Publications

Wind-blown sand creates multiscale bedforms on Earth, Mars and other planetary bodies. According to conventional wisdom, decametre-scale dunes and decimetre-scale ripples emerge via distinct mechanisms on Earth: a hydrodynamic instability related to a phase shift between the turbulent flow and the topography and a granular instability related to a synchronization of hopping grains with the topography. [Read more…] about Coevolving aerodynamic and impact ripples on Earth

The frequency and intensity of coastal flooding is expected to accelerate in low-elevation coastal areas due to sea level rise. [Read more…] about Stochastic properties of coastal flooding events – Part 1: convolutional-neural-network-based semantic segmentation for water detection

The purpose of this study is to assess how the deposition and mobilization of Hurricane Harvey (2017) flood deposit and elevated subsidence has impacted sedimentation within Galveston Bay. The Bayport Flare/Channel, located with the San Jacinto Bay (SJB) portion of the northwestern corner of Galveston Bay, has experienced a 25% (6.25% annually) increase in siltation since Hurricane Harvey (2017). [Read more…] about How Subsidence and Cyclone Driven Sediment Flux within Galveston Bay has Caused Elevated Siltation Within the Bayport Channel and Flare

The confluence of the Houston and Bayport Ship Channels (Bayport Flare) in Galveston Bay, Texas, experiences high levels of sedimentation. An extensive field measurement campaign was conducted to determine the causes and aid in modelling efforts and mitigation strategies. [Read more…] about Field Investigation of Enhanced Ship Channel Shoaling in a Shallow Bay System

Sea turtles depend on sandy beaches around the World for their nesting habitat. They face a major challenge in the flooding and erosion of their nesting beaches. High tides, storm surges, and wave runup can inundate or wash out incubating nests, significantly increasing egg mortality. Galveston Island’s beaches in Texas serve as important nesting habitat for the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. Due to its conservation status, all nests are excavated and moved to safer beaches or an incubation facility by the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research. [Read more…] about Assessing the Risk of Sea Turtle Nest Inundation on Sandy Beaches: A Field Experiment on Galveston Island, Texas

Coastal erosion due to extreme events can cause significant damage to coastal communities and deplete beaches. Post-storm beach recovery is a crucial natural process that rebuilds coastal morphology and reintroduces eroded sediment to the subaerial beach. [Read more…] about The Application of CNN-Based Image Segmentation for Tracking Coastal Erosion and Post-Storm Recovery

A broadly accepted paradigm is that vegetation reduces coastal dune erosion. However, we show that during an extreme storm event, vegetation surprisingly accelerates erosion. In 104-m-long beach-dune profile experiments conducted within a flume, we discovered that while vegetation initially creates a physical barrier to wave energy, it also (i) decreases wave run-up, which creates discontinuities in erosion and accretion patterns across the dune slope, (ii) increases water penetration into the sediment bed, which induces its fluidization and destabilization, and (iii) reflects wave energy, accelerating scarp formation. Once a discontinuous scarp forms, the erosion accelerates further. [Read more…] about Does vegetation accelerate coastal dune erosion during extreme events?

We use an established discrete element method (DEM) Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS)-based numerical model to simulate non-suspended sediment transport across conditions encompassing almost seven orders of magnitude in the particle–fluid density ratio s, [Read more…] about Scaling laws for planetary sediment transport from DEM-RANS numerical simulations

Flood risk mitigation and management are among the great societal challenges of our time. Around the world humans, communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems in coastal areas are facing the reality of rising sea levels, intensifying storm impacts, accelerated erosion, and the resulting flood-related problems such as loss of life, loss of property, and loss of economic, social and environmental sustainability. [Read more…] about Natural and nature-based features for flood risk management

The Gulf of Mexico shorelines of Texas are in a largely regressive state due to an amalgamation of factors including but not limited to: sea level rise, subsidence, littoral drift, and riverine supply disruptions. In some areas the erosion rate is several meters annually, leading to significant loss of coastal barrier island area. [Read more…] about A Path Towards Holistic Coastal Zone Management in Texas Leveraging Significant Investments in Data Collection, Planning, and Implementation