Overview of COSTMO research
The research of the division comprises two main areas in the coastal zone:I. Sediment transport by waves and currents in the turbulent marine bottom boundary layer:
- analytical and numerical hydrodynamic modelling of:
turbulent flow over plane (flat) beds, e.g. Malarkey and Davies (1998) and Davies et al. (1988)
coherent vortex structures over rippled beds, e.g. Malarkey and Davies (2002) - analytical and numerical modelling of the processes of sediment entrainment and transport, above both plane and rippled beds, e.g. Davies and Li (1997) and Davies and Thorne (2002)
- developing improved practical engineering formulations for sand transport in the coastal zone based upon detailed, validated, physical process models, e.g. Davies et al. (2002)
- implementing these local sand transport concepts in a morphological modelling systems to predict seabed evolution in coastal areas, e.g. Davies and Villaret (2003)
- analytical wave modelling in shoaling water, e.g. O'Hare and Davies (1993)
- modelling Eulerian drift above rippled and rough seabeds, e.g. Davies and Villaret (1999)
- modelling resonant surface-wave/seabed interactions and sand bar formation, e.g. Davies and Heathershaw (1984)
SANDPIT (April 2002-March 2005) "Sand Transport and Morphology of Offshore Sand Mining Pits/Areas"
The EU SANDPIT project is a collaboration between 17 university departments and inistitutes in Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the U.K. to assess the impact of sand pit mining and dredging. The project invloves modelling and experiments (both in the field and in the laboratory) to consider the changes that result in the sand transport and morphology, both locally and on the coastal zone, as a result of mining. For more information on the project and the other partners see the web site: SANDPIT
Within the project the main objectives of UWB are:
- To improve detailed two dimensional (horizontal and vertical) research models of sand transport, looking at mechanisms of sand entrainment from the bed, and the behaviour of the suspended sand particles, in the near-bed region.
- To use the resulting research model, together with field/laboratory observations, to ameliorate practical sand transport models.
- To contribute the practical sand transport model for use by the SANDPIT and the scientific community.
The overall project is co-ordinated by Prof. Leo van Rijn at Delft Hydraulics and in the COSTMO Group
Prof. A.G. Davies co-ordinates all the modelling efforts of the project and
Dr. V. Magar is the PDRA on this project.
LUBA (April 2002-March 2005)
"Total sediment transport rate predictions in wave-current sheet flow with graded sand" This EPSRC funded project investigates transport of graded sediments, under highly energetic waves and currents, typical of conditions in nearshore coastal zones. It is a collabrative project between: the Civil Engineering Department at Liverpool University ( LU ), the School of Ocean Sciences at the University of Wales, Bangor (UW B ) and the Engineering Department at the University of Aberdeen (U A ). The physical processes this project aims to understand are:
- Entrainment of sediment by convective flow reversal events.
- Effects of sediment gradation.
- Effects of particle and sediment interactions.
Extensive laboratory experiments (LU/UA), together with existing and new numerical techniques, at a fundamental (LU/UWB) and practical (UWB) level, will permit the achievement of the above objectives.
Dr. J. Malarkey is the PDRA on this project
Funding for continuation of the work being carried out in the LUBA Project in a forthcoming joint Dutch-UK Research Proposal (STW-EPSRC) is presently under review.