Seminar on Dunes and Scarps

Dune scarp and driftwood.\Photo by Jeanne Finkbeiner.

The Hatfield Marine Science Center continues to offer its Thursday research seminar series online.  On Thursday, Dec. 9, 3:30 p.m., the topic will be waves, dunes, and dune scarps.  The event is free and open to the public.

Speaking on “Beach Dune Subsurface Hydrodynamics and the Formation of Dune Scarps” will be Meagan Wengrove, an assistant professor of Coastal Engineering in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering, College of Engineering, Oregon State University.

As she describes her subject matter:

“We carried out a 1:2.5 scale beach dune erosion experiment to study the subsurface hydrodynamics involved in scarp formation. Measurements of the subsurface hydrodynamics and external forcing of the prototype dune were collected in the NSF NHERI O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory Large Wave Flume at Oregon State University. Pressure and moisture sensors buried within the dune tracked the location of the water table over the course of the experiment and captured the influence of wave runup events on pore water pressure and moisture content within the dune. A line-scan lidar was used to determine the runup elevation of each bore and to track erosion along a single cross-shore transect throughout the experiment. We observed that wave driven accretion caused by runup events greater than R2% adjacent to beach/dune erosion caused by partial momentary liquefaction events (due to runup greater than R16%) create an slope instability that is the initial discontinuity leading to scarp formation. Following, scarp landward progression ensues due to collision and slumping.”

To register for this event, go here.

Password: 972587 or call +1-971-247-1195 US Meeting ID: 945 5573 1151