Multiphase flow and transport in complex coastal wetland systems. Salt marshes play an essential role in maintaining Australia's coastal bio-diversity. They also function as barriers to fluxes of terrestrial pollutants to our coastal sea. Australia has a large number of salt marshes listed by the Ramsar Convention as coastal wetlands of international importance but many of them are subject to loss and degradation due to competing land uses. This project, examining in detail the flow and transpor ....Multiphase flow and transport in complex coastal wetland systems. Salt marshes play an essential role in maintaining Australia's coastal bio-diversity. They also function as barriers to fluxes of terrestrial pollutants to our coastal sea. Australia has a large number of salt marshes listed by the Ramsar Convention as coastal wetlands of international importance but many of them are subject to loss and degradation due to competing land uses. This project, examining in detail the flow and transport processes in marsh soils, will lead to (1) better understanding of the marsh's response to anthropogenic stress; and (2) improvement of strategies and methods for marsh wetland preservation and restoration.Read moreRead less
Water exchange and mixing at the aquifer-ocean interface. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGWD) has been identified by International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme as an important contamination source for coastal marine and estuarine environments. Nutrient input associated with SGWD is threatening the Great Barrier Reef. Water exchange driven by tides/waves at the shore contributes to SGWD significantly. However, no data of the water exchange rates exist. This project will measure time-varying g ....Water exchange and mixing at the aquifer-ocean interface. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGWD) has been identified by International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme as an important contamination source for coastal marine and estuarine environments. Nutrient input associated with SGWD is threatening the Great Barrier Reef. Water exchange driven by tides/waves at the shore contributes to SGWD significantly. However, no data of the water exchange rates exist. This project will measure time-varying groundwater flow and salinity distribution in the intertidal zone at two beaches to study near-shore water exchange and mixing. These unique data, providing basis for developing SGWD models, will improve the understanding and quantification of subsurface chemical fluxes to coastal waters.Read moreRead less
Groundwater dynamics at the ocean-aquifer interface: Implications for modelling of regional flow in Pioneer Valley Aquifers. The Pioneer Valley Water Resources Plan, part of the Council of Australian Government's Water Reform Process, includes the development of regional groundwater flow and saltwater intrusion models for assisting in the allocation and management of the groundwater resources. The ocean forms the largest active boundary of the Pioneer groundwater system, where complex, dynamic h ....Groundwater dynamics at the ocean-aquifer interface: Implications for modelling of regional flow in Pioneer Valley Aquifers. The Pioneer Valley Water Resources Plan, part of the Council of Australian Government's Water Reform Process, includes the development of regional groundwater flow and saltwater intrusion models for assisting in the allocation and management of the groundwater resources. The ocean forms the largest active boundary of the Pioneer groundwater system, where complex, dynamic hydraulic conditions exist due to oceanic oscillations (tides and waves) and density effects. This project aims to investigate and quantify the effects of the dynamic seaward boundary condition on regional groundwater flow in Pioneer Valley aquifers. The research outcomes will also have important implications for other coastal aquifers.Read moreRead less
Effectiveness of deep natural clay, compacted clay and geomembranes in limiting seepage from coal seam gas production water evaporation ponds. Australia's coal seam gas reserves exceed those of the Moomba and Bass Strait gas fields combined. Queensland's coal seam gas production already accounts for more than 50% of the state's natural gas supply, and continues to grow rapidly. The production of coal seam gas will escalate in coming years, particularly to provide a clean fuel for electricity g ....Effectiveness of deep natural clay, compacted clay and geomembranes in limiting seepage from coal seam gas production water evaporation ponds. Australia's coal seam gas reserves exceed those of the Moomba and Bass Strait gas fields combined. Queensland's coal seam gas production already accounts for more than 50% of the state's natural gas supply, and continues to grow rapidly. The production of coal seam gas will escalate in coming years, particularly to provide a clean fuel for electricity generation and feed stock for liquefied natural gas to supply rapidly growing markets in Asia. As gas production increases, so too does the generation of saline water. This research will ensure that the evaporation of the saline water does not impact the underlying Great Artesian Basin, so that coal seam gas production may continue and grow.Read moreRead less
Beach groundwater dynamics: measurement and modelling. Beach groundwater is a highly complex, dynamic system interacting with tides, waves and swash. Such interactions affect beach sediment movement and contaminant transport/transformation in coastal aquifers. This project aims to measure and model the groundwater's behaviour at three different types of beaches: sand, gravel and gravel-sand mixed beaches. The study will provide much needed understanding and quantification of the beach groundwate ....Beach groundwater dynamics: measurement and modelling. Beach groundwater is a highly complex, dynamic system interacting with tides, waves and swash. Such interactions affect beach sediment movement and contaminant transport/transformation in coastal aquifers. This project aims to measure and model the groundwater's behaviour at three different types of beaches: sand, gravel and gravel-sand mixed beaches. The study will provide much needed understanding and quantification of the beach groundwater dynamics over a range of time scales. The outcome will help to assess the extent and intensity of mass and momentum exchanges across the beach face, and the resulting effects on beach stability and the fate of contaminants in coastal aquifers.Read moreRead less
Tidal dynamics of a subterranean estuary: Processes and functions. Coastal environments and resources are of great significance for Australia economically and socially. Water pollution in many coastal areas is a serious environmental problem, threatening marine and estuarine ecosystems. High nutrient levels in coastal waters are causing alarming damage to the Great Barrier Reef. The proposed project investigates an important mechanism underlying the chemical transfer from the aquifer to the ocea ....Tidal dynamics of a subterranean estuary: Processes and functions. Coastal environments and resources are of great significance for Australia economically and socially. Water pollution in many coastal areas is a serious environmental problem, threatening marine and estuarine ecosystems. High nutrient levels in coastal waters are causing alarming damage to the Great Barrier Reef. The proposed project investigates an important mechanism underlying the chemical transfer from the aquifer to the ocean. It will provide better understanding of the pathway of land-derived nutrients and contaminants entering coastal waters, leading to (1) improvement of strategies for sustainable coastal resources management and development and (2) integration of upland and lowland catchments management.Read moreRead less
Efffective Management of Water Resources in Semiarid Regions Using Remote Sensing. Due to the vast expense and difficulties to access many areas from the ground, there is currently no effective system for assessing and managing water resources over many large semi-arid regions of the world. Through the study of two complementary Basins - The Murray and Lake Chad Basins - we propose a new approach based on satellite imagery to provide regular and detailed information on the state of our water res ....Efffective Management of Water Resources in Semiarid Regions Using Remote Sensing. Due to the vast expense and difficulties to access many areas from the ground, there is currently no effective system for assessing and managing water resources over many large semi-arid regions of the world. Through the study of two complementary Basins - The Murray and Lake Chad Basins - we propose a new approach based on satellite imagery to provide regular and detailed information on the state of our water resources in these areas. These innovative techniques will yield new information on critical water issues: water availability, salinity, groundwater/surface water interactions, climate and land use change impact. This project provides the basis for sustainable water use in regional Australia.Read moreRead less
Satellite based monitoring system of lakes and wetlands water quality. Effectively managing water resources within Australia is critical for social and economic growth. The large-scale of Australian catchments means that many lakes are unmonitored due to time and costs required for on-ground programs. This research project directly addresses the lack of observations. Information on water quality from satellite, on-ground, and modeling investigations are integrated to develop an operational moni ....Satellite based monitoring system of lakes and wetlands water quality. Effectively managing water resources within Australia is critical for social and economic growth. The large-scale of Australian catchments means that many lakes are unmonitored due to time and costs required for on-ground programs. This research project directly addresses the lack of observations. Information on water quality from satellite, on-ground, and modeling investigations are integrated to develop an operational monitoring system for surface water quality. Results are used to model the sensitivity of the water quality to changes in climate and land use. The monitoring system can be used to protect catchment assets by risk assessment and provide insights into management scenarios.Read moreRead less
Numerical modelling of coupled deformation, fluid flow and heat flow in modern and ancient rifts. Computer modeling of geological processes is increasingly important to mineral and hydrocarbon exploration, to hazard prediction (e.g. earthquakes) and to plate tectonics. Because it is difficult to understand geological processes from ancient rocks, we will use new computer models to study fluid circulation in an active volcanic fault zone in New Zealand, where many of the parameters obscured in an ....Numerical modelling of coupled deformation, fluid flow and heat flow in modern and ancient rifts. Computer modeling of geological processes is increasingly important to mineral and hydrocarbon exploration, to hazard prediction (e.g. earthquakes) and to plate tectonics. Because it is difficult to understand geological processes from ancient rocks, we will use new computer models to study fluid circulation in an active volcanic fault zone in New Zealand, where many of the parameters obscured in ancient rocks can be measured directly. We will determine processes of fluid migration that contributed to the formation of mineral deposits in ancient rocks, such as those mined in eastern Australia for gold. The project also has implications for discovery and development of energy resources including fossil fuels and geothermal waters.Read moreRead less
Submarine springs in the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon: the geological origin, physical properties and ecological significance of Wonky Holes. This project investigates submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon. As groundwaters often contain high loads of nutrients and other pollutants, point source SGDs called Wonky Holes, reputedly common yet scientifically unexplored in the GBR or elsewhere, may represent a significant pathway for the land-sea flux of these mat ....Submarine springs in the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon: the geological origin, physical properties and ecological significance of Wonky Holes. This project investigates submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon. As groundwaters often contain high loads of nutrients and other pollutants, point source SGDs called Wonky Holes, reputedly common yet scientifically unexplored in the GBR or elsewhere, may represent a significant pathway for the land-sea flux of these materials. This project will define the incidence and origin of Wonky Holes and determine the magnitude and physical and chemical properties of their discharge. These studies will advance our understanding of land-sea interactions, assist management of the GBR and improve regional hydrogeological models.Read moreRead less