The Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and what coral reefs can tell us about changes of sea level part of Vignettes:Vignette Collection
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean are the only atoll that Charles Darwin visited during the voyage of the Beagle.Darwin had developed a theory that gradual subsidence of volcanic islands in ...

Balls Pyramid and the efficacy of marine abrasion part of Vignettes:Vignette Collection
Balls Pyramid is a striking example of the penultimate stage in the marine planation of a volcanic island. It is a remarkable monolith of basalt that rises spectacularly to a height of 551 m (Fig. 1), as wave ...

Ant activity and the development of nutrient-rich soil profiles part of Vignettes:Vignette Collection
Rainfall is one of the most important factors in arid and semi-arid (dryland) environments; it supplements soil moisture storage, stimulates plant germination, and brings new life to dormant vegetation. Rainfall ...

Native animals and the formation of healthy soils part of Vignettes:Vignette Collection
Soil is an important resource on which most of the world's production depends. Soil is not an inert medium; it is a living and breathing ecosystem made up of water, air and organic material. Soil provides the ...

Effects of 4-Wheel Drive Vehicles on Beach Sediment Transport part of Vignettes:Vignette Collection
The use of 4-Wheel Drive (4WD) vehicles on coastal beaches is an activity that attracts considerable controversy amongst beach users. 4WD vehicles are currently permitted access to hundreds of beaches throughout ...

Linear dune formation: Longitudinal elongation or local wind rifting? An example from the Strzelecki Desert, central Australia part of Vignettes:Vignette Collection
The Australian desert dunefields are dominated by linear dunes, which form a large anti-clockwise whorl across more than one third of the continent (Wasson et al., 1988). Despite being so extensive, the mechanisms ...

The continental dunefield of Australia part of Vignettes:Vignette Collection
Dunefields cover a large portion of the Australian continent in areas with favourable topography, climate and sand supply. The main areas of dunes lie in a diagonal band across the continent from the Mallee ...

Salt Karst: Mount Sedom diapir part of Vignettes:Vignette Collection
A unique, rapidly evolving karst landscape is described below. It develops on salt rock (halite) at such a rate that a human lifetime is enough to observe considerable geomorphic variations. Halite is the most ...

Does Moss Grow on A Rolling Stone? Assessing the Influence of Hydrologic Regime on Bed Load Transport and In-Stream Primary Producers in Steep Mountain Channels part of Vignettes:Vignette Collection
Conceptual Setup It has long been realized that earth systems are open, interconnected, and exhibit complex and emergent patterns as a result of natural forcings. As an example of such interactions, consider the ...

Rock Glaciers Move Mountains - Perhaps Right Under Your Skis part of Vignettes:Vignette Collection
What is a Rock Glacier?A rock glacier is an geomorphic feature that includes ice and talus. An "active" rock glacier meets two important criteria: 1) it contains ice currently and 2) it is moving and ...