GEOGRAPHY

Geography is concerned with the nature, causes and spatial organisation of physical and human phenomena on the earth's surface. It includes the study and interpretation of the natural environment, socioeconomic systems and human-environment interactions in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

Coastal physical geography deals with the nature, development and change of the coastal environment. It includes the study of the physical processes that drive the coastal zone, namely ocean waves, tides and currents, and the atmospheric processes important to both coastal dynamics and ecology. It also includes the study of physical and biological systems that make up the coast, and particular emphasis is given to estuaries, deltas, surf zones and beaches, barriers and coastal dunes, rocky coast, coral reefs and the inner continental shelf.

Physical geographers are interested in interactions between physical, biological and chemical processes within coastal ecosystems, and the local and regional controls on variability and change in these systems. They study the dynamics of the coastal ocean and atmosphere using sensors to monitor waves, currents, salinity, temperature, and wind. Surveying equipment is used to map the coast and inner shelf, and a variety of seismic and coring techniques are employed to probe the nature of the subsurface. This information is combined with dating techniques to understand the dynamics of the coastal zone at time scales ranging from seconds to millennia. The results of these studies are increasingly being used to predict future coastal change in response to changes in sea level, tidal range, wave climate, storminess and climate.

Environmental and human geographers are increasingly concerned with the nature and management of short and long term human impacts on the coast. Short term impacts include pollution of coastal areas whereas the combination of factors leading to climate change is an example of a long term impact. These geographers study the relationships between people and the coast and how coastal development can proceed sensibly. This requires an understanding of coastal ecosystems and the impact of development on these systems. Environmental geographers also study the impacts of land clearing, urban development and run-off in effecting increased sedimentation and pollution in the marine environment. This requires collection and analysis of coastal water and sediments to assess contaminants and their sources.

The integrative nature of geography has placed it at the forefront in the application of geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing to coastal research. This technology facilitates the interaction of physical and human geographers with scientists from other disciplines in research into the complex and dynamic ecosystems of the coastal zone.

Photo: A geographer monitors changes in coastal landforms.