Research Interests

CFL studies the evolving flood risks from climate change and increasing urbanization. Flood risk is directly related to beach state (e.g., width, elevation, saturation). Currently however, even the highest quality numerical models often assume a non-evolving beach. Southern California beaches exhibit a strong seasonal signal, from narrow, rocky beaches in winter to a wide, sandy beach in summer. Storms, tides and energetic waves reshape beaches daily. How do we understand these complex set of processes in coastal zones where land meets water; where the forces from ocean waves, tides, storm surge, and sea level rise crash into hydrologic forces and interact with the built environment such as storm sewers, seawalls and engineered beaches? (Credit: Pupols, 2016)

Numerical modeling: OlaFlow simulation of a near-breaking transient wave (Credit: MP Delisle).

UAV-derived orthoimage of UCLA’s Janss Steps.

Timu Gallien (center) and a team from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography bury one of a number of sensors along the beach in Cardiff to test the wave heights and water currents (Credit: KBPS News, 1/6/2016).

Construction of Cardiff State Beach Living Shoreline, Encinitas, California between 10/9/18 and 5/31/19 (Credit: Maria Winters).