Dr Thomas Oliver

I have made numerous independent contributions to research that have had a significant impact in my field of expertise. My research track record has been recognised nationally and internationally through contributions to Holocene coastal evolution of sandy barrier systems. I have spoken in sessions specific to my discipline at major international conferences. My research applying OSL dating to coastal sediments has been especially influential given the academic prominence of several study sites such as Moruya, Cowley Beach and East Gippsland. I have collaborated with others in revisiting these and other sites with new techniques and revised the interpretation of shoreline history and coastal evolution.

One of these key sites, Moruya, has the longest continuous beach-monitoring program in Australia and was intensely studied in the late 1970;s and early 1980’s forming the basis of important models of coastal barrier deposition by eminent researchers in coastal geomorphology in Australia such as Prof. Bruce Thom and Peter Roy. More broadly, my work using OSL dating to understand the deposition of the coastal barriers of southeastern Australia (NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia) has greatly expanded and enhanced our knowledge of the deposition of sandy coastal barriers over the mid- to late- Holocene (past ~7000 years).

I am beginning the process of taking over the monthly beach surveying from Prof. Roger McLean to continue to extend this exceptionally long running dataset of beach change into the future. First started in 1972 with Prof. Bruce Thom, this is a historic and globally significant dataset. It is a privilege to be involved in continuing this initiative and the furthering a dataset which is already one of the best records of coastal erosion and recovery in the world.

In my discipline of coastal geomorphology/geology, I have been at the forefront of pushing the application of several relatively new methods for coastal systems in Australia. One example is my collaboration with Dr Toru Tamura, which has demonstrated how OSL dating combined with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) can be used to reveal the recent (past few centuries) pattern of storm erosion and recovery. This highly innovative approach to dating younger coastal sediments is an important contribution to understanding contemporary shoreline behaviour.

My published works have also featured the use of airborne LiDAR as a means of visualising and understanding the 3D surface of coastal foredune ridges. During my PhD, post-doctoral research and during my appointment at UNSW Canberra, I have been at the cutting edge of utilising this important remotely sensed data. In numerous publications I have showcased these datasets and developed reliable digital elevation models (DEMs) which capture the ‘bare earth’ allowing unprecedented insights into coastal dune morphology, especially at locations blanketed by thick vegetation.