Warrnambool Coast Fieldwork
 Collect images to illustrate the natural and human geographic characteristics of
Warrnambool foreshore. Images collected should display the spatial concepts studied.
What type of coastline is the Warrnambool foreshore: sandy, rocky, or marsh and mudflats?
Natural Processes:
Time
Tide (refer to tide chartlow/high, H→L or L→H)
Intertidal zone (m)
Angle of shore slope
Wind direction
Wind speed (refer to Beaufort
chart)
Approximate height of waves
(cm)
Wave frequency
(waves/minute)
Longshore drift (direction)
Wave refraction (evident/ not
evident)
Movement of people
Other:
Location 1
Location 2
Location 3
 Measure the distance from vegetation to the berm and from berm to swash zone.
Vegetation
Berm
 With an arrow show the direction of longshore drift on you provided map.
Human Activities:
Swimming
Surfing
Walking
Fishing
Boating
Conservation, planting or clearing
Other
Tally of activities you see.
Swash
Natural Features
Cliffs
Stacks
Caves
Sandy beach
Bay
Other:
Vegetation type:
Location 1
Location 2
Location 3
Location 1
Location 2
Location 3
Nature or
rock/sediment
Human feature:
Walking track
Fences
Roads
Car park
Boat shed
Club rooms
Pier/jetty
Sea wall
Breakwater
Kiosk/shops
Power poles
Signs
Rubbish bins
Toilets
Other:
Identify the management strategies in place in the area.
Figure 1: Sketch of Lady Bay from location 1
Figure 2: Sketch of breakwater
Calculations & Charts:
Wave frequency is calculated by counting how many waves break per minute:
Constructive waves ≤ 8 /min
Destructive waves ≥ 16 /min
Net balance 9-15 /min
Movement: Monitor/ Tally the amount of people passed a point for 10 min.
Wind speed:
7am 37 km/h WSW
7pm 38 km/h SW
High / Low tide:
Wed Mar 21
High 1:18am 0.9 m
Low 7:51am 0.4 m
High1:24pm 0.8 m
Low 7:20pm 0.4 m
Sourced from willyweather.com.au
 Geocaching Activity:
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System
(GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called
"geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world.
I have hidden a small container at the coordinates 38°23’45’’480’’’S 42°28’35’’951’’’E, you should
see a ‘waterfall’ close by. Underneath is area 6 paces ESE.
Wind speed table for Conversion of Knots, Beaufort, m/s and km/h.
Knots
1
Beaufort
0
1-3
1
4-6
2
7-10
3
11-15
4
16-21
5
m/s
0 - 0.2
km/h Label
1
Calm
Effect on sea
Sea like a mirror
Ripples with the appearance of scales are
0.3-1.5 1-5 Light Air
formed, but without foam crests
Small wavelets, still short, but more
Light
1.6-3.3 6-11
pronounced. Crests have a glassy
Breeze
appearance and do not break
Large wavelets. Crests begin to break.
12- Gentle
3.4-5.4
Foam of glassy appearance. Perhaps
19
Breeze
scattered white horses
20- Moderate Small waves, becoming larger; fairly
5.5-7.9
28
Breeze
frequent white horses
Moderate waves, taking a more
29- Fresh
8.0-10.7
pronounced long form; many white
38
Breeze
horses are formed. Chance of some spray
22-27
6
3910.8-13.8
49
28-33
7
13.9-17.1
34-40
8
41-47
9
48-55
10
56-63
11
64-71
12
5061
Strong
breeze
Large waves begin to form; the white
foam crests are more extensive
everywhere. Probably some spray
High
Sea heaps up and white foam from
wind, near breaking waves begins to be blown in
gale
streaks along the direction of the wind
Effects on land
Calm. Smoke rises vertically.
Wind motion visible in smoke.
Wind felt on exposed skin. Leaves
rustle.
Leaves and smaller twigs in
constant motion.
Dust and loose paper raised. Small
branches begin to move.
Branches of a moderate size move.
Small trees begin to sway.
Large branches in motion.
Whistling heard in overhead wires.
Umbrella use becomes difficult.
Empty plastic garbage cans tip over.
Whole trees in motion. Effort
needed to walk against the wind.
Swaying of skyscrapers may be felt,
especially by people on upper
floors.
Moderately high waves of greater length;
edges of crests begin to break into
62Twigs broken from trees. Cars veer
17.2-20.7
Gale
spindrift. The foam is blown in well74
on road.
marked streaks along the direction of the
wind
Larger branches break off trees, and
High waves. Dense streaks of foam along
some small trees blow over.
75- Severe
the direction of the wind. Crests of waves
20.8-24.4
Construction/temporary signs and
88
Gale
begin to topple, tumble and roll over.
barricades blow over. Damage to
Spray may affect visibility
circus tents and canopies.
Very high waves with long over-hanging
crests. The resulting foam, in great
Trees are broken off or uprooted,
patches, is blown in dense white streaks
saplings bent and deformed, poorly
89along the direction of the wind. On the
24.5-28.4
Storm
attached asphalt shingles and
102
whole the surface of the sea takes on a
shingles in poor condition peel off
white appearance. The 'tumbling' of the
roofs.
sea becomes heavy and shock-like.
Visibility affected
Exceptionally high waves (small and
medium-size ships might disappear
Widespread vegetation damage.
behind the waves). The sea is completely More damage to most roofing
103- Violent
28.5-32.6
covered with long white patches of foam surfaces, asphalt tiles that have
117 Storm
flying along the direction of the wind.
curled up and/or fractured due to
Everywhere the edges of the wave crests age may break away completely.
are blown into froth. Visibility affected
Considerable and widespread
damage to vegetation, a few
The air is filled with foam and spray. Sea
118windows broken, structural damage
32.7-36.9
Hurricane completely white with driving spray;
133
to mobile homes and poorly
visibility very seriously affected
constructed sheds and barns. Debris
may be hurled about
On the map provided label where the activities we perform during the fieldtrip take place.