Coastal Restoration Trust of New Zealand

Coastal Dune Ecosystem Reference Database

Input of river-derived sediment to the New Zealand continental shelf. Technical Report

Author
Griffiths, G.A. and Glasby, G.P.
Year
1985
Journal / Source
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
Volume
21
Pages
773-787
Keywords
Sedimentation
Summary
The input of river-borne sediments to the New Zealand continental shelf has been calculated for all the major rivers and basins in New Zealand. South Island yields 284±40 x 10 tonnes per year of sediment from a land area of 152 977 km2 and North Island yields 105 ± 94 x 10 tonnes per year from a land area of 114621 km2. Particularly high discharges are noted off the west coast of South Island and east coast of North Island and result in higher offshore sedimentation there. The data are compatible with measured sedimentation rates on the New Zealand continental shelf. The specific sediment yield from South Island is amongst the highest previously recorded.
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