 |
Main /
HomePage Coastal Engineering Research GroupPhone: +61 7 3365 3510 Welcome to Coastal Engineering at the University of Queensland. The Coastal Engineering Research Centre at the University of Queensland forms part of the hydraulics group in the department of Civil Engineering. The centre conducts a wide range of coastal based research projects under the umbrellas of coastal hydrodynamics, coastal sediment transport and coastal groundwater. The group conducts field, laboratory and numerical investigations into areas such as wave setup, swash processes, rip currents, heavy mineral sorting, coastal morphology, coastal groundwater dynamics and salinity, and river entrance dynamics. NewsTwo new Ph.D. scholarships in Coastal Engineering are available at the University of Queensland, commencing early 2010. Stipends of up to AUD$30,000pa for three years (tax free) are available for Australian residents or New Zealand citizens. International applicants with exceptional quality may also be considered, but may be required to pay International fees. The research encompasses storm surges, wave run-up and coastal inundation, including the interaction between tropical cyclones and adjacent high pressure systems. Applicants are expected to have an honours degree or a research masters degree in (a) Civil Engineering, (b) Applied Physics, or (c) Applied Mathematics, ideally with some experience in Coastal or Ocean Engineering. Please contact Dr Dave Callaghan (dave.callghan@uq.edu.au) or A/Prof Tom Baldock (t.baldock@uq.edu.au) for further information or send covering letter and CV. Moreton 2009 field trip to Moreton Island is being held on 6th-9th December to study storm surges, wave setup & runup and long term morphological development. (More information is available from Peter Nielsen.) Coastal and Estuarine Processes by Peter Nielsen now released. Dave Callaghan joins the academic staff from Jan 09. Two new PhD students Jaya Seelam and Hannah Power have recently joined the UQ Coastal Engineering Research Group. Papers in press Three new papers are soon to be published in Coastal Engineering: Article in The Australian newspaper A feature article on our new coastal research facility appeared in The Australian on 30th January 2008: New field facility established at The Spit The University of Queensland Coastal Engineering group, in conjunction with Griffith University and the Gold Coast City Council, has established an innovative field research facility on the Gold Coast at the northern end of The Spit. The facility comprises an array of manometer tubes deployed along a single cross-shore transect through the surf zone. The manometer tubes allow direct measurement of mean water levels and waves across the surf zone during storm conditions. For more information visit our facilities page. Sediment transport in accelerated flows Paper by A/Prof Peter Nielsen accepted for publication in Coastal Engineering. Read online Tsunami modelling A new model for run-up due to breaking tsunami waves was presented at the International Symposium for Disaster Reduction on Coasts held at Monash University, Melbourne. CRC Tourism Scholarships - call for applications The CRC for Sustainable Tourism offers scholarships for undertaking PhD research in areas of interest to the CRC. These might include wave energy, beach erosion and other coastal engineering topics. Please contact Dr Tom Baldock to discuss further. Applications close in November. See the CRC Tourism site for further details. Wave energy and desalination. Maps showing the wave energy for the Australian coastline have been developed as part of a CRC Sustainable Tourism Study into the geographic distribution of Renewable Energy Sources around Australia. Further funding is being sought to investigate the potential for using wave energy and other ocean energy sources for desalination purposes. For further information contact Dr Tom Baldock. Tsunami modelling New models are being formulated to describe the generation and propagation of tsunami following gradual disturbance of the ocean floor, as opposed to the instantaneous deformation frequently assumed. Contact A/Prof. Peter Nielsen for further information. New models for overtopping flows due to wave run-up or swash can be applied to predict flooding behind coastal dunes, flows over reefs and the growth of beach berms in front of ICOLLs. Flooding behind of Clifton Beach in Cairns during the passage of Cyclone Ingrid was caused by wave run-up overtopping the back beach dunes. Download pdf |