3D multi-scale integrated flooding model with wetting and drying and mesh adaptivity
PHD STUDENTSHIP WITH IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
Supervisors: Professor Christopher Pain and Dr Fangxin Fang
The combined effect of population growth and industrialisation in the UK means that coastal land
areas are increasingly occupied by multiple user groups with diverse and competing needs (e.g.
environmental, tourism, industrial). An important aspect of climate change is the increased likelihood
of storms, and hence storm-surges and flooding, and this will have obvious impact upon low lying
areas susceptible to diverse risks with multiple users. There is thus an increased need to improve
predictions and assess their impact, thus helping policy makers, rescue services and scientists
involved with ocean, climate change and risk reduction strategies.
Our overall aim is to develop a multi-scale integrated modelling framework which will have the
capabilities for 1D, 2D and 3D modelling. It will also have an adaptive multi-scale mesh spatially and
temporally and it will have the necessary coupling abilities to simulate the coincidence of two or three
types of hazards that can happen either simultaneously or are causally-linked and happen
unexpectedly over a short time scale. The PhD studentship will involve the development and
application of a new 3D integrated flooding model within (and connecting to) the existing code and
infrastructure framework of the Fluidity-ICOM package (developed at Imperial College London).
Fluidity-ICOM is a powerful 3D unstructured mesh ocean open source model which allows accurate
and computationally efficient representation of complex forms. Applying anisotropic mesh adaptively
enables computational resources to dynamically focus on flow complexity as it develops to reduce
computational expense. Using Fluidity-ICOM enables steep topography to be accurately represented
along with the associated dynamics unlike classical models. It includes a single model of ocean basin
and coastal zone that is capable of resolving down to building scale and can be used for storm surge
modelling and other flooding scenarios including 3D tsunami.
The successful candidate will join, and be supported by a vibrant and dynamic research group with
world-class expertise modelling geophysical flows. They will be trained in state-of-the-art numerical
methods for simulating fluid flow and high performance computing. The candidate will have the
opportunity to develop his/her career and profile by presenting at international conferences and
publishing in high impact journals.
Entry requirements:
Candidate for this PhD position should have a good mathematical background and a good degree in
an appropriate field such as physics, mathematics, earth science, computer science or engineering.
Academic contact:
For more information please contact Prof. Christopher Pain (c.pain@imperial.ac.uk), Dr. Fangxin
Fang (f.fang@imperial.ac.uk).
Department of Earth Science and Engineering,
Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, SW7 2AZ.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 1912
This information can be also be found on our website: amcg.ese.ic.ac.uk.
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