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INSTRUCTORS:
Zehua Zhong
David Taylor, M. Eng, CPEng
Qin Chen, Ph.D.
Mitchel Provan
Course Length: 1 hour
Purpose and Background
These presentations were recorded at the International Conference on Coastal Engineering 2026.
Probabilistic Assessment of Coastal Hazards at a Nuclear Power Station (13 minutes)
This presentation explores the application of probabilistic methods for assessing coastal hazards affecting a nuclear power station. Participants will learn how wave climates, storm surges, tides, and atmospheric conditions can be linked through statistical downscaling techniques. The speaker introduces a weather-typing framework that connects large-scale atmospheric patterns with local coastal hazards. Attendees will gain insight into how climate variability influences wave and surge conditions over seasonal, annual, and long-term timescales. The presentation examines the use of weather-type emulators to generate realistic future hazard scenarios. Participants will also learn how these methods can support coastal risk assessments for critical infrastructure. The session demonstrates how probabilistic approaches improve understanding of complex coastal hazards and support long-term resilience planning.
Synthetic Modeling of Tropical Cyclones for Varying Climates (12 minutes)
This presentation examines the use of synthetic tropical cyclone modeling to evaluate future cyclone hazards under changing climate conditions. Participants will learn how statistical and physics-based modeling approaches can be combined to assess changes in cyclone frequency, intensity, and track characteristics. The speaker demonstrates how climate model outputs are incorporated into synthetic cyclone generation frameworks. Attendees will gain an understanding of how future cyclone behavior can influence storm surge and coastal hazard assessments. The presentation discusses the strengths and limitations of synthetic track modeling compared with historical observations alone. Results provide insight into potential future changes in tropical cyclone risk under climate change scenarios. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of climate-informed hazard modeling approaches.
Attenuation of Infragravity Waves by Saltmarshes During Tropical Cyclones (17 minutes)
This presentation investigates how coastal wetlands and saltmarsh vegetation influence infragravity wave attenuation during tropical cyclones. Participants will learn about the differences between short-wave and infragravity-wave dissipation mechanisms. The speaker combines field observations and numerical modeling to examine wave transformation as storm-driven waves propagate across marsh environments. Attendees will explore how vegetation characteristics and inundation depth influence wave energy reduction. The presentation also highlights the role of nonlinear wave interactions in wetland environments. Results demonstrate the effectiveness and limitations of marshes as natural coastal protection features during extreme events. Participants will gain valuable insight into the role of nature-based defenses in coastal resilience strategies.
Assessing the Performance of Canada's First Sand Engine Through Numerical Modelling (13 minutes)
This presentation evaluates the performance of Canada's first sand engine using numerical modeling and field observations. Participants will learn how large-scale sediment placement can be used as a nature-based solution to support shoreline management and habitat restoration. The speaker introduces modeling approaches used to simulate storm-driven sediment transport and shoreline evolution. Attendees will explore how a major storm event was used to assess the effectiveness of the sand engine concept. The presentation examines the influence of waves, storm surge, and sediment transport dynamics on project performance. Results highlight the challenges and opportunities of applying sand engine concepts in North American coastal environments. Participants will gain insight into innovative sediment management strategies for coastal adaptation and restoration.
Benefits and Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain how weather typing and probabilistic approaches can be used to assess coastal hazards at critical infrastructure facilities.
- Describe how synthetic tropical cyclone models are used to evaluate future coastal hazard scenarios under changing climate conditions.
- Discuss how saltmarsh vegetation affects the attenuation of infragravity waves during tropical cyclone events.
- Identify the key physical processes that influence the performance of a sand engine as a coastal adaptation measure.
Assessment of Learning Outcomes
Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-test assessment (true-false, multiple choice, and/or fill in the blank questions).
Who Should Attend?
- Coastal Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- Coastal Scientist
- Coastal Resilience Program Manager
- Government Coastal Zone Manager
- University Student or Researcher
How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion
To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 365 days of the course purchase.
How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?
1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]