Coastal Restoration Trust of New Zealand

Coastal Dune Ecosystem Reference Database

Sedimentation and sediment geochemistry of Caswell, Nancy and Milford Sounds Technical Report

Author
Glasby, G.P.
Editor
Glasby, G.P.
Year
1978
Journal / Source
Fiord Studies: Caswell and Nancy Sounds, New Zealand. New Zealand Oceanographic Memoir
Volume
79
Pages
19-38
Summary
Sediments from three fiords of South Island, New Zealand- Caswell, Nancy, and Milford Sounds - -are organic-rich sandy silts and silty sands interspersed with discrete horizons of sand and fibrous organic material. Grain size analyses show that the sediments become progressively finer towards the fiord basins. Introduction of the sandy silts into the fiords represents the normal situation of suspension load transport of material, whereas introduction of the discrete horizons of sands and fibrous organic matter is caused by periodic debris avalanches into the fiord. Trace metal contents of sediments from the three fiords are similar, although slight differences are apparent, and the fiords are characterised by high rates of sedimentation (in the range 84-430cm/103yrs).
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