Impacts of submarine debris flows on subsea installations

• BACKGROUND: Sediment debris flow due to submarine landslides poses serious threats to communication cable on the sea floor and subsea engineering structures due to the large spatial extent it may affect and unpredictability of its occurrence. Debris flows made of sand-mud mixture can travel for tens of kilometers and there are a number of mechanisms that have been proposed to explain this long run-out including low permeability and high pore pressures in the debris flow. However, no generally accepted modelling approach has been put forward to quantify the processes involved with or without the presence of the subsea structures.

• AIM and SCOPE: The aim of this project is to understand how submarine debris flows interact with subsea installations using a two-phase flow modelling approach. Specifically the model will be applied to assess how the development of excess pore pressures may affect the speed of the flow and the forces on the subsea installations. The runout of sandy debris flows with different amounts of interstitial mud will also be investigated, focusing in particular on the effect of the consolidation state. The initial phase of the project is concerned with constructing a suitable pore pressure model. Phase 2 of the project will devote on investigating, understanding and assessing the behaviour of the 2-phase model in full parametric range. In Phase 3, the model will be validated against available laboratory and field data.

• RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT: You will work within an established Fluids Group and may also interact closely with colleagues in Geomechanics Group. Both groups have long established international reputation in coastal hydrodynamics, sediment transport, flows in porous structures and gravity flow using a range of advanced modelling techniques.

• FUNDING: This is a fully funded EPSRC DTA studentship for three years. It covers all fees and provides a grant of a minimum of £14, 553 per annum. To be eligible for this funding, you must be a UK citizen or an EU national who has resided in the UK for a minimum of three years prior to taking up the post.

• REQUIRED SKILLS: We are seeking candidates with a minimum of 2:1 (or equivalent) first degree in Civil Engineering, Applied Mathematics or a related subject. Experience in computational fluid mechanics or numerical modelling is required, as are strong communication and team working skills.

• HOW TO APPLY: Please apply through the University of Liverpool’s online system https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply/ with all documents required by the application system, please also include a covering letter for your application.