Estuaries of Australia are features of the
Australian coastline. They are linked to tides, river mouths and coastal features and conditions. In many cases the features of estuaries are also named ''inlets''.
Types
The separation of the types is related to the process based classification scheme where the energy sources define the group
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Tide-dominated delta - River energy
Burdekin River in Queensland and Macarthur River NT
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Wave-dominated delta - River energy
Manning River (NSW) and
Yarra River
The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, (Kulin languages: ''Berrern'', ''Birr-arrung'', ''Bay-ray-rung'', ''Birarang'', ''Birrarung'', and ''Wongete'') is a perennial river in south-central Victoria, Australia.
The lower stre ...
(Vic)
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Tide-dominated estuary - Tide energy a good example is
Ord River (WA) and
Broad Sound (Queensland)
Broad Sound is a large bay on the east coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland, northwest of the state capital, Brisbane. It is about long and across at its widest point. The Torilla Peninsula forms the eastern side of the bay; Shoa ...
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Wave-dominated estuary - Wave energy - good example
Peel Inlet Western Australia and
Lake Illawarra
Lake Illawarra ( Aboriginal Tharawal language: various adaptions of ''Elouera'', ''Eloura'', or ''Allowrie''; ''Illa'', ''Wurra'', or ''Warra'' meaning pleasant place near the sea, or, high place near the sea, or, white clay mountain), is an ope ...
NSW.
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Tidal flat/creek - Tide energy Good enough Bay (WA) and Moonlight Creek (QLD)
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Strandplain
A strand plain or strandplain is a broad belt of sand along a shoreline with a surface exhibiting well-defined parallel or semi-parallel sand ridges separated by shallow swales. A strand plain differs from a barrier island in that it lacks eit ...
(and coastal lagoons) - Wave energy - good example coastal lagoon
Irwin Inlet WA, strandplain Mooball Creek NSW.
Regions
The coastal regions of Australia are determined into ''estuary drainage basins''
* Tasmania -
* Temperate East - Tweed River to East Gippsland - wave dominated coast
* Subtropical east -
* GBR - Dry Tropics -
* GBR - Wet Tropics -
* Gulf of Carpentaria -
* Top End -
* Kimberley -
* Pilbara -
* South West -
* Gulfs - Gulf St Vincent to Spencer Gulf - wave dominated in south, tidal in northern parts
* Bass Strait - Mallacoota Inlet to Lower Lakes - wave dominated and coastal lagoons
See also
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Estuaries of Western Australia
The estuaries of Western Australia (also known as the Inlets of Western Australia) are located along the coastline of Western Australia.
The coastline can be considered in three main sections: south, west, and Kimberley. Some estuarine features ...
Notes
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Coastline of Australia