Processes, sediments, and stratigraphy of the Fly River Delta

Abstract

Voluminous rainfall and rugged, tectonically active mountains are two primary ingredients that make Indo-Pacific islands incredible suppliers of sediment to the ocean. It is estimated that six islands alone (Papua New Guinea (PNG), Sulawesi, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Timor) supply 20–25% of the total annual sediment load transported to the ocean globally (Milliman et al., 1999). Many rivers draining these islands discharge onto broad, low-gradient continental shelves characterized by large tidal ranges, and these are locations for tide-dominated deltas. The Fly River of PNG is one example.