has increased to about 200 000 people. The coastal plain is triangular in shape with a coastal length of 25 km. It is widest in the south at Yallah (14 km) and narrows sharply towards the north, disappearing north of Thirroul. The coastal plain is bounded to the north, west and south by an erosional escarpment ranging in height from 300 m up to 500 m. Fig. 1 Location plan. The escarpment consists of slopes with moderate to steep inclinations with several intermediate benches and cliff lines. Spectacular cliffs of Hawkesbury Sandstone (Middle Triassic) cap the escarpment and there is dense vegetation over most of the escarpment below these cliffs (Fig. 2 ). Fig. 2 Escarpment with large rock fall debris flow near Dombarton railway siding, 1974. Photo by Young. The main road link to Sydney is the F6 freeway that traverses the escarpment via Mount Ousley Road. There are …

Kings of the Mountains: Mayréna, Missionaries, and French Colonial Divisions in 1880s Indochina

In the late nineteenth century, the distance from Qui Nhon to Kontum – a trip of about two hundred kilometers – was nearly insurmountable. The route most travellers took led from the port town in southern Annam out across a narrow coastal plain of cultivated fields before crossing rivers and gorges, and ascending rocky mountains. Then the path leveled out on a high plateau of extreme weather and dense forests where fever, tigers, and unwelcoming local communities intimidated even the hardiest of travellers. Though well within the borders of French-controlled Annam, there was little Vietnamese – and even less French – about these highlands. The region was inhabited almost exclusively by a variety of indigenous groups like the Sedang, the Bahnar, and thejarai, who were both ethnically distinct from the majority Vietnamese population of Annam, and politically independent from the emperor in Hué as well as the French colonial administration. The region was so isolated from the rest of the colony that Frenchmen invoked the Vietnamese name for the area, calling it thePays Moï– ‘savages' country’ – and even the missionaries, the only Europeans to live in the region until the early 1900s, referred to their headquarters in Kontum as the ‘Mission des Sauvages’. It was an unlikely focal point for one of the most divisive controversies in the French empire.