Projects

Development of a relocatable nearshore hydrodynamic modeling system (October 2006 to September 2009 – PI: Kaihatu) Sponsor: Office of Naval Research: Central to this project is the hydrodynamic modeling suite Delft3D. We are presently developing a methodology to establish grid resolution optimization and minimum bathymetric sampling requirements. To help determine the minimum amount of bathymetric measurement which should be performed to run the model reliably, we are using genetic algorithms to determine the “best” survey route for bathymetric measurements. We have used the Delft3D model in conjunction with the genetic algorithm for an area near La Jolla, CA.
Investigation of subharmonic nonlinear interactions over submerged reefs (August 2007 to September 2008 – PI: Kaihatu) Sponsor: US Army Corps of Engineers: Subharmonic interactions move energy in high frequencies to lower frequencies in the wave spectrum. Over reefs and other submerged structures, low frequency energy can increase the surge level over the structure. We plan on initially using the nonlinear frequency domain model REFDIF-SNL and look at the evolution of the low frequency energy over a host of different reef configurations, then look at parameterizing the evolution of the low frequency energy. Further progress can also be made by simplifying the subharmonic interaction term in the REFDIF-SNL model in a manner which can also be incorporated into phase-averaged models.
Hydraulic stability testing of breakwater design for LNG terminal, Dubai (January 2007 to July 2007 – PI: Edge; Co-PI: Kaihatu) Sponsor: HPA Halcrow: A physical model of a breakwater layout was tested in the directional wave basin of the Haynes Coastal Laboratory. The purpose was to test the breakwater layout under storm conditions present in the Persian Gulf. After storm conditions were simulated, damage assessment was performed both by hand and by laser leveling.
Integrated bio-physical modeling of the Louisiana-Texas (LATEX) Shelf (October 2007 to September 2009 – PI: Hetland; Co-PIs: Harris, Fennel, Kaihatu) Sponsor: Mineral Management Service: A wind wave generation model is being used to predict the wave-induced forcing for input to a coastal circulation and sediment transport model. The focus area is on the Louisiana-Texas shelf.
Characterization of wave slopes for use in Monte-Carlo simulation (September 2007 to August 2008 – PI: Kaihatu; Co-PIs: Houser, Mercier) Sponsor: Analytic Mechanics Associates, Inc.: A procedure for calculating the slopes of ocean waves in a random sea is updated to incorporate newer wave spectra formulations and data from wave buoys.
Nonlinear wave propagation over cohesive sediments – forward prediction and inverse deduction of sediment properties (September 2006 to August 2009 – PI: Kaihatu) Sponsor: Texas A&M University and Texas Engineering Experiment Station: We use data in conjunction with a model for wave damping by bottom mud to deduce mud properties. A damped nonlinear least-squares method is presently being used. The work will be expanded to encompass wave damping by interfacial processes, including cases where the interface undergoes instability.
Simulation of hurricane-generated waves near Texas coast (February – August 2008 – PI: Irish; Collaborator: Kaihatu) A wind-wave generation model is used to provide wave-induced augmentation of hurricane surge near Corpus Christi, TX.
3-D model study of marina breakwater stability and overtopping (November 2008 – May 2009 – PI: Edge; Co-PI: Kaihatu) Sponsor: HPA Halcrow: A physical model of a breakwater layout was tested for stability and marina protection in the directional wave basin of the Haynes Coastal Laboratory.
Data-driven boundary correction and optimization of a nearshore wave and hydrodynamic model to enable rapid environmental assessment (October 2008 – September 2010 – PI: Kaihatu) Sponsor: Office of Naval Research: This project concerns the optimization of the Delft3D model in an operational setting. The model will incorporate data assimilation to optimize boundary conditions given interior measurements of wave and hydrodynamic properties.
Incorporation of a nearshore hydrodynamic model into the UCCI automated planner (June 2009 – September 2010 – PI: Kaihatu) Sponsor: Office of Naval Research: A nearshore hydrodynamic model will be incorporated into a mission planner for autonomous underwater vehicles in order to allow for real-time mission adjustments.
Interaction of turbulent wind with ocean surface waves: field experiments and numerical modeling: (June 2009 – May 2012 – PI: Kaihatu; Co-PIs: Sadr, Metzger) Sponsor: Qatar National Research Fund, National Priorities Research Program: The gas and oil industry in Qatar is entirely offshore, vulnerable to strong oceanic environments such as those found during the winter shamal season. During these events, the shamal traverses the longitudinal axis of the Gulf; the relatively long fetch length can lead to high wave conditions which have the potential of endangering offshore facilities. Wave conditions are usually predicted with numerical spectral wave models. These spectral wave models include terms which dictate the growth and decay of surface waves due to wind. In local, semi-enclosed regions such as the Gulf, any inaccuracies in wind wave growth become obvious. We intend to conduct a thorough study of the physics of air-sea interaction. This will involve careful atmospheric measurements of instantaneous velocity, vorticity, and temperature of air flowing at different heights over ocean surface. The second part of this study will involve use of a computational fluid dynamics model to simulate the field conditions. The measurements will be used to improve the physics of the computational model, and the output of the model will be used to assist in parameterization of the physics of wind wave generation for use in spectral wave forecast models.
Determining the added hazard potential of tsunamis by interaction with ocean swell and wind waves – NEESR Payload: (October 2009 – September 2010 – PI: Kaihatu) Sponsor: National Science Foundation: The effect of swell waves on the front face and runup characteristics of a tsunami will be investigated. Experiments in the NEES Tsunami Basin at Oregon State University will be undertaken to investigate this interaction. Both tsunamis and swell-band waves will be generated, in isolation and in combination, and their interaction determined by analysis of the measured velocities and free surface elevations. Both standard (Fourier-based) and advanced (Hilbert-Huang transforms) methods will be applied to determine the degree of the tsunami-swell interaction and the resulting changes on the evolution of the front face of the tsunami wave.
Nonlinear and dissipation characteristics of ocean surface waves in estuarine environments: (October 2009 – September 2013 – PI: Kaihatu; Co-PIs: Sheremet, Smith, Tolman) Sponsor: Office of Naval Research and Mineral Management Service via National Ocean Partnership Program: Phase-resolving models for nonlinear wave propagation and interaction with muddy bottoms and vegetation will be used to develop generalized parameterizations for incorporation in phase-averaged wind wave generation models to enhance operational prediction. In addition to general dissipation phenomena, the models will also incorporate the effect of lutocline wave instability and surface-lutocline interaction. Techniques such as artifical neural networks will be used to determine optimum parameterizations for the operational models.
A parameterized climate change projection model for hurricane flooding, wave action, economic damages and population dynamics: (July 2010 – February 2014 – PI: Irish; Co-PIs: Olivera, Kaihatu, Giusti, Jordan) Sponsor: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Sea Grant Program: Hurricane wave and surge models, forced by historical and projected hurricanes, will be run for three specific communities on the US Gulf Coast. Results will be parameterized into surge response functions and wave response functions, for use in civil defense planning, damage assessment and risk analysis. Population dynamics based on projected damage will be investigated.
NEESR: Interaction of tsunamis with short waves and sediment – numerical and physical modeling: (October 2012 – September 2015 – PI: Kaihatu; Co-PIs: Sheremet, Weiss) Sponsor: National Science Foundation: The interaction of tsunamis with the surrounding short-wave and sedimentary environment will be studied. This will be investigated from two viewpoints: the tsunami’s effect on the transported sediment and reworked bed; and the effect of suspended sediment concentration on the tsunami. Laboratory experiments will be conducted in the NEES Large Wave Flume at Oregon State University; data will provide both insight into the physical processes and validation of numerical models. A sophisticated numerical model for sediment motion based on smoothed particle hydrodynamics will be developed; the model is tightly integrated with the experimental plan.
Development of an observational system to monitor nearshore wind, waves and sediment transport: (September 2012 – August 2015 – PI: Kaihatu; Co-PI: Sadr) Sponsor: Qatar National Research Fund, National Priorities Research Program: The economy of Qatar has been rapidly expanding as a result of having the world’s highest GDP. Evidence of this expansion can be seen in the ever-increasing number of construction projects and real estate developments in the country. There has been an increasing trend toward land reclamation into Gulf waters to accommodate these developments; these involve the construction of dunes and causeways into the Gulf. There is a need to evaluate the effects of these developments on the oceanographic and environmental climate. The Gulf presents a unique environment not generally present in other areas of the world, from the sediment composition of the beaches (calcium carbonate) to the variable tides, to the presence of the shamal. We intend to develop a measurement system for monitoring the nearshore wave, current, meteorological, tidal and morphological environment. The information can be used to properly characterize this unique area and lend additional guidance for further land reclamation projects. This work will include different synchronized measurement activities. First, we will develop a video-based system for measurement of the nearshore wave and current environment. Anemometers and sonar systems would also be used to obtain wind information to better understand atmospheric turbulence characteristics. Beach surveys and sediment analysis will be regularly done in order to quantify erosion. Periodic surveys will be augmented with processed data from the video cameras.
Multi-scale modeling of hydrodynamics in Arabian Gulf: (October 2014 – September 2017 – PI: Kaihatu; Co-PIs: Panchang, Anis) Sponsor: Qatar National Research Fund, National Priorities Research Program: Many Gulf states (including Qatar) have significant assets along their coastlines which are critical to their populations; these include desalinization plants, water treatment facilities, transportation infrastructure (tunnels, bridges, etc.), and land reclamation projects. These coastal assets are in low-lying areas which are vulnerable to both short term phenomena (storms, high waves) and long term processes (sea level rise, global climate change). Unfortunately, there is little information on short term climatological aspects of the wave and hydrodynamic characteristics of the Gulf, and virtually no information on how well-accepted scenarios for future climate change will impact the area. This lack of information makes effective long term planning impossible. Finally, little information regarding routine near term forecasts for the area exists. We propose to develop and implement a numerical modeling system for the Gulf which can provide forecast information on surface waves, tides, three-dimensional currents, and turbulence mixing and fluxes. The modeling system will span the entire Gulf, with high-resolution prediction in areas of interest (e.g. near vulnerable infrastructure, causeways, etc.) The modeling system will be developed in conjunction with other projects (one of which is presently supported by QNRF), which will provide field data to be used for calibration and validation of the modeling system. These present projects are (or will be) sited in the northern Gulf (Kuwait) and the coast of Qatar near Doha. The resulting modeling system will be developed for hindcasts (to provide climatology), short term forecasts (1-3 days in advance) and long-term scenarios (multi-decade climate change scenarios). Output fields from the modeling system will include wave height statistics, tidal elevations, three dimensional current fields, salinity, temperature, and turbulence fields. In addition, tracers can also be included in the model in order to track the path and diffusion of passive scalars in the flow; this could potentially be used as a proxy for various pollutants in the water (e.g. weathered spilled oil which has surfaced). By the end of the project, a robust forecast system will have been developed and various long-range climate change scenarios determined.
Nonlinear long wave amplification in the shadow zone of offshore islands: (August 2015 – July 2018 – PI: Kaihatu; Collaborators: Synolakis, Lynett) Sponsor: National Science Foundation: Field survey reports from recent tsunamis suggest that local residents in mainland areas shadowed by close-to-shore islands appear to believe that these islands protect them from tsunamis. Recent numerical results modeling tsunami amplification in shadowed mainland areas have suggested that, in most cases, islands amplify tsunamis in the shadow zones behind them. We will conduct a laboratory study (guided by numerical experiments) to determine whether offshore islands in the vicinity of mainlands indeed amplify long waves, and if combinations of two islands feature the same enhanced amplification. Using the Haynes Coastal Engineering Laboratory at Texas A&M University, we will develop a substantial laboratory data set to help benchmark numerical computations for interacting breaking wavefronts, a phenomenon for which no benchmark measurements exist. While many existing codes purport to model mild long-wave breaking, as they sometimes do, it is unclear how well they perform when scattered long waves break and interact, as they do in the shadow zone or in the isthmus between islands. The results will not only help validate active learning as a mathematical procedure greatly reducing computational costs, but will also lead to more robust codes and more targeted evacuation planning, as well as help educate coastal and island residents.
Study of wetland erosion due to storms through combined field, laboratory and numerical investigations: (February 2016 – February 2018 – PI: Chang; Co-PIs: Kaihatu, Feagin) Sponsor: Texas Sea Grant College Program: The erosion processes responsible for significant wetland loss along the Texas coastline is studied, with a particular focus on processes occurring during the passage of cold weather fronts. A site on the northern side of Galveston Island is chosen for monitoring; wave and surge setup due to strong northerly winds associated with cold fronts are thought to be responsible for the majority of erosion events in the area. Wave and water level data are taken at this site, and wetland samples taken from the site and tested for erodeability in the (now former) Haynes Coastal Engineering Laboratory. Numerical modeling of processes at the site with the Delft3D model will provide information regarding the importance of highly-transient wind and wave events on driving erosion.
Comprehensive tools and models for addressing exposure to mixtures during environmental emergency-related contamination events: (September 2017 – March 2022 – PI: Rusyn; Co-PIs: Many, including Kaihatu) Sponsor: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health: Overarching concept is to investigate the health, social, environmental and financial impacts caused by the mobilization and re-deposition of contaminated sediments into neighborhoods adjacent to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel caused by intense weather events.
Engaging the Galena Park community to build resilience to excess industrial pollutant releases after hurricanes and floods in greater Houston: (September 2020 – August 2023 – PI: Chiu; Co-PIs: Kaihatu, Newman, Sansom) Sponsor: Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Research Program, Environmental Protection Agency: Use numerical models for urban flooding to evaluate the vulnerability of a community to exposure to industrial pollutants during flooding events, and propose structural and non-structural infrastructure solutions.
Development of Gulf Coast resiliency management plan using sentinel species: (November 2020 – October 2023 – PI: Chiu; Co-PIs: Kaihatu, Newman, Sansom) Sponsor: National Academies Healthy Ecosystems Grants (subaward from Environmental Defense Fund): The project is aimed at understanding and mitigating the impact of toxic releases from petrochemical industries along Galveston Bay and environs during floods and hurricanes. Sentinel species (in this case, recreationally-caught fish) are used to determine a baseline of existing chemical contamination. This information is then used to prioritize which petrochemical industries may be at high risk of toxic releases during flooding events. Computational models for flooding and hurricane-induced surge would then be employed to determine pathways for these released contaminants during flooding, and nature-based solutions would then be proposed and tested for mitigation of this impact. These tests would include the effects of increased sea levels, storm intensity, and subsidence.
Prediction of Texas wetlands erosion through remote sensing, field surveys, and numerical modeling: (April 2021 – March 2023 – PI: Chang; Co-PIs: Kaihatu, Socolofsky, Gao, Figlus) Sponsor: Texas Coastal Management Program, Texas General Land Office: The goal of this project is to determine erosion potential of several wetlands sites along the Texas coast by fusing numerical modeling, remotely-sensed imagery (via drone and satellite), and in-situ data. Three sites in Galveston Bay will be used to set up in-situ measurements. Along with erosion estimates from satellite and drone data, these will be used to calibrate and validate a numerical model to be used for predicting erosion of the sites. This calibrated model would then be used to predict erosion at other Texas coastal sites. The impacts of sea level rise will be incorporated into these predictions.
Focused CoPe: Enabling holistic decision-making for historically underrepresented communities impacted by coastal hazards via building a digital twin: (August 2021 – July 2026 – PI: Koliou; Co-PIs: Kaihatu, Puppala, Sideris, Meyer, Yu, Gonzalez, Wang, Mehta, Nolan) Sponsor: National Science Foundation Coastlines and People Program: The vision of this project is to develop enhancements to resilience strategies for underrepresented communities vulnerable to the impacts of coastal hazards and their potential worsening due to climate change effects. Project personnel will work closely with these communities (in this case, tribal communities) to help tailor solutions to specific needs (for example, preservation of historic sites and cultural practices threatened by coastal hazard impacts). These solutions will be built into a digital twin framework, which will enable decision making for enacting resilience-enhancement actions while accounting for downstream impacts and consequences.
Coastal Research and Education Actions for Transportation Equity (CREATE): (September 2022 – August 2026 – PI: Puppala; Consortium PI: Kulesza; Co-PIs: Kaihatu, Figlus) Sponsor: US Department of Transportation: This is a Tier 1 University Transportation Center (UTC) dedicated to the evaluation and improvement of coastal infrastructure resilience. This specific sequence of projects will address community resilience under historic and future storm hazards, accounting for alteration / amplification due to climate change impacts. The work will involve the use of numerical models to determine which areas in several coastal communities will be most vulnerable to flooding and damage due to hurricanes or other weather events. Synthetic storms will also be used to help extrapolate these vulnerability assessments into future climate considerations.
Developing a framework for modeling Texas coast waves and validation: (October 2024 – April 2026 – PI: Xu; Co-PIs: Panchang, Kaihatu, Figlus) Sponsor: Texas Coastal Management Program, Texas General Land Office: The goal of this work is to obtain statistical (including extreme value) information for the Texas coastline. The SWAN wave model will be used to simulate the nearshore wave heights caused by both historical and synthetic storms. To determine the robustness of nearshore wave estimates from the model, the storm parameters will be varied and the resulting wave height variability evaluated using a sensitivity matrix approach. This will determine locations of high sensitivity to forcing conditions, and thus demarcate areas where additional measurements will lead to an estimable increase in modeling accuracy.
Investigation into overtopping mitigation strategies: (October 2024 – September 2028 – PI: Briaud; Co-PIs: Kim, Chen, Puppala, Little, Kaihatu) Sponsor: US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers: The goal of this work is to develop mitigation strategies for overtopping and catastrophic erosion of earthen levees. Soil treatment, vegetation, and other methods for increasing level resilience will be studied. Both larger scale hazard modeling and levee-scale computational fluid dynamics models will be use to characterize the impacting hazard.