School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences

Jiashu Shen

Dr Jiashu Shen

Associate Lecturer
BSc East China, PhD W'gong

 

Telephone: +61 2 62688697
Fax: +61 2 6268 8017
Email: j.shen@adfa.edu.au
Location: PEMS North, Room 332

My UNSW Research Gateway Profile

Physical Geographer

Research Interests:
Coastal geomorphology, sediment transport related to beach hydrodynamics and sedimentology.

Environmental Systems Research Group

Current Research

Magnitude and frequency of beach change at Moruya, South Coast (Prof. Roger McLean with Dr Jiashu Shen)

Sandy beaches along the east-coast of Australia are one of the most dynamic areas. Constant changes in landforms occur due to relatively higher and variable energy input, and sediment characteristics. Some 36 years of beach profile changes have been recorded together with some 14 years of variation in ground water level. This project aims to monitor the morphological changes of sandy beaches and attempts to find the primary mechanism which results in these changes. Beach profile data have been analysed together with the ocean surface wave data, sea-level or tide data, and local meteorological data. Some interesting results have been found which indicate that beach profiles are closely related to the surface wave conditions and short-term climate change as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events.

Dr Jiashu Shen and Jack Doyle conducting a beach survey at Moruya in June-July 2007.

Dr Jiashu Shen and Jack Doyle conducting a beach survey at Moruya in June-July 2007. The seaward scarp was cut by high waves during those months, the vegetated scarp behind is a relic of the 1996 erosional event, and that in the extreme right is the result of the 1974 May-June storms, which were the most devastating along the NSW coast in the last 50 years.

Selected Publications

  1. McLean, R.F., Shen, J., & Thom, B. 2010, Beach change at Bengello Beach, Eurobodalla Shire, New South Wales: 1972-2010, 19th NSW Coastal Conference 2010 , Batemans Bay, NSW, 10-12 November 2010.
  2. McLean, R. F. & Shen, J., 2006, From foreshore to foredune: Foredune development over the last 30 years at Moruya Beach, New South Wales, Australia, Journal of Coastal Research, 22(1), 28-36.
  3. Shen, J. & McLean, R., 2006, Beach morphology change related to the variation in coastal hydrodynamics at Moruya, NSW, The 12th Conference of Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group, Taipa Bay, New Zealand, 12-17 February, 2006.
  4. Shen, Jiashu, 1990, Sediment transport in the surf zone : Variations in suspended sediment characteristics, hydrodynamics and morphology, southeast coast Australia, PhD thesis, University of Wollongong.