Identifier

etd-06292016-100558

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Coastal regions around the world are experiencing increased vulnerability from natural and manmade disasters. It is anticipated that coastal flood risk will increase due to the effects of climate change, and sea level rise (SLR) in particular. A dynamic, physics-based, framework to compute coastal flood inundation maps under various climate change scenarios was developed. The novel modeling system includes not only SLR, but considers future projections of shoreline evolution and primary dune morphology, upland migration of intertidal marsh, and land use land cover change. A present day hurricane storm surge model was generated for the Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida panhandle coasts. The model was shown to agree with measured data for astronomic tides and hurricane storm surge (Hurricanes Ivan, Dennis, Katrina, and Isaac) for present day conditions. The present day model was then modified to portray the potential outlook of the coastal landscape under climate change scenarios coupled to SLR scenarios. Shoreline profiles were modified (including the primary dune) and intertidal regions were permitted to migrate upland considering coastal infrastructure from impending migration. Bottom friction and hurricane wind reduction parameters were altered as informed from land use land cover projections. The various model configurations representing the future coastal landscape were forced by a suite of historical and synthetic tropical cyclones and flood maximum flood depths and inundation extents are computed. The collection of results allow the development of flood risk maps for varying scenarios of SLR and highlight the vulnerability of the coast to potential future climate change conditions.

Date

2016

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Secure the entire work for patent and/or proprietary purposes for a period of one year. Student has submitted appropriate documentation which states: During this period the copyright owner also agrees not to exercise her/his ownership rights, including public use in works, without prior authorization from LSU. At the end of the one year period, either we or LSU may request an automatic extension for one additional year. At the end of the one year secure period (or its extension, if such is requested), the work will be released for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Hagen, Scott C

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.3569

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