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99149 - MODELLING AND ASSESSING CLIMATE-RELATED OCEAN AND COASTAL HAZARDS AND RISKS

Academic Year 2022/2023

                
                        Docente:
                        Lorenzo Mentaschi
                    
                        Credits:
                        6
                    
                        SSD:
                        GEO/12
                    
                        Language:
                        English
                    
                        Moduli:
                        
                            Nadia Pinardi
                            (Modulo 1)
                        
                            Lorenzo Mentaschi
                            (Modulo 2)
                        
                        Teaching Mode:
                        
                                    Traditional lectures (Modulo 1)
                                
                                    Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
                                
                            Campus:
                            Ravenna
                        
                            Corso:
                            Second cycle degree programme (LM) in
                            Environmental Assessment and Management (cod. 5900)

                            Teaching resources on Virtuale

Learning outcomes

The aim of this course is providing the students with a general knowledge of climate-related hazards along our coasts, and techniques for modelling and assessing the associated risk. The topic will be discussed both from a dynamic and phenomenological point of view, and laboratory sessions will introduce the students to practical tools for climate risk assessment along our coasts.

Course contents

Phenomenology of coastal risk

This part of the course will offer an overview on the dynamics and observation of the main phenomena posing a thread to our coasts, such as storm surges, seiches, tides, waves, tsunamis and the effects of the ongoing Sea Level Rise, as well as the physics of coastal inundation. Also, the biogeochemical processes will be examined, in relation to the risk of eutrophication, hypoxia and consequences of marine heat-waves.

Analysis of the extremes

The students will be introduced with the fundamentals of Extreme Value Analysis, a tool widely used to characterize the magnitude and frequency of extreme events.

Risk quantification

The students will be acquainted with the notions of hazard, exposure and vulnerability, enabling the formulation of indicators of risk such as Expected Annual Damange and Exposed Population. Existing socioeconomic data will be examined in this part of the course.

Modelling of coastal hazard and risk

This part of the course will provide an overview on the models and toolkits available for coastal hazard reproduction and prediction. Laboratory sessions will be included with example applications.

Readings/Bibliography

Nielsen, Peter. Coastal and estuarine processes. Vol. 29. World Scientific Publishing Company, 2009.

Wisner, B., Blaikie, P., Cannon, T., & Davis, I. (2014). At risk: natural hazards, people's vulnerability and disasters. Routledge.

Coles, Stuart, et al. An introduction to statistical modeling of extreme values. Vol. 208. London: Springer, 2001.

Teaching methods

Lessons, computer laboratory sessions.

Assessment methods

The level knowledge of the students will be assessed via a written essay on a given theme, and by means of a written test.

Teaching tools

Power point slides, scientific papers

Office hours

See the website of Lorenzo Mentaschi

See the website of Nadia Pinardi