NEARSHORE PROCESSES LABORATORY

Distinguished Professor Edward B. Thornton
(831) 656 2847, FAX (831) 656 2712
email: thornton@nps.edu

The Nearshore Processes Laboratory in the Oceanography Department at the Naval Postgraduate School has long played a leading role in the acquisition and analysis of detailed nearshore field data. The group's recent work has focused on the modeling and analysis of data obtained during several comprehensive nearshore experiments at Duck, North Carolina, as well as earlier experiments at Torrey Pines, Santa Barbara, and Monterey Bay in California.

Field Experiments

Nearshore Sediment Transport Study (NSTS), Torrey Pines Experiment, 1978
- Data available: currents, wind, wave heights, OBS, runup, barometer
- Dates: Nov 4-24, 1978

NSTS, Santa Barbara Experiment, 1980
- Data available: currents, wind, wave heights, runup, barometer
- Dates: Jan 31 - Feb 18, 1980

Superduck Experiment, Duck, NC, 1986

DELILAH Experiment, Duck, NC, 1990
- Data available: currents, pressures
- Dates: Sept 30 - Oct 21, 1990

Monterey Bay Breakwater Experiment, 1993

DUCK94, Duck, NC, 1994
- Data available (SLED): currents, pressures, OBS, water temperature
- Data available (other): megaripple bathymetry (contact Dr. Edie Gallagher)
- Dates: Oct 5-20, 1994

SANDYDUCK Experiment, Duck, NC, 1997
- Data available (SLED): currents, pressures, OBS, water temperature
- Data available (fixed): pressure sensor array
- Data available (other): megaripple bathymetry (contact Dr. Edie Gallagher)
- Dates: Sept 22 - Oct 30, 1997

Shoaling Waves Experiment (SHOWEX), Duck, NC, 1999

COAST 3D, Egmond, The Netherlands, 1998 - 1999

RIPEX/SteepBeach Experiment, Monterey, CA, Spring 2001
- Data will be available by mid-2003

Nearshore Canyon Experiment (NCEX), Torrey Pines, CA, 2003

If interested in obtaining data from the above experiments for the purpose of research, contact Mark Orzech (except where otherwise noted).

Prospective Thesis Topics

The Nearshore Oceanography program has a number of thesis topics available to present and future graduate students. Click here to view a more detailed description of these topics.

Staff

The following staff members and visitors contribute to the research activities in this group:

Ron Cowen - Physical Science Technician
Mark Orzech - Research Associate
Keith Wyckoff - Physical Science Technician
Rob Wyland - Supervisory Engineer

Interesting Links

Here are some other interesting sites related to nearshore oceanography:

Nearshore processes overview (by Rob Holman, OSU)
Field Research Facility of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in Duck, NC
Upcoming events in coastal engineering and oceanography (USACE Coastal & Hydraulics Lab)
Java Applets - Collection of java applications which demonstrate various wave-related phenomena and perform useful calculations (Tony Dalrymple, U. of Delaware)

Material contained herein is made available for the purpose of peer review and discussion and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.

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Last updated 25 April 2002