Sediment dynamics

Physical processes studied

River, estuary, and coastal zone morphological evolution.

Prediction of bathymetric evolution for "natural" and "anthropic" sites.

Morphological predictions at a variety of time scales, in particular at long time scales (10 to 100 years).

Local and regional-scale sediment management (e.g. dredging and disposal of sediments).

Medium term research objectives

Physical and mathematical description of the fluid/bottom interface theme: Experimental and in situ observations of bedload transport with geophones and hydrophones, simulating numerically local-scale dune dynamics, coastal and bar morphodynamics, and modeling mathematically the abrupt transition between dense and diluted sedimentary flows.

Lateral intereactions theme: Formation of free and forced bars, transition from alternating bar regime to meanders, the effects of vegetation on riverine morphodynamics, channel width dynamics, and morphodynamics of river confluence and diffluence zones, as well as steep river flows.

Structures and sediment dynamics theme: Civil engineering management practices. Breaching of dikes, riverine and coastal scour.

Pablo Tassi (pablo.tassi@edf.fr)