The quad bike she uses to survey NSW beaches has sophisticated GPS technology that can communicate with more than 10 satellites to pinpoint her position to within two centimetres – less than the depth of a footprint in the sand. Ms Mole, a PhD student at the University of NSW, rode up and down Narrabeen-Collaroy beach this week, mapping its fine structure at ground level, other researchers flew overhead, scanning the 3.6 kilometre stretch of sand from the sky. The research is part of a new project to forecast how changes in wave patterns and rising sea levels will affect beach erosion around the world. Read More
