Beach cusps on NSW far south coast mystify photographers and experts
The scallop-shaped sand formations stretch for hundreds of metres along Wallaga Beach, between Bermagui and Mystery Bay.
Local photographer David Rogers has seen similar patterns in bays further north, but was excited to see them "by chance" further south earlier this week.
"I'd seen this phenomenon before at a couple of places like Pearl Beach up in Sydney and Hyams Beach at Jervis Bay."
Mr Rogers first spotted the sand patterns from a nearby headland, before he used a drone to get a better look and noticed how the gentle waves shaped the shoreline.
"From above, it looks a lot more stunning than from on the ground," he said.
"I think it's just the repetitive nature and the formation of the cups.
The fascinating sand formation is not the only thing catching the eye of photographers in the area.
Terry and Kim Dixon managed to film migrating humpback whales three days in a row at nearby Tathra, at the regulated 100-metre distance.
Mr Rogers also spotted whales breaching on Wednesday near Kianniny Bay.
"We had a fantastic show for about half an hour," he said.
"That's nature for you."
Beach cusps have been well studied, but exactly why they occur remains something of a mystery.
Emeritus professor at the University of Sydney, Bruce Thom, has been studying the beaches of the NSW far south coast for more than 50 years.
Professor Thom said that for beach cusps to form, steady, low waves, also known as "incident waves" were required, along with medium to coarse sand, which stays in place after a swash.
"So those preconditions are operating, but that doesn't answer why they form in the first place," he said.
Along with Sydney and Jervis Bay, beach cusps have been previously documented at Shoal Bay in Port Stephens, Bengello Beach near Moruya, and McKenzies Beach south of Batemans Bay.
"They are being studied to death," Professor Thom said.
"All that adds to a rather complex scientific story that has fascinated beach scientists for well over 100 years."
A different type of sand movement is occurring at nearby Haywards Beach, which has resulted in damage to a well-known walking track.
The erosion was something Professor Thom was keeping an eye on, as he continued to study sand deposits on the far south coast.
"In 1974, the big storms came and wiped out a large section of the road, so it became a walking track," he said.
"In the 80s, we had a lot of sand come back from the near shore … but the more recent storms have started to reverse that trend.
"At Haywards, we're really seeing a dramatic switch back to erosion."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SBS Australia
16 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
The effects of scrolling social media on your brain
Scrolling social media is a guilty pleasure ... that can quickly spiral into distraction and people are certainly becoming more aware of it. "Definitely scroll on Instagram way too frequently, way more than I need to, yeah it's in the back of my mind but I'm not super conscious about it." "You just lose focus for even a second - you just go in there - it's like a doom scroll, you start doom scrolling for an hour or something, so you're just unproductive after that, that's it." It's a new age challenge - with an impact that's yet to be fully understood . Dr Alexandra Gaillard of Swinburne University says her new research sought to explore the effects of screen time on the brain. "The main takeaways that our research really showed that time spent on social media may be a waste of resources for the brain can lead to decreased focus and increase in stress." The research has found 18 to 25 year olds exposed to phone screens for just three minutes, experienced changes in mood, energy, tension, focus and happiness. The pilot study of 27 people compared responses to gaming, television and social media on these devices. Dr Gaillard said this tracked brain activity by using small electrodes that track oxygen levels. "With social media there was the biggest increase in blood flow to those regions, but it doesn't actually get used - compared to something like gaming where a lot of blood goes to the region but it's actually used up, people engaging there's problem solving, they're doing things with that oxygen and that brain area." The findings indicate even short periods of screen time can have measurable effects. But Professor Michael Dezuanni of Queensland University of Technology says the full impact on young people is a nuanced and evolving field of research. "We need to think about how social media can have negative impacts on young people, but when it comes to learning - we can't just have a kind of generalised view." From December the 10th, a federal government ban on under 16s accessing social media takes Professor Suzanne Schweizer of UNSW Sydney says it's important efforts continue to better understand the impact of social media. "Because young people spend so much time interacting online - we need to know does it actually influence their brain development and if so again how so those are reasons why it's important that we invest more in experimental research."
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
US Health Secretary cancels $500 million mRNA research contracts
US Health Secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr has taken aim at mRNA vaccines in the US and announced he is cancelling research contracts and grants worth US $500 million. The move has stunned the medical research community, one researcher declared it, 'a bad day for science.' In Australia there has been significant research and investment in mRNA technology as the country aims to become self-sufficient in producing vaccines for human and animal use. Could the Health Secretary's actions be an opportunity for researchers here? Guest: Dr. Lesley Russell, Adjunct Associate Professor at the Leeder Centre for Health Policy economics and data at the University of Sydney
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Cockatoos can bust a move: Australian research
Cockatoo birds are renowned in Australia for their raucous singing, but researchers said Thursday they also boast an impressive array of dance moves. Many Australians regard cockatoos as something of a nuisance, a reputation owed in part to the parrots' cacophonous, screeching cries. But when they are not using their sharp beaks to rifle through rubbish, a new study found many cockatoo species seemed to enjoy shaking their tail feathers. Charles Sturt University researcher Natasha Lubke documented 30 different dance moves while studying various species of cockatoo -- from headbanging to body rolls. "I showed that dancing behaviour is more common in cockatoos than previously thought, and was seen in 10 of the 21 cockatoo species," said Lubke. Lubke scrolled through YouTube videos to document the dancing behaviours of pet cockatoos around the world, as well as observing the birds at Australia's Wagga Wagga Zoo. The research suggested that cockatoos "can experience pleasure and enjoy dancing", she said. Animal behaviour expert Raf Freire, who supervised the research, said it was a sign of "well-developed cognitive and emotional processes in parrots". The study was published in peer-reviewed journal PLOS One. Once dubbed "Australia's naughtiest bird", the sometimes irksome behaviour of sulphur-crested cockatoos is a source of constant fascination to scientists. Researchers earlier this year documented how a flock of cockatoos in urban Sydney had figured out how to use drinking fountains. The Australian government in 2017 spent US$50,000 (Aus$80,000) repairing damage to high-speed internet cables stripped and chewed by cockatoos.
