Large-scale coastal features such as sandbars, sandbanks and shorelines, have shown evidence of complex behaviours that are difficult to predict. This is because they show evidence of intrinsic dynamics and are subject to external forcings such as winds, waves and currents; all these mechanisms interact with one another to transform the seabed and the beach sand dunes. Although in the short to medium term it is possible to analyse the dynamics using process-based models, such approaches have been unsuccessful when long-term behaviour is concerned. The purpose of this fellowship is to propose and test new model formulations and new data-driven procedures, leading to a better understanding of long-term morphological evolution. Fundamental patterns of behaviour and fundamental modes of interaction between the processes involved will be identified using statistical, spectral and nonlinear analyses. Several comprehensive datasets will be used as test case scenarios of the new approaches, and will be analysed independently to extract behavioural patterns that can shed light into the mechanisms that are most relevant at long timescales. Such knowledge is crucial to predict future morphodynamic behaviour and, thus, reduce the uncertainty in the current state-of-the-art forecasting methods.
The RCUK Academic Fellowship scheme was launched in 2004 as part of a new initiative from the EPSRC, one of the main funding bodies in the UK, to provide researchers with a more stable route into Academia. The scheme was set up in response to the Roberts Review (2002) which concluded that “the UK did not have an adequate supply of people with science, technology and mathematics skills
. In coastal and marine-related research these skills are particularly important, and the University of Plymouth, being one of the largest research centres and academic training providers in this field in the UK, has been awarded five Academic Fellowships. Further information on the Academic Fellowship scheme may be found at http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/acfellow/default.htm |
