7. Western Northern Territory Region

The western Northern Territory coast includes both its western shore and northern Arnhem Land coast, in all 1354 km of coast. This is a lee coast with the prevailing southeast trades blowing predominately offshore. Waves are low to at best moderate, and tides meso to mega all set in a tropical monsoonal climate exposed to seasonal tropical cyclones. Several moderate-sized rivers flow to the coast delivering bed load; however half the coastal sediment is carbonate in origin derived from the shoreface. The generally low waves and high tides maintain predominately tide-dominated beaches with wide tidal flats, backed by low regressive beach-foredune ridge barrier and some cheniers with mangroves dominating the low energy shores, estuaries and river mouths. Dune transgression is restricted to a few more exposed east-facing shores. The chapter describes the processes, beaches, barriers and sediment transport of the western and northern Territory coast, all set within a framework of sediment compartments.