MORPHINE: Re-designing the coast: The Morphodynamics of Large Bodies of Sediment in a Macro-tidal Environment

我们建议发展形态动力学的数学理论，因为它涉及到一个宏观潮汐环境（沿海地区的大潮差，如在英国），以了解我们的海滩和滨面（滨面是，松散的，在海滩和大陆架底部之间的区域）的大型沉积物的运动。这一理论将使我们能够制定一个新的数学建模方法。由此产生的新模型将使我们能够开发一种新的方法来设计海防，其中大量的沙子（“沙子”）被沉积在海岸线和/或附近的战略位置。这些侵蚀将为正在侵蚀的海滩提供沉积物来源，但重要的是，它们也将改变当地的波浪和水流条件，这将使以前侵蚀的海滩变成更稳定的结构，从而形成自然的海岸防御。理论和模型，再加上一个新的，现实的统计模型的海洋条件，将使我们有可能预测的行为，在不同的条件下，以高度的准确性。由于模型是高效的，我们将能够在很长一段时间内（比如20年或更长时间）这样做，并调查在这段时间内可能发生的波浪条件的可能变化。这将支持设计这种新的海防方法，并将意味着我们不必依赖侵入性的、昂贵的和被动的传统海防。它还有一个额外的好处，那就是提供了一种方法来预测我们现有海岸的大部分在未来将如何表现。该提案特别针对英国的情况，其中非常大的潮差与各种波浪条件相结合，产生了特别具有挑战性的环境。因此，我们建议开展有关海岸形态动力学的基本工作，以便开发工具，使我们能够重新思考我们的海岸防御战略。

We propose developing the mathematical theory of morphodynamics as it pertains to a macro-tidal environment (coastal region with large tidal range, like that in the UK), so as to understand the movement of large deposits of sand on our beaches and shorefaces (shorefaces are, loosely, the regions in between the beach and the continental shelf floor). This theory will allow us to formulate a new mathematical modelling approach. New models stemming from this will allow us to develop a new approach to designing sea defences, in which large quantities of sand ("nourishments") are deposited at strategic locations at and / or near to the coastline. These nourishments will provide a source of sediment for beaches that are eroding, but, importantly, they will also alter local wave and current conditions, which will transform previously eroding beaches into more stable configurations, and so form naturalistic coastal defences. The theory and the models, coupled with a new, realistic statistical model of sea conditions, will make it possible for us to predict the behaviour of these nourishments to a high degree of accuracy under different conditions. Because the models are highly efficient we will be able to do this for long times (say, 20 years or more), and to investigate the likely variations in wave conditions that might occur during this time. This will support the design of this new approach to designing sea defences, and will mean that we do not have to rely on invasive, expensive and reactive traditional sea defences. It will have the additional benefit of providing the means to predict how a major proportion of our existing coast will behave in the future. The proposal addresses UK conditions in particular, in which a very large tidal range combines with a wide variety of wave conditions to produce a particularly challenging environment. We are therefore proposing to undertake fundamental work on coastal morphodynamics so as to develop tools that will let us re-think our coastal defence strategy.