CAREER: Fluid - Sediment Interactions over Complex Coastal Topography

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ABSTRACTPROPOSAL NO.: CTS-0348203PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: D. FOSTERINSTITUTION: OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY CAREER: FLUID-SEDIMENT INTERACTIONS OVER COMPLEX COASTAL TOPOGRAPHYThe proposed research will significantly advance predictive capability for non-cohesive sediment transport over complex topographies in shallow coastal waters. The coastal environment exhibits complex feedback between waves, mean currents, and beaches at scales ranging from sand grains to coastlines. This effort concerns the transport of sediment over small-scale flat and rippled beds. A combined modeling and observational effort provides an exciting opportunity to gain new knowledge of the dominant processes that govern the fluid-sediment interface in the coastal region. A new process-based model will couple three-dimensional flow, sediment transport, and morphologic modules for the prediction of bedform generation, migration, and total sediment transport. A key feature of the simulations is the validation against experimental data at the exact same conditions. Broad impacts of the work include improved fundamental understanding of non-cohesive sediment transport potentially leading to significant advances in predictive capabilities of large-scale beach evolution. A lecture series will be developed based on the research and a laboratory course on sediment transport will be incorporated into an existing course. The integration of research, education and diversity capitalizes on the existing resources at Ohio State University for a successful outreach program. Efforts to diversify the engineering field will focus on providing a culturally and gender diverse environment for graduate students and mentoring young women to develop the skills and interests needed to thrive. Participation with the Future Engineers Summer Workshop to stimulate the interest of young women in junior high school in coastal engineering is especially noteworthy.