Modelling long-term coastal morphology using EOF method

I graduated from Granada University, Spain, with a MEng in Civil Engineering in 2011. I continued my education by completing a MsC in Environmental Hydraulics specialized in ‘Integrated Management of Ports and Coastal Zones’ run by Granada University and The Andalusian Centre for Environmental (CEAMA), which I finished by July 2012. Afterwards I started my PhD at Cardiff University in Civil Engineering, in October 2012, with a sponsorship from the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) and within the Hydro-Environmental Research Centre.

My research involves modelling shore-parallel breakwater schemes with meso-tidal and macro-tidal conditions. The main focus of the research is to study the effects of coastal defence structures on the nearshore morphodynamics. Data obtained from the model is further analysed using the Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) method to describe the main modes of change near the structures. A novel methodology for EOF results extrapolation is developed.

Within this background, the aim of my research is to discuss the viability of extracting data from numerical models to be later analysed via EOF method in order to develop a methodology for EOF components extrapolation.

The following figures show the comparisons of the predicted shoreline positions from the extrapolated EOF components with shoreline positions obtained directly from COAST2D model for 4 different cases: Hs=2.0 m (top) and 0.5 m (bottom) and incident direction (shore-normal) = 30 deg (left) and 15 deg (right).

The comparisons are obtained from the following procedures:

1. the COAST2D model was run for 2000h
2. the time-varying (dynamic) EOF components are produced with the results of the first 1000h,
3. the dynamic EOF components are fitted with an exponential relation
4. the EOF components at 2000h are extrapolated
5. the extrapolated EOF components are used to reconstruct the shoreline positions for comparisons

This process was completed with the volumetrical conversion to avoid the local rapid changes of the shoreline.

 

 

During my PhD I had the opportunity to present my work in three editions of the Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conference (YCSEC) including Aberdeen (2013), Cardiff (2014) and Manchester (2015). I also presented part of my work on the 34^th International Conference on Coastal Engineering (ICCE), Seoul and the 3^rd IMA International Conference on Flood Risk (Swansea).

This PhD is supervised by Dr. Shunqi Pan. The research is being developed within the Institute for Environmental and Sustainability, specifically within the Hydro-Environmental Research Centre at Cardiff University, UK.

Contacts

alvarezmartinezf@cardiff.ac.uk

Publications

1. Alvarez, F. & Pan, S. (2015). “Modelling long-term morphological changes using EOF method on volumetric changes” in: the 3rd International IMA Conference on Flood Risk 2015, Swansea, UK
2. Alvarez, F. & Pan, S. (2014), “Modelling long-term coastal morphology using EOF method” in: Coastal Engineering Proceedings, sediment.65