Publications

Along many of the world’s coastlines, dunes form natural sand barriers against flooding induced by storm surges and waves. They are an integral and dynamic part of the coastal geomorphology created by the continual interplay between water, wind, and sediment. Their ability to reduce flood risk by providing flexible elevation, a sacrificial volume of sand, and wave energy dissipation combined with their aesthetic appeal and ecosystem functionality have made them valuable additions, in some cases even complete alternatives, to engineered hard coastal flood defenses. [Read more…] about Designing and implementing coastal dunes for flood risk reduction

Water can enter coastal systems and produce flooding in a variety of ways. Elevated water levels due to storm surge and wave setup, wave overtopping, runoff from heavy rain events, and increased river discharge resulting from upstream dam releases or appreciable rainfall induce flow to low-lying coastal areas with the potential to result in flooding. [Read more…] about Modeling the movement of water and sediment in coastal environments

The Houston Ship Channel (HSC) is one of the most vital and busiest deep-draft navigation channels in the United States. In 2019 in partnership with the Port of Houston, the US Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District (SWG) completed a five-year award-winning mega feasibility study for the HSC Engineering Channel Improvement Project (ECIP). [Read more…] about Mechanics of Shoaling at the Houston Ship Channel’s Bayport Flare

Ship wakes generated by large deep-draft vessels as well as those generated by smaller barges have the potential to cause significant compounding erosion and sedi-mentation issues, especially along high-traffic waterways. Yet, long-term in situ measurements of the actual hydro-dynamics initiated by ship wakes are rare. [Read more…] about Vessel Wake Induced Dynamics In A Shallow-Bay Environment

Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) orthoimagery based on Structure-from-Motion (SfM) has recently gained popular demand in environmental and agricultural studies for its high-spatial resolution and cost-effectiveness. [Read more…] about Detecting Changes of Wetland Boundaries by Applying Particle Image Velocimetry to UAS Orthoimagery in Galveston Bay, Texas

Coastal wetlands play a prominent role in flood control, carbon circulation, and ecosystem. Due to sea level rise, the increasing impacts of hurricanes and strong storms on sediment erosion, and thermal expansion, coastal wetlands have experienced a wide range of stress-inducing changes. Monitoring the spatial patterns and rates of coastal wetland evolution is of critical importance for both research communities and management agencies. [Read more…] about High resolution mapping of Texas wetland evolution using Landsat and CubeSat images

Wetlands are an important ecological resource, enhance coastal flood resilience of nearby communities, and act as carbon sinks. Limited sediment supply, sea level rise, and hydrodynamic forcing from waves and vessel wakes act as continual stressors, leading to increased wetland erosion. A 1.5-year study on wetland edge erosion in Galveston Bay, Texas, was carried out in 2021/22. [Read more…] about Hurricane, Cold-Front, and Vessel-Wake Hydrodynamic Impacts on Wetland Edges in Galveston Bay, Texas

Dredging and Dredged Material Placement provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of dredging. Robert E. Randall imparts his extensive knowledge of the subject using descriptions, examples, definitions, and problems. [Read more…] about Dredging and Dredged Material Placement

Long-term and seasonal geomorphological changes at Padre Island, Texas are identified and linked with potential external drivers. Aerial and satellite images from 1950 to 2018, monthly images from 2019 to 2020, and a 2018 LiDAR data [Read more…] about Decadal and seasonal changes in landcover at Padre Island: Implications for the role of the back-barrier in signaling island state change

Vegetated coastal sand dunes can be vital components of flood risk reduction schemes due to their ability to act as an erosive buffer during storm surge and wave attack. However, the effects of plant morphotypes on the wave-induced erosion process are hard to quantify, in part due to the complexity of the coupled hydrodynamic, morphodynamic, and biological processes involved. In this study the effects of four vegetation types on the dune erosion process under wave action was investigated in a wave flume experiment. [Read more…] about The Unique Ability of Fine Roots to Reduce Vegetated Coastal Dune Erosion During Wave Collision