Dr. Scott Rayburg   Senior Lecturer

Academic Qualifications

• Ph.D. (Fluvial geomorphology), State University of New York at Buffalo, 2005
• MSc (Hydrology), University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1999
• BA (Environmental Studies), State University of New York at Buffalo, 1996
• BSc (Physical geography), State University of New York at Buffalo, 1996

Industry Partnerships

• Murray Darling Basin Authority
• NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
• DHI Australia
• NRM South (Tasmania)
• Western Catchment Management Authority

Areas of Expertise and Research

• Fluvial geomorphology
• Water Resources
• Hydrology and hydrologic modelling
• Hydrodynamic modelling of rivers and wetlands
• GIS
• Remote sensing

Professional Membership

• Geographic Society of New South Wales—Vice President
• Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group—Member
• American Geophysical Union—Member
• Geological society of America—Member
• Australian Society for Limnology—Member

Work Experience before joining Swinburne University of Technology

• Chancellor’s Post–Doctoral Research Fellow—University of Technology, Sydney (2009–2011)
• Industry Research Fellow—University of Technology, Sydney (2008–2009)
• Senior Research Fellow—University of Canberra (2006–2008)
• Research Fellow—University of Canberra (2004–2006)

Supervision of higher degree by research (HDR) (Current students)

Name	Degree	Research Centre	Start year	Role	Institution
Savalan Pour Akbarkhiavi
	PhD	CSI	2012	Associate Supervisor	Swinburne

Topics for Prospective Ph.D Students - View ALL topics for Dr. Scott Rayburg

Anabranching network characteristics and controls
This study will use a newly developed method for characterising anabranching river networks (based on a link-node system) applied to a range of networks from Australia and overseas.

Wetland vegetation character along a gradient of waterbird usage
This project seeks to investigate the links between floodplain vegetation abundance and diversity and frequency and duration of inundation and entails ground surveys and/or seed bank experiments performed in semi-arid wetlands throughout NSW.

Geomorphology, hydrology and soil character of wetlands along a gradient of waterbird usage
This project seeks to investigate the links between geomorphic diversity and complexity in wetlands and their usage by waterbirds

The application of the intermediate disturbance hypothesis to physical systems
This project seeks to investigate the utility of the intermediate disturbance hypothesis in physical systems

Publications

Refereed journals:

1. Rayburg, S., Neave, M., accepted, “A new technique for the objective identification of the bankfull channel”, Water Resources Research,.
2. Collie, A., Neave, M., Rayburg, S., accepted, “Processes of land ownership change and the consequences on vegetation in rural New South Wales”, Australian Geographer,.
3. Plant, R., Walker, J., Rayburg, S., Gothe, J., Leung, T., accepted, “River biodiversity, peri–urban agriculture and the social life of pesticides: organised irresponsibility in the Greater Sydney Basin”, Australian Geographer,.
4. Rayburg, S., Thoms, M., 2009. “A coupled hydraulic–hydrologic modeling approach to deriving a water balance model for a complex floodplain–wetland system”, Hydrology Research, 40: 364–379.
5. Neave, M., Rayburg, S., Swan, A., 2009. “River channel change following dam removal in an ephemeral stream. Australian Geographical Studies”, 40: 235–246,, 40: 235–246.
6. Rayburg, S., Thoms, M., Neave, M., 2009. “Using LiDAR and differential GPS surveys to determine the physical character of a terminal wetland system. Geomorphology”, 106: 261–270,, 106: 261–270.
7. Rayburg, S., Neave, M., 2008. “Assessing morphologic complexity and diversity in river systems using three dimensional asymmetry indices for bed elements, bedforms and bar units”, River Research & Applications, 24: 1343–1361.
8. Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2007. “Nonlinear biofluvial responses to vegetation change in a semi–arid environment”, Geomorphology, 89: 217–239.
9. Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2007. “The development of soil crusts on a semiarid bajada”, Geomorphology, 87, 378–390.
10. James, C., Capon, S., White, M., Rayburg, S., Thoms, M., 2007. “Spatial variability of the soil seed bank in a heterogenous ephemeral wetland system in semi–arid Australia”, Plant Ecology, 190, 205–217.
11. Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2011. “A comparison of deflation basin (wetland) soils from wet and dry climatic zones”, Water Quality: Current Trends and Expected Climate Change impacts. N. Peters, V. Krysanova, A. Lepisto, R. Prasad, M. Thoms, R. Wilby, S. Zandaryaa (eds), International Association of Hydrological Sciences 348, 26–31.
12. Morrison, T., Rayburg, S., Hughes, C., 2011. “A combined hydrodynamic and mixing model approach to quantify small saline groundwater input into rivers”, Conceptual and Modelling Studies of Integrated Groundwater, Surface water, and Ecological Systems, C. Abesser, G. Nutzmann, M. Hill, G. Bloschl, E. Lakshmanan (eds), International Association of Hydrological Sciences 345, 69–74.
13. Rayburg, S., Thoms, M., 2009. “The wetting and drying regime of a terminal flood plain–wetland system: implications for waterbird habitat”, Ecohydrology of surface and groundwater dependant systems: Concepts, methods and recent developments, M. Thoms, K. Heal, E. Bogh, A. Chambel, V. Smakthin (eds), International Association of Hydrological Sciences 328, 3–12.
14. Rayburg, S., Thoms, M., 2008. “Identifying relationships between flood history, flood frequency and the provenance of surface sediments in a semi–arid terminal wetland”, Sediment Dynamics in Changing Environments, J. Schmidt, T. Cochrane, C. Phillips, S. Elliott, T. Davies, L. Basher (eds), International Association of Hydrological Sciences 325, 85–93.
15. Rayburg, S., Thoms, M., Lenon, E., 2006. “Unraveling the physical template of a terminal floodplain–wetland sediment storage system”, Sediment Dynamics and the Hydromorphology of Fluvial Systems, J. S. Rowan, R. W. Duck, A. Werritty (eds), International Association of Hydrological Sciences 306, 304–313.
16. Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2006. “Salinity and erosion: a preliminary investigation of soil erosion on a salinised hillslope”, Sediment Dynamics and the Hydromorphology of Fluvial Systems, J. S. Rowan, R. W. Duck, A. Werritty (eds), International Association of Hydrological Sciences 306, 531–539.
17. Cossart, R., Thoms, M., Rayburg., S., 2006. “The infilling of a terminal floodplain wetland complex”, Sediment Dynamics and the Hydromorphology of Fluvial Systems, J. S. Rowan, R. W. Duck, A. Werritty (eds), International Association of Hydrological Sciences 306, 389–398.
18. Murray, O., Thoms, M., Rayburg, S., 2006. “The diversity of inundated areas in semiarid flood plain ecosystems”, Sediment Dynamics and the Hydromorphology of Fluvial Systems, J. S. Rowan, R. W. Duck, A. Werritty (eds), International Association of Hydrological Sciences 306, 277–286.
19. Webb, M., Reid, M., Capon, S., Thoms, M., Rayburg, S., 2006. “Are floodplain–wetland plant communities determined by seed bank composition or inundation periods?”, Sediment Dynamics and the Hydromorphology of Fluvial Systems, J. S. Rowan, R. W. Duck, A. Werritty (eds), International Association of Hydrological Sciences 306, 241–248.

Refereed book chapters:

1. Thoms, M., Rayburg, S., Neave, M., 2007. “The diversity and assessment of a large river system: The Murray–Darling, Australia”, Large Rivers: Geomorphology and Management, A. Gupta (ed.), Special publication of the IAG/AIG Working Group on Large Rivers, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, pp. 587–605.

Refereed conference papers:

1. Morrison, T., Rayburg, S., Allery, C., Atiquzzaman, M., 2011. “Understanding the flow pathways through the Macquarie Marshes, NSW”, Balance and Uncertainty—Water in a Changing World, Proceedings of the 34th IAHR World Congress, Engineers Australia, Brisbane, 2886–2892.
2. White, A., Rayburg, S., Neave, M., 2011. “The influence of physical factors on channel morphology and geomorphic diversity”, Balance and Uncertainty—Water in a Changing World, Proceedings of the 34th IAHR World Congress, Engineers Australia, Brisbane, 3153–3159.
3. Herron, R., Rayburg, S., Capon, S., 2011. “The effect of flood frequency and soil character on the distribution of a perennial shrub, Lignum (Muehlenbeckia florulenta), within the Narran Lakes”, Balance and Uncertainty—Water in a Changing World, Proceedings of the 34th IAHR World Congress, Engineers Australia, Brisbane, 3075–3081.
4. Carroll–Macdonald, T., Rayburg, S., Neave, M., 2011. “Potential impacts of water resource development on soil character in a semi–arid floodplain–wetland complex”, Balance and Uncertainty—Water in a Changing World, Proceedings of the 34th IAHR World Congress, Engineers Australia, Brisbane, 3036–3043.
5. Cook, A., Rayburg, S., Capon, S., Leigh, A., 2011. “Variation in seedling emergence and mortaility amongst key habitat types in a semi–arid floodplain–wetland complex”, Balance and Uncertainty—Water in a Changing World, Proceedings of the 34th IAHR World Congress, Engineers Australia, Brisbane, 3044–3051.
6. Dowsett, N., Rayburg, S., Birch, G., 2011. “Heavy metal distribution in estuarine sediments: a comparison of a seagrass bed and adjacent bare sediment”, Balance and Uncertainty—Water in a Changing World, Proceedings of the 34th IAHR World Congress, Engineers Australia, Brisbane, 1047–1053.
7. Merritt, W.S., C. Pollino, C., Powell, S., Rayburg, S., 2009. “Integrating hydrology and ecology models into flexible and adaptive decision support tools: the IBIS DSS”, Proceedings of the 18th World IMACS Congress and MODSIM09 International Congress on Modelling and Simulation, R.S. Anderssen, R.D. Braddock and L.T.H. Newham (eds), Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand and International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, 3858–3864.
8. Rayburg, S., Neave, M., 2008. “Morphologic complexity and diversity in natural and channelized streams”, Proceedings of Water Down Under 2008, M. Lambert, T. Daniell and M. Leonard (eds), Engineers Australia, Adelaide, 1902–1911.
9. Rayburg, S., Thoms, M., 2008. “Spatial and temporal variations in hydraulic habitat in a complex floodplain–wetland system”, Proceedings of Water Down Under 2008, M. Lambert, T. Daniell and M. Leonard (eds), Engineers Australia, Adelaide, 2170–2179.
10. Harris, C., Thoms, M., Rayburg, S., Parsons, M., 2008. “A systematic river typology for use in water management”, Proceedings of Water Down Under 2008, M. Lambert, T. Daniell and M. Leonard (eds), Engineers Australia, Adelaide, 1879–1889.
11. Neave, M., Mcquire, L., Rayburg, S., 2008. “Spatial and temporal trends in the water quality of the Namoi River catchment”, Proceedings of Water Down Under 2008, M. Lambert, T. Daniell and M. Leonard (eds), Engineers Australia, Adelaide, 1364–1374.
12. Thornton, E., Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2008. “Cross–section, bedform and bar unit asymmetry in river channel networks: an investigation into morphologic complexity and diversity at multiple spatial scales”, Proceedings of Water Down Under 2008. Engineers Australia, M. Lambert, T. Daniell and M. Leonard (eds), Adelaide, 2508–2518.
13. Thornton, E., Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2007. “Hydraulic geometry in river channel networks as a method for the assessment of river condition”, Proceedings of the 5th Australian Stream Management Conference, A. L. Wilson, R. L. Dehaan, R. J. Watts, K. J. Page, K. H. Bowmer, and A. Curtis, (eds), Australian Rivers: Making a Difference. Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona, New South Wales, 401–406.
14. Rayburg, S., Neave, M., Thoms, M., Mesley, E., 2005. “A preliminary investigation into the influence of changing stream network patterns on the distribution of water in the Narran Lakes Ecosystem”, Proceedings of the 4th Australian Stream Management Conference: linking rivers to landscapes, I. D. Rutherford, I. Wiszniewski, M. Askey–Doran, and R. Glazik (eds), Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart, Tasmania, 509–515.
15. Murray, M., Rayburg, S., Thoms, M., Neave, M., 2005. “Variations of wetland patch characteristics under different inundation levels using remotely sensed data: preliminary results from the Narran Lakes, NSW”, Proceedings of the 4th Australian Stream Management Conference: linking rivers to landscapes, I. D. Rutherford, I. Wiszniewski, M. Askey–Doran, and R. Glazik (eds), Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart, Tasmania, 439–444.
16. McQuire, L., Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2005. “Assessing agrochemical trends in the Namoi River catchment using an index model”, Proceedings of the 4th Australian Stream Management Conference: linking rivers to landscapes, I. D. Rutherford, I. Wiszniewski, M. Askey–Doran, and R. Glazik (eds), Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart, Tasmania, 432–438.