To introduce students to the work required in the coastal and estuary environment; to illustrate some of the problems with which they must deal, and to provide them with the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding to contribute to the solution of these problems.

(LO1) On successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the roles played in society by coastal engineers, the ways in which tides and surges are generated, how to describe waves,  the importance of sediment transport in coastal areas, the significance of mixing process in estuaries and factors involved in the design of sea outfalls.

(LO2) On successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of  the limitation of existing theories.

(LO3) On successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate ability in  using linear wave theory to predict water motions, the effects of wave shoaling, describing random waves and predicting extreme wave conditions from suitable data.

(LO4) On successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate ability in simple calculations to predict coastal sediment transport

(LO5) On successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate ability in designing sea outfalls accounting for salt intrusion and sedimentation.

(S1) Numeracy

(S2) Problem solving skills

(S3) Communication skills

(S4) IT skills

(S5) Information literacy online, finding, interpreting, evaluating, managing and sharing information

1 Introduction to coastal and estuary processes: assessing the environment; identifying needs, postulating solutions, estimating loadings, etc.
2 Linear and non-linear wave theories: initial assumptions; basic equations; regions of validity.
3 Wave generation and the description of random waves: short-term and long-term; characteristic values of wave height and period; the Rayleigh distribution; wave spectra; linking probabilistic and spectral descriptions.
4 Estimating the severity of extreme storms: scatter diagrams; the Weibull distribution; return period and encounter probability.
5 Wave transformation: wave shoaling; wave refraction, Snell's Law; refraction patterns; wave diffraction and reflection.
6 Wave-current interaction: absolute and relative frequencies; basic equations; wave rays and wave orthogonal; refraction by currents; effects of currents on wave spectra; the equivalent uniform current.
7 Surf zone dynamics: wave breaking; setup and set down; long-shore current; undertow.
8 Sediment transport: sediment mobility; bedload; bedforms; suspended load; sediment transport modelling.
9 Morphodynamics: beach profile; sediment budgets; regional prediction.
10 Diffusion Theory: introduction; molecular diffusion; diffusion solutions for extended distribution; continuous injections; series solutions; examples.
11 Two and three dimensional solutions: diffusion in turbulent flow; examples.
12 Mixing in rivers: mixing in two dimensions; Taylor’s analysis; dispersion in rivers and mixing coefficients; transverse mixing and mixing coefficients; examples.
13 Turbulent jets and plumes: Initial dilution and horizontal spread; hydraulic modelling; the buoyant jet; thermal stratification.
14 Sea outfalls: types; effects of salt intrusion and sedimentation; thermal outfalls; design of an outfall; calculations of initial dilution; mixing by turbulence and bacterial decay.

Teaching Method 1 - Lecture
Description: Introducing basic concepts and theory for wave process, nearshore morphology and estuary process
Attendance Recorded: Not yet decided