Overview
The Humber estuary and surrounds are home to 500,000 people, 120,000 ha of agricultural land, and industries worth over £17.5bn GVA. These include the second largest chemical cluster in the UK, two of the country’s six oil refineries, and five power stations. More than 25% of the UK’s primary energy flows through the region, and its ports handle 14% of UK trade. As such, it is of national strategic importance.
The wide, shallow, estuary provides extensive wildlife habitat in its large intertidal zones, including multiple designated conservation areas, but due to this same geography it is the second most flood-prone region in the UK, with over one third of properties at risk. This risk will be exacerbated by sea level rise. Following a storm surge in 2013 the Environment Agency (EA) reviewed its flood management strategy, leading to the “Humber 2100+” project to explore longer-term, systems-based solutions for water management.
However, the morphology of the Humber estuary has not responded in textbook fashion to long-term changes such as lunar nodal tidal cycles or increases in mean sea level over the last 80 years. This makes it difficult to predict its response to management interventions. Understanding this divergence from accepted theory is scientifically significant, as it may apply to other estuaries worldwide. It is also of practical importance to the stakeholders who depend upon long-term predictions of morphological behaviour.
Aims
Firstly, to understand the factors that lead to unexplained morphodynamic behaviour. It is hypothesised that this may result from one or a combination of:
- Punctuated forcing (strong flows from rivers or storm surges)
- Anthropogenic activity (dredging)
- Sub-decadal to decadal changes in wind-driven waves
- Inherent positional instability of tidal channels
Secondly, to evaluate the effectiveness and environmental impacts of water and sediment management scenarios developed by the EA as part of Humber 2100+.
You should normally have, or expect to obtain, at least 2:1 Honours degree (or international equivalent) in a related subject.
See the Panorama website for more information on the Project, the Supervisory Team, training and the working environment.
For individual introductions to each Panorama DTP project at the University of Hull, watch a recording of a webinar held on 9 December 2021. You'll hear from programme leaders, supervisors, and students talking about funded postgraduate research at the Panorama DTP as well as queries from other applicants in the Q&A.