Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Coastal Engineering

The Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Coastal Engineering research group studies those physical processes associated with water and water motion that are essential to the understanding, protection and improvement of the environment. Our research involves theoretical, numerical, experimental and field studies, which range in scale from the swimming of microorganisms to the transport of carbon dioxide through the global ocean basin. While rooted in the fundamental analyses of fluid physics, our projects are guided by practical problems in environmental science, such as the protection of coastal water quality, the prediction and mitigation of coastal erosion, and the restoration of channels and coastal zones.

Several projects address the related problems of global warming and energy generation. Physical and numerical modeling of multiphase plumes are coupled with models of global circulation to understand and optimize methods for sequestering the carbon dioxide that results from energy generation. Numerical and analytical studies are used to optimize the design of new methods for wave energy extraction.

Wave motion, wave-body interactions and turbulent wave-current interactions in bottom boundary layers, along with associated sediment transport, are central themes of our research. Projects range from the fundamental treatment of nonlinear wave dynamics to the more practical application of wave-body interaction in the design of storm gates for the protection of the Venice Lagoon.

Wave motion is also important to the resuspension and movement of sediment. The presence of seagrass, kelp and marsh vegetation can damp the propagation of waves and storm surge, providing coastal protection and improving water clarity by reducing resuspension. Other field and laboratory projects describe the role of aquatic vegetation on flow and transport in lakes and rivers.

Finally, at the microscale, physical and numerical modeling is used to tease apart the roles of physical transport and biologic response in controlling the ecology of microorganisms.  Biophysical interactions at these scales often control important environmental issues, such as harmful algal blooms or ocean fertilization attempts, and can play a significant role in the global cycles of the elements.

Researchers

E. Eric Adams, Senior Research Engineer and Lecturer
Ole Madsen, Professor
Chiang Mei, Professor
Heidi Nepf, Professor
Roman Stocker, Associate Professor

Research Projects