It has been an exciting start to the year where I live, because the highest astronomical tide was forecast for 3rd January and there was a cyclone tracking towards us.
On the highest tide each year, I wonder if the waves will reach to the wave cut notch at the bottom of the cliff face, below Boiling Pot Lookout in Noosa National Park that is about halfway down the east coast of Australia, just near where I live.
I have been going around and standing there on the lower platform (Platform 1) for some years at the time of the highest tide. These tides are in summer in the Southern Hemisphere because that is when the Sun is closest to the Earth, and they usually correspond with a New Moon or Full Moon.
This year, on the day of the forecast highest astronomical tide (Monday 3rd January 2022), Noosa was mentioned on the front page of the national newspaper – the story was about the huge swells: up to 4 metres high from ex-cyclone Seth lingering just offshore.
Was this the year I was going to be washed from the wavecut platform at the bottom of the cliff face on the highest tide?
The sea begins at the land’s edge. Where the sea begins is the sea level – and there is concern that sea levels are rising.
But this platform must be a relic from a time of higher sea levels because even this year with a low pressure system off-shore that raised sea levels, and with the La Nina that further raised sea levels, sea-level didn’t reach the wave cut notch.
These platforms form just below sea level, in the intertidal zone, where the cutting action of waves will bring down great lumps of rock from above. The debris is removed by the wash, beyond the intertidal zone; the headland recedes landward; the sea eats into the cliff-face; and so, cliffs are formed, with wave-cut platforms at their base.
This platform below Boiling Point Lookout, that I have stood on in past years: it is so wide.
When was it formed? How long were sea levels at that height – how long does it take to erode a cliff face to that width?
This year the waves, on the biggest swells, at the time of the high tide, they hit the cliff face!
Not the sea level, but the swells.
And yet I wasn’t washed away. Because I wasn’t on the platform!
But my friend Jared was there, and he was not washed away. You can see him in the drone footage that I have taken – so much footage that now needs editing – that shows the largest swells including as they hit the cliff face the day before (2nd January) with Cyclone Seth just offshore, and the next day (3rd January) which was highest tide day for the year.
I was flying my drone (the wonderful Skido) from a ledge beyond the platform into the winds and out to sea so I could get the feature image looking back at the cliff face at the time of the highest astronomical tide, as shown in the feature image at the top of this blog post.
This year I dared not venture below the cliff face at the time of the highest tide, but Jared did – and he was not washed away. You will see him in the short film that I hope to make about this cliff face and climate change. To be sure to know when it is uploaded to the internet or ready for showing in the wonderful local Pomona Theatre subscribe for my monthly e-newsletters.
Update
Much thanks to Charles for republishing at WhatsUpWithThat. I really appreciate the comments in the thread including from Rud Istvan and John Tillman. They are suggesting the platforms could date to the Eemian high stand that was 120,000 years ago. Apparently during the Eemian period the Southern Dome of the Greenland Ice Sheet melted about 25% more than now, and temperatures were 6 to 8 degrees warmer.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Oh dear, how will ‘they’ explain this natural phenomenon that just won’t do what ‘they’ want it to do.
Glad to see you’ve made it into the new year without being washed away, and it beats this by any stretch – scroll to the end to see a sudden snow fall after the day looked promisingly chirpy: https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/serve-suffer-and-sacrifice
The Earth has undergone massive expansion in the past, far more recent than the isotope believers would have us know. All the ocean basins were formed as it happened.
We get a constant rain of protons from the Sun, reducing oxygen as it joins and powers the Jet streams.
This interpaly means sea levels change. The Grand Minimum of the local star is normal and means the climate is cooling. This will have the effect of locking up seawater and precipitation as ice.
Worse is to come, Nova, anyone?
Perfect timing Seth! Great pics Jen!
I was at Pt Cartwright the day before just to watch the ocean “doing its own thing” so-to-speak. Such raw power, beauty. Never boring…
Congratulations Jennifer, with thanks from many Noosa waterfront property owners, In your following through on your observations of whether or not any basis exists to suggest that Noosa is experiencing rise “Sea Level”.
Your choice of 3 January, Highest Tide for 2022, was reinforced as a good measurement point with the additional influence of offshore Cyclonic Conditions and :”No onsite observers were washed away”. There is no measurable Sea Level Rise.
You should provide Noosa mayor, Clare Stewart, with your observations with suggestion that the Noosa Council should withdraw its “Coastal Hazard Adaption Plan” which, without any supporting empirical evidence, destructively claims predictable, property devaluation through Sea Level Rise.
When proper scientists test their observations on the day of the highest tide the only people who appear out of touch with reality are the non scientists who have been predicting doom and gloom and cannot accept that science is based on facts not opinions.
Jen,
Check out storm wave cut platforms in Journal of Geology c. late 1920s (I think; memory faulty these days but pre-WWII). Paper by New Zealander Professor John Batrum.
If I recall aright, the main example was one at the southern end of Muriwai beach.
kerry
Well done Jennifer.
Your observations at the Noosa National Park should interest a great many people who walk there, althoough most will not have noticed the wave cut notch before.
I have now been to three sites in the mediteranean sea that attest to sea level fall;
1. Ephesus (Turkey), sea port 2000 years ago now several miles inland
2. Thermopylae (Greece), coastal cliff 3000 years ago now several miles inlkand
3. Herculaneum (Italy). coastal town 2000 years ago with boat sheds. now inland.
After watching the disaster in Brazil where a section of cliff fell on a tourist boat and killed ten I would hope Jen’s cliffs are a bit more stable.
Hi Jennifer,
In your excellent article on sea level rise you state “Given the landmass of Australia has not sunk or risen much over this time period,(125,000 years)…”.
I was intrigued some years ago while driving to Western Australia we pulled over to the Southern coastline in South Australia to observe the ~ 200 foot (~61 m) high cliffs there dropping down to the sea, and was amazed to readily find sea shells on the ground (not in a midden), indicating that the area had been covered by the ocean in reasonably recent times.
I was informed that that was the case some 20,000 odd years ago so obviously various parts of Australia have also behaved quite differently in this respect over time, probably resulting from a variety of dynamic underlying conditions.
It is abundantly clear that the IPCC’s pre-determined agenda will guarantee that any conflicting evidence or science will simply be ignored or actively rejected.
As this attitude and modus-operandi is clearly at odds with the scientific principle it will inevitably lead to many major costly mistakes and errors.
One day however reality and the truth will finally prevail, and your work is making a very positive contribution to this inevitable outcome.
Thank you.
Have you submitted this report or condensed version to our Noosa Today newspaper?
Congratulations on your fine work …. searching for facts how can you?
note your comments BOM revisions of homogenization – at least they are consistent in their efforts! ……to support WEF, UN etc.
Good commentary : Jordan Peterson , The Australian 22nd Jan