Coastal Oceanography 

Research in coastal oceanography is aimed to design modelling and simulation tools for a sustainable development of coastal zones, viewed form the water side, and anticipating effects of Climate Change that will lead to higher waves.

For the desired applications, an accurate description of the wave characteristics is needed, both of the wave climate (that determines morphological changes of the coast) and of extreme wave events caused by storms and cyclones. Since long-term measurements are lacking, data of the past and expected future winds are used as input into wind-generating wave models (like Regional Versions of WaveWatch III and SWAN) to reconstruct the properties of these waves.
A Variational Boussinesq Model with Finite Element implementation is since several years in development to perform time accurate wave simulations. These can be used to study the effects of regular waves on morphological changes form human interventions (harbour design, etc), and to see the effects of extreme waves on off-shore and coastal structures. Possible measures for mitigation of problems for ship transportation from higher waves due to Climate Change are also studied. Time accurate simulations are also performed for tsunami simulations.

An overview of the research topics is provided in the Research Portfolio.

Simulation of irregular waves entering a harbour

Optimal (re-) design of harbours and breakwaters

Pre-design of experiments in wave tanks to test ships

Harbour assessment 

Irregular wave simulations vs experiment

Simulation of wave run-up and breaking