Thomas Oliver

Senior Lecturer

PhD Study Opportunities

Are you interested in Graduate Research?  Explore some of the PhD Study Opportunities at UNSW Canberra.  We offer a diverse range of Scholarships Opportunities to domestic and international students to suit you and your situation.

Scholarships of $35,000 (AUD) are available for PhD applicants who achieved H1 (High Distinction) in their undergraduate program and/or have completed a Masters by Research.

I studied at the University of Wollongong and completed Bachelor of Marine Science Advanced Honours (Class 1) followed by a PhD under the supervision of Professor Colin Woodroffe.

I arrived at UNSW Canberra at the beginning of 2018 as a Lecturer and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2022.

I am a coastal geographer interested in all aspects of coastal science from the late Quaternary to present-day processes. I have conducted research in many coastal locations around Australia and have a special interest in sandy coastal plains which preserve past shoreline behaviour, past coastal processes and palaeoclimatic signatures.

Research interests and potential PhD topics:

  • Holocene evolution of prograded coastal barriers
  • Reconstructing Late-Quaternary and Holocene sea levels in southeastern Australia from raised coastal landforms
  • Application of Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating to young (<500 years) sediments
  • Sandy shoreline behaviour on planning timescales from sedimentary archives - extending the record of east coast lows along the NSW coast
  • Beach morphodynamics at Bengello Beach - continuing a 50-year monitoring program with new technologies
  • Luminescence dating of Australian coastal sediments - a review and contribution to the OCTOPUS database in collaboration with CABAH at UOW.
  • Understanding the sediments of the shallow sea bed and the character of drowned landforms
  • Quantifying the contribution of river sediments to the coast in southern NSW.
  • Barrier washover in the sedimentary record and on historical timescales

Honours project topics:

  • Historical washover events at Brou Beach barrier - stratigraphy and sedimentology
  • Sediments of the lower Moruya River - do they reach the coast?
  • Merimbula barrier washover plain, morphology, age and stratigraphy 

Recent Media:

Follow me on Twitter: @dr_tom_oliver

PUBLICATIONS
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Book Chapters
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McBride RA; Anderson JB; Buynevich IV; Byrnes MR; Cleary W; Fenster MS; FitzGerald DM; Hapke CJ; Harris MS; Hein CJ; Johnson CL; Klein AHF; Liu B; de Menezes JT; Mulhern JS; Oliver TSN; Pejrup M; Riggs SR; Roberts HH; Rodriguez AB; Seminack CT; Short AD; Stone GW; Tamura T; Wallace DJ; Wang P, 2022, 'Morphodynamics of Modern and Ancient Barrier Systems: An Updated and Expanded Synthesis', in Treatise on Geomorphology, Elsevier, pp. 289 - 417, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-818234-5.00153-x
2022
Conference Papers
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Oliver TSN; Woodroffe CD, 2016, 'Chronology, morphology and GPR-imaged internal structure of the Callala Beach Prograded Barrier in Southeastern Australia', in Journal of Coastal Research, pp. 318 - 322, http://dx.doi.org/10.2112/SI75-064.1
2016
Conference Presentations
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Oliver T; Tamura T; Brooke B; Short A; Kinsela M; Woodroffe C; Thom B, 2021, 'Holocene sediment budget for wave-dominated Moruya coastline, southeastern Australia: sediment sources, transport and embayment interconnectivity', http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-8104
2021
Journal articles
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Oliver TSN; Donaldson P; Tamura T, 2022, 'Embayment-scale coastal evolution and shoreline progradation in southeast Tasmania, Australia', Marine Geology, vol. 444, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2021.106725
2022
Brooke BP; Huang Z; Nicholas WA; Oliver TSN; Tamura T; Woodroffe CD; Nichol SL, 2022, 'Reply to the comment by Dougherty, A.J. on “Relative sea-level records preserved in Holocene beach-ridge strandplains – An example from tropical northeastern Australia” by Brooke, B.P., Huang, Z., Nicholas, W.A., Oliver, T.S.N., Tamura, T., Woodroffe, C.D., Nichol, S.L.', Marine Geology, vol. 447, pp. 106768 - 106768, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2022.106768
2022
Woodroffe CD; Carvalho RC; Oliver TSN; Thom BG, 2022, 'Sediment dynamics at different timescales on an embayed coast in southeastern Australia', Journal of Coastal Conservation, vol. 26, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11852-022-00867-2
2022
Oliver TSN; Tamura T, 2022, 'The relevance of coastal sediment budgets to management of sandy wave-dominated shorelines, a case study of Twofold Bay, southeastern Australia', Ocean and Coastal Management, vol. 228, pp. 106311 - 106311, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2022.106311
2022
Yang G; Wang XH; Zhong Y; Oliver TSN, 2022, 'Modelling study on the sediment dynamics and the formation of the flood-tide delta near Cullendulla Beach in the Batemans Bay, Australia', Marine Geology, vol. 452, pp. 106910 - 106910, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2022.106910
2022
Oliver TSN; Tamura T, 2021, 'Sub-centennially resolved behavior of an accreting sandy shoreline over the past ~ 1000 years', Journal of Sedimentary Research, vol. 91, pp. 211 - 218, http://dx.doi.org/10.2110/JSR.2020.074
2021
Lu J; Han G; Song D; Oliver T; Teng Y; Guo J; Wu L; Zhang C; Jiang X, 2021, 'The Cross-Shore Component in the Vertical Structure of Wave-Induced Currents and Resulting Offshore Transport', Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, vol. 126, http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017311
2021
Yang G; Wang XH; Cheng Z; Zhong Y; Oliver T, 2021, 'Modelling study on estuarine circulation and its effect on the turbidity maximum zone in the Yalu River Estuary, China', Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, vol. 263, pp. 107634 - 107634, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107634
2021
McBride RA; Oliver TSN; Dougherty AJ; Tamura T; Carvalho RC; Short AD; Woodroffe CD, 2021, 'The turnaround from transgression to regression of Holocene barrier systems in south-eastern Australia: Geomorphology, geological framework and geochronology', Sedimentology, vol. 68, pp. 943 - 986, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sed.12812
2021
Oliver TSN; Tamura T; Murray-Wallace CV, 2020, 'Identification of reworked foraminifera in temperate carbonate sediments – A pilot study from the Coorong Coastal Plain, southern Australia', Marine Geology, vol. 421, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2019.106096
2020
Kennedy DM; Oliver TSN; Tamura T; Murray-Wallace CV; Thom BG; Rosengren NJ; Ierodiaconou D; Augustinus P; Leach C; Gao J; McSweeney SL; Konlechner T; Woodroffe CD, 2020, 'Holocene evolution of the Ninety Mile Beach sand barrier, Victoria, Australia: The role of sea level, sediment supply and climate.', Marine Geology, vol. 430, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2020.106366
2020
Oliver TSN, 2020, 'Backhoe for an Auger', Journal of Coastal Research, vol. 101, pp. 406 - 407, http://dx.doi.org/10.2112/JCR-SI101-074.1
2020
Oliver TSN, 2020, 'Sliding, Sliding, Stuck - Flotsam Tobogganing Down an Interglacial Beach', Journal of Coastal Research, vol. 101, pp. 390 - 391, http://dx.doi.org/10.2112/JCR-SI101-070.1
2020
Oliver TSN; Tamura T; Brooke BP; Short AD; Kinsela MA; Woodroffe CD; Thom BG, 2020, 'Holocene evolution of the wave-dominated embayed Moruya coastline, southeastern Australia: Sediment sources, transport rates and alongshore interconnectivity', Quaternary Science Reviews, vol. 247, pp. 106566 - 106566, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106566
2020
Oliver TSN; Murray-Wallace CV; Woodroffe CD, 2019, 'Holocene shoreline progradation and coastal evolution at Guichen and Rivoli Bays, southern Australia', The Holocene, pp. 095968361987581 - 095968361987581, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683619875815
2019
Tamura T; Oliver TSN; Cunningham AC; Woodroffe CD, 2019, 'Recurrence of Extreme Coastal Erosion in SE Australia Beyond Historical Timescales Inferred From Beach Ridge Morphostratigraphy', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 46, pp. 4705 - 4714, http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083061
2019
Carvalho RC; Oliver TSN; Woodroffe CD, 2019, 'Transition from marine to fluvial-dominated sediment supply at Shoalhaven prograded barrier, southeastern Australia', Geomorphology, vol. 341, pp. 65 - 78, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.05.010
2019
Thom BG; Oliver TSN, 2019, 'Evidence for a change in wind regime during the Last Glacial Maximum from the Sydney region', Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, vol. 66, pp. 279 - 288, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08120099.2019.1522668
2019
Tamura T; Cunningham AC; Oliver TSN, 2019, 'Two-dimensional chronostratigraphic modelling of OSL ages from recent beach-ridge deposits, SE Australia', Quaternary Geochronology, vol. 49, pp. 39 - 44, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2018.03.003
2019
Oliver TSN; Tamura T; Short AD; Woodroffe CD, 2019, 'Rapid shoreline progradation followed by vertical foredune building at Pedro Beach, southeastern Australia', Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, vol. 44, pp. 655 - 666, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/esp.4510
2019
Tamura T; Nicholas WA; Oliver TSN; Brooke BP, 2019, 'Reply to the Discussion by John Nott on ‘Coarse-sand beach ridges at Cowley Beach, north-eastern Australia: Their formative processes and potential as records of tropical cyclone history’ by Tamura et al. (2018), Sedimentology,65, 721–744', Sedimentology, vol. 66, pp. 769 - 773, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sed.12495
2019
Brooke BP; Huang Z; Nicholas WA; Oliver TSN; Tamura T; Woodroffe CD; Nichol SL, 2019, 'Relative sea-level records preserved in Holocene beach-ridge strandplains – An example from tropical northeastern Australia', Marine Geology, vol. 411, pp. 107 - 118, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2019.02.005
2019
Oliver TSN; Donaldson P; Roach M; Woodroffe CD; Sharples C, 2018, 'Reply to: Punctuated transgression (?): Comment on Oliver, T.S.N., Donaldson, P., Sharples, C., Roach, M., and Woodroffe, C.D. “Punctuated progradation of the Seven Mile Beach Holocene barrier system, southeastern Tasmania”', Marine Geology, vol. 405, pp. 131 - 133, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2018.09.005
2018
Tamura T; Nicholas WA; Oliver TSN; Brooke BP, 2018, 'Coarse-sand beach ridges at Cowley Beach, north-eastern Australia: Their formative processes and potential as records of tropical cyclone history', Sedimentology, vol. 65, pp. 721 - 744, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sed.12402
2018
Oliver TSN; Kennedy DM; Tamura T; Murray-Wallace CV; Konlechner TM; Augustinus PC; Woodroffe CD, 2018, 'Interglacial-glacial climatic signatures preserved in a regressive coastal barrier, southeastern Australia', Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, vol. 501, pp. 124 - 135, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.04.011
2018
Gugliotta M; Saito Y; Ben B; Sieng S; Oliver TSN, 2018, 'Sedimentology of late Holocene fluvial levee and point-bar deposits from the Cambodian tract of the Mekong river', Journal of the Geological Society, vol. 175, pp. 176 - 186, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/jgs2017-047
2018
Oliver TSN; Tamura T; Hudson JP; Woodroffe CD, 2017, 'Integrating millennial and interdecadal shoreline changes: Morpho-sedimentary investigation of two prograded barriers in southeastern Australia', Geomorphology, vol. 288, pp. 129 - 147, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2017.03.019
2017
Oliver TSN; Donaldson P; Sharples C; Roach M; Woodroffe CD, 2017, 'Punctuated progradation of the Seven Mile Beach Holocene barrier system, southeastern Tasmania', Marine Geology, vol. 386, pp. 76 - 87, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2017.02.014
2017
Oliver TSN; Thom BG; Woodroffe CD, 2017, 'Formation of beach-ridge plains: an appreciation of the contribution by Jack L. Davies', Geographical Research, vol. 55, pp. 305 - 320, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12193
2017
Oliver TS; Dougherty AJ; Gliganic LA; Woodroffe CD, 2015, 'Towards more robust chronologies of coastal progradation: Optically stimulated luminescence ages for the coastal plain at Moruya, south-eastern Australia', Holocene, vol. 25, pp. 536 - 546, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683614561886
2015
Oliver TSN; Rogers K; Chafer CJ; Woodroffe CD, 2012, 'Measuring, mapping and modelling: An integrated approach to the management of mangrove and saltmarsh in the Minnamurra River estuary, southeast Australia', Wetlands Ecology and Management, vol. 20, pp. 353 - 371, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11273-012-9258-2
2012

GRANTS
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Local Government Contract, Bega Valley Shire Council - Understanding sediment movements within the lower Bega River estuary

Research Infrastructure Scheme: Real Time Kinematic (RTK) Global Positioning System (GPS) instruments for environmental geospatial research

Organisational units
lensSchool of Science
Sub Theme
lensCoastal Impact