title: Decadal shoreline erosion and recovery of beaches in modified and natural estuaries

authors: Fellowes, Thomas E.

abstract: Sandy beaches in estuaries and bays (BEBs) are common landforms on the coasts of many major cities. They exist under a wide range of settings and their morphology is controlled by their distance from the estuary/bay entrance, exposure to different types of waves (e.g., ocean swells vs locally generated wind waves), proximity to flood-tide delta/shoals, and anthropogenic interventions (e.g., dredging, groynes). Both swell waves propagating into estuaries/bays and locally generated wind waves can erode BEBs. However, more understanding of BEB storm erosion and recovery over decadal timescales is needed, as they typically respond slower than open coast beaches. Here we present decadal shoreline behaviours of nine BEBs from two estuarine systems in SE Australia are presented in this study, using 76 years of aerial imagery (1941–2017). We quantify and compare decadal behaviour between beaches, developing a new typology of BEBs based on shoreline evolution. We identify four decadal behaviours: prograding, quasi-stable, retreating and storm relict – and assess the influence of flood-tide deltas, river mouths, distance from the ocean entrance, and anthropogenic interventions. Swell-exposed BEBs near the entrance are quasi-stable and recover after storms at rates comparable with open coast beaches (<3 years). In contrast, BEBs further from the entrance and those with less swell exposure, have slower recovery timescales (3–15 years) and will only be quasi-stable if storms are sufficiently infrequent. Thus, long-term behaviour is controlled by storm return timescales. Prograding BEBs are typically far from the entrance, where fluvial and tidal processes dominate and erosion events due to wind waves are less pronounced. Whether BEBs recover (quasi-stable), partially recover between storms (retreating) or never recover (storm relict) relates to storm frequency, recovery rates and proximity to sediment sources and sinks (e.g., dredge sites, flood-tide deltas, tidal channels) and anthropogenic interventions. Findings will help to better understand and manage BEB shorelines in major cities.

text: Decadal shoreline erosion and recovery of beaches in modified and natural estuaries Sandy beaches in estuaries and bays (BEBs) are common landforms on the coasts of many major cities. They exist under a wide range of settings and their morphology is controlled by their distance from the estuary/bay entrance, exposure to different types of waves (e.g., ocean swells vs locally generated wind waves), proximity to flood-tide delta/shoals, and anthropogenic interventions (e.g., dredging, groynes). Both swell waves propagating into estuaries/bays and locally generated wind waves can erode BEBs. However, more understanding of BEB storm erosion and recovery over decadal timescales is needed, as they typically respond slower than open coast beaches. Here we present decadal shoreline behaviours of nine BEBs from two estuarine systems in SE Australia are presented in this study, using 76 years of aerial imagery (1941–2017). We quantify and compare decadal behaviour between beaches, developing a new typology of BEBs based on shoreline evolution. We identify four decadal behaviours: prograding, quasi-stable, retreating and storm relict – and assess the influence of flood-tide deltas, river mouths, distance from the ocean entrance, and anthropogenic interventions. Swell-exposed BEBs near the entrance are quasi-stable and recover after storms at rates comparable with open coast beaches (<3 years). In contrast, BEBs further from the entrance and those with less swell exposure, have slower recovery timescales (3–15 years) and will only be quasi-stable if storms are sufficiently infrequent. Thus, long-term behaviour is controlled by storm return timescales. Prograding BEBs are typically far from the entrance, where fluvial and tidal processes dominate and erosion events due to wind waves are less pronounced. Whether BEBs recover (quasi-stable), partially recover between storms (retreating) or never recover (storm relict) relates to storm frequency, recovery rates and proximity to sediment sources and sinks (e.g., dredge sites, flood-tide deltas, tidal channels) and anthropogenic interventions. Findings will help to better understand and manage BEB shorelines in major cities.

year: 2021

title: The usability of open source software

authors: Nichols, David M.

subjects: computer science

abstract: Open source communities have successfully developed a great deal of software although most computer users only use proprietary applications. The usability of open source software is often regarded as one reason for this limited distribution. In this paper we review the existing evidence of the usability of open source software and discuss how the characteristics of open source development influence usability. We describe how existing human-computer interaction techniques can be used to leverage distributed networked communities, of developers and users, to address issues of usability.

text: The usability of open source software Open source communities have successfully developed a great deal of software although most computer users only use proprietary applications. The usability of open source software is often regarded as one reason for this limited distribution. In this paper we review the existing evidence of the usability of open source software and discuss how the characteristics of open source development influence usability. We describe how existing human-computer interaction techniques can be used to leverage distributed networked communities, of developers and users, to address issues of usability.

year: 2003-01

title: Formulaic Discourse Patterning in Mōteatea

authors: Roa, Te Raukura o Te Rangimarie

subjects: mōteatea

abstract: Oral formulaic composition, which involves the use of communally owned formulae of various kinds, is a common feature of verbal arts produced in many different languages. It is particularly associated with pre-literate cultures and tends to be gradually replaced by more individualistic verbal art forms when societies become literate. There are very few publications in which the analysis of mōteatea (Māori laments) is linked explicitly to oral formulaic theory. Nevertheless, there is, I believe, sufficient evidence in published sources to indicate that traditional mōteatea (defined here as mōteatea that are not fundamentally influenced by European cultural beliefs and practices) exhibit evidence of regularly recurring, conventional themes (such as death, separation, loss and travel) and motifs (such as the setting sun, the presence of rain or mist and sleeplessness).  There is, however, considerably less evidence that traditional mōteatea make extensive use of verbal formulae, that is, of the same or very similar groups of words derived from a common store of poetic resources. Although there are references in the literature to the conventionalized use of language in mōteatea, and although it has been claimed that there are at least some commonly recurring verbal expressions, this is by no means evidence of reliance on a common stock of verbal formulae. Indeed, no attempt has hitherto been made to define precisely what might be meant by the term 'oral formula' in the context of compositions in te reo Māori, something that is clearly required in view, in particular, of the fact that the phrasal structure of the language means that certain groupings (e.g. i te X; ki te X) are very likely to occur in certain contexts irrespective of genre. Furthermore, in the literature on oral formulaic composition, oral formulae are generally linked to particular metrical conditions and there is, it is argued here, no convincing empirically-based evidence that mōteatea conform to any common metrical structure or structures (see Chapters 2 and 4).

In the context of a critical review of selected literature on oral formulaic theory (Chapter 2) and mōteatea (Chapter 3), this thesis sets out to test the hypothesis that traditional mōteatea were composed, in whole or in large part, from a common stock of oral formulae. The conclusion, based on analysis of a selection of mōteatea included in Ngā mōteatea, a collection initially established by Sir Apirana Ngata, is that this hypothesis must be rejected (Chapter 4). However, a model derived from a review of selected literature on discourse structure (Chapter 5) was also applied to the analysis of a sample of these mōteatea (Chapter 6). On the basis of this analysis, it is concluded that they exhibit one of two very similar discourse prototypes, each of which involves a particular combination of discourse elements. What distinguishes the two prototypes is the fact that only one of them is characterized by the inclusion of hortatory sections in which the poet urges one or more of the protagonists to undergo one or more steps or stages required to achieve a particular outcome, such as entry into the spirit world or vengeance for death and/ or humiliation.

text: Formulaic Discourse Patterning in Mōteatea Oral formulaic composition, which involves the use of communally owned formulae of various kinds, is a common feature of verbal arts produced in many different languages. It is particularly associated with pre-literate cultures and tends to be gradually replaced by more individualistic verbal art forms when societies become literate. There are very few publications in which the analysis of mōteatea (Māori laments) is linked explicitly to oral formulaic theory. Nevertheless, there is, I believe, sufficient evidence in published sources to indicate that traditional mōteatea (defined here as mōteatea that are not fundamentally influenced by European cultural beliefs and practices) exhibit evidence of regularly recurring, conventional themes (such as death, separation, loss and travel) and motifs (such as the setting sun, the presence of rain or mist and sleeplessness).  There is, however, considerably less evidence that traditional mōteatea make extensive use of verbal formulae, that is, of the same or very similar groups of words derived from a common store of poetic resources. Although there are references in the literature to the conventionalized use of language in mōteatea, and although it has been claimed that there are at least some commonly recurring verbal expressions, this is by no means evidence of reliance on a common stock of verbal formulae. Indeed, no attempt has hitherto been made to define precisely what might be meant by the term 'oral formula' in the context of compositions in te reo Māori, something that is clearly required in view, in particular, of the fact that the phrasal structure of the language means that certain groupings (e.g. i te X; ki te X) are very likely to occur in certain contexts irrespective of genre. Furthermore, in the literature on oral formulaic composition, oral formulae are generally linked to particular metrical conditions and there is, it is argued here, no convincing empirically-based evidence that mōteatea conform to any common metrical structure or structures (see Chapters 2 and 4).

In the context of a critical review of selected literature on oral formulaic theory (Chapter 2) and mōteatea (Chapter 3), this thesis sets out to test the hypothesis that traditional mōteatea were composed, in whole or in large part, from a common stock of oral formulae. The conclusion, based on analysis of a selection of mōteatea included in Ngā mōteatea, a collection initially established by Sir Apirana Ngata, is that this hypothesis must be rejected (Chapter 4). However, a model derived from a review of selected literature on discourse structure (Chapter 5) was also applied to the analysis of a sample of these mōteatea (Chapter 6). On the basis of this analysis, it is concluded that they exhibit one of two very similar discourse prototypes, each of which involves a particular combination of discourse elements. What distinguishes the two prototypes is the fact that only one of them is characterized by the inclusion of hortatory sections in which the poet urges one or more of the protagonists to undergo one or more steps or stages required to achieve a particular outcome, such as entry into the spirit world or vengeance for death and/ or humiliation.

year: 2008