Browsing by Author "Cheetham, MD"

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    Connecting the disconnected: longitudinal correlation of river terrace remnants
    (International Association of Hydrological Sciences, 2008-12-01) Cheetham, MD; Keene, AF; Erskine, WD; Bush, RT; Jacobsen, GE
    Terrace sequences provide insights into flood plain development. Many studies have examined the cross-sectional morphology and correlation of terraces, but this is only part of the story. Longitudinal correlation can provide a far greater insight into flood plain development processes and the spatial significance of these processes. Here we examine flood plain development from the longitudinal correlation of river terrace sequences in a sand-dominated flood plain. The terrace remnants are discontinuous, having been separated longitudinally by the partial erosion of the flood plain. Terraces along the study reach ranged from recently abandoned (490 ± 60 yBP), poorly developed, vertically accreted flood plains to weathered, early Holocene deposits (10 050 ± 260 yBP). They occurred as inset, fill features which indicated successive phases of alluvial erosion and deposition as well as burial of previous terrace surfaces. Terrace morphology alone did not provide sufficient evidence of longitudinal correlation. Sedimentology and chronology were also vital in correlating these remnants. Four terraces (the Baramul Sequence) were identified in the reach showing progressively younger characteristics and ages. The longitudinal correlation of each discontinuous terrace remnant shows considerable variation over time in response to gradient changes, discharge, sediment size and stream sinuosity. Results show that climate and the local exceedence of geomorphic thresholds have influenced river terrace formation and highlight the significance of chronology in establishing longitudinal correlation of terrace remnants with varying morphology. The Baramul Sequence shows a progressive relative fall in bed-level and reduction in slope over the Holocene. This is likely to have been accompanied by progressive contraction of the channel and indicates a reduction in mean discharge over the last 6-7 ka. © 2008 IAHS Press.
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    Mobilisation, alternation, and redistribution of monosulfidic sediments in inland river systems
    (Academic Press Ltd- Elsevier Science Ltd, 2012-12-15) Cheetham, MD; Wong, VN; Bush, RT; Sullivan, LA; Ward, NJ; Zawadzki, AW
    The accumulation of monosulfidic sediments in inland waterways is emerging as a major environmental issue. Mobilisation and suspension of monosulfidic sediments can result in deoxygenation, acidification of the water column and mobilisation of trace metals. The controls on monosulfidic sediment mobilisation and the critical thresholds for its scour and entrainment have not been established. This study examines the effect of a minor flood event (average return interval of 5 years) on sulfidic sediment scour in the Wakool River in southern NSW, Australia. Five profiles were sampled within a small (similar to 300 m) reach before and after a minor flood event to determine the degree of sediment scour and transport. The results indicate substantial scour of both monosulfidic sediments and underlying bed sediments (approximately 2100 m(3)). Changes in the sediment geochemistry suggest large concentrations of monosulfidic sediments had been suspended in the water column, partially-oxidised and redeposited. This is supported by Pb-210 results from one of the profiles. These results suggest that these monosulfidic sediments can move as bed load during minor flood events. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    Resolving the holocene alluvial record in southeastern Australia using luminescence and radiocarbon techniques.
    (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010-10) Cheetham, MD; Keene, AF; Erskine, WD; Bush, RT; Fitzsimmons, KE; Jacobsen, GE; Fallon, SJ
    A previous assessment of radiocarbon (14C) dates from alluvial units in southeastern Australia revealed a gap in the geochronological record that coincides with the Holocene climatic optimum. This gap in the alluvial record can be further refined using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). The chronology of Holocene river terraces on Widden Brook, a sandy alluvial stream in southeastern Australia, was established using 14C and OSL techniques. Combined use of these independent techniques allows for a more rigorous assessment of the alluvial record. The robust chronology, consisting of 38 14C and 11 OSL samples, permitted identification of significant depositional variation within the catchment, resulting from localised geomorphic processes. The three terrace sequences identified yielded distinct chronologies, suggesting alluvial deposition at different times. The sequences exhibited a continuous chronology, which indicated continuous deposition throughout the Holocene. The chronology of terrace sequences within this catchment suggests that terrace formation can be attributed to localised geomorphic processes rather than climatic forcing. © 2010, Wiley-Blackwell.