Morphodynamics of a small inlet on the southwest coast of Victoria: a study of the Hopkins Inlet, Warrnambool (1996-97)

Tidal inlets are one of the most dynamic features of the world's coastlines (Dyer, 1995; Davis Jr, 1996). Since the 1960s, the majority of inlet studies have focused upon the variability, or morphodynamies, of larger features over many years and decades. But recent findings by Kench and Parnell (1991); Hume and Herdendorf (1992) and Kench (1996) show that the temporal variability of small inlets (<100m in diameter) is extremely short compared to the rate of physical change experienced in larger features. This evidence has serious implications for the existing knowledge of inlet morphodynamics. In Australia, the existing knowledge of tidal inlets is limited to the study of larger features occurring along the coasts of New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria. Although there are a number of studies on smaller inlets, this research has largely concentrated on the geological evolution of the barrier-island coasts of south east Australia. This represents a serious gap in the knowledge required to adequately understand the stability of small-scale inlets under Australian conditions. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to analyse the morphodynamics of a small-scale inlet on the south west coast of the Victoria, Australia.