CEE 5864 : COASTAL AND ESTUARINE MORPHODYNAMICS
Course Description :

Sediment transport in marine environments, shoreline change, bedform evolution and morphodynamics, tidal inlet morphodynamics, barrier island processes, storm erosion, delta development, beach dynamics. Evolution of estuarine waterways and wetland systems.

Specific Course Objectives :
  • Distinguish between various theories of sediment transport mechanisms.
  • Construct a conceptual model of bedforms evolution and dynamics in coastal, marine and estuarine environments.
  • Verify and describe morphodynamic processes.
  • Conduct critical review of journal papers, and reflect and discuss research results, conclusions and hypotheses.
  • Synthesize the literature on sediment transport processes, morphodynamics, and bedform evolution.
Course Prerequisite :
Graduate Student Standing
Hours & Credits :
3H, 3C
Course Comment :
Engineering in coastal areas and subaqueous environments (lakes, water reservoirs, rivers) requires the understanding of the interaction between hydrodynamics, sediment and the resulting morphology and morphodynamics. A neglect of the local morphology and morphodynamics can lead to disastrous consequences for structures in environments which are characterized by active subaqueous sediment dynamics, coastline, delta, harbor and river development. This course addresses sediment transport mechanisms and the resulting morphological features such as slopes, bars, dunes, ripples and sorted bedforms. As the next step, morphodynamic processes will be discussed including the migration of dunes and the consequences for scour or structure stability and submarine slope failures, for example. As these topics are still subject to ongoing research and are very site specific, critical reviews of journal papers discussing different features, dynamics and sites will be conducted, as preparation for tasks in practice.
Faculty :