99149 - MODELLING AND ASSESSING CLIMATE-RELATED OCEAN AND COASTAL HAZARDS AND RISKS

Academic Year 2024/2025

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Ravenna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Science and Technologies for Environmental Sustainability (cod. 6055)

Learning outcomes

The aim of this course is providing the students with a general knowledge of climate-related hazards along our coasts, and techniques for modelling and assessing the associated risk. The topic will be discussed both from a dynamic and phenomenological point of view, and laboratory sessions will introduce the students to practical tools for climate risk assessment along our coasts.

Course contents

  • Defining the risk. International and European governance frameworks on Disaster Risk Reduction
  • Introduction on geophysical fluid dynamics. Genesis of storms
  • Astronomical Tides
  • Meteorological tides, storm surges and seiches
  • Waves
  • Tsunamis
  • Inundation
  • Extreme Value Analysis
  • Indicators of risk
  • Climate Changes (IPCC, CMIP initiative, Sea Level Rise, Changes future extreme sea levels)
  • Use of Artificial Intelligence for coastal prediction
  • Practical exercises

Readings/Bibliography

Slides, notes, material provided during the lessons.

Supporting textbooks:

Sorensen RM. Basic coastal engineering. New York, USA, Springer. 2006.

Nielsen, Peter. Coastal and estuarine processes. Vol. 29. World Scientific Publishing Company, 2009.

Teaching methods

Classroom lessons supported by PowerPoint slides and interactive animations.

Laboratory exercises requiring the use of a laptop.

Office hours

See the website of Lorenzo Mentaschi