About the project
Whilst numerous sea level rise projections exist, uncertainty over their upper bounds remain. This PhD will apply a regional, coupled modelling system to examine credible sea level rise maxima under different climate projects, and assess their impact on extreme sea level hazards including storm surge, wave conditions and tidal amplification.
Despite numerous projections of sea level rise under varying emission scenarios, significant uncertainty remains regarding the upper bounds of future, peak coastal water levels. This uncertainty poses a substantial challenge for planning and the resilience of long-lived coastal infrastructure, particularly in the energy sector. Coastal hazards, such as storm surges, compound flooding, overtopping, and erosion, are often triggered by meteorological events that combine multiple drivers like wind, rainfall, storm surge, and high waves (Bevacqua et al, 2020) and are exacerbated by rising sea levels.
The aim of this PhD project to explore what could constitute credible, future sea level rise maxima over relevant timescales under different climate projections and examine their impact on extreme sea level hazard components including storm surge, wave conditions and tidal amplification. The project will develop high-end scenarios across these hazard drivers and establish a framework for combining them using both coupled modelling and more theoretical storyline approaches (e.g., Palmer et al. 2024) to aid risk communication and coastal adaptation planning. This will make use of a new regional coupled modelling system developed for the Northwest European Shelf, including atmospheric, wave, ocean and river models at km-scale (Lewis et al. 2019).
A set of climate hazards at the spatial scale of a weather-forecast will be produced, and analysed to examine surges, tides and waves. This will enable consistent and well-quantified assessments that extend from national scale to targeted site-specific information, with direct relevance to the UK’s coastal energy infrastructure, informing both adaptation planning and regulatory guidance.
Supervisors
As well as Dr Hachem Kassem from the University of Southampton (lead supervisor), you will also receive supervision from:
- Dr Lucy Bricheno: luic@noc.ac.uk, from the National Oceanographic Centre (NOC), Southampton.
- Dr Matthew Palmer: matthew.palmer@metoffice.gov.uk, from the Met Office/Bristol University.
- Dr Alejandro Pinto: alejandro.pintorascon@edfenergy.com, from the EDF Energy R&D UK Centre.
- Dr Dafni Sifnioti: dafni.sifnioti@edfenergy.com, from the EDF Energy R&D UK Centre.
Please contact the lead supervisor if you require further information about the project.
References
- Bevacqua, E., Vousdoukas, M. I., Zappa, G., Hodges, K., Shepherd, T. G., Maraun, D., et al. (2020). More meteorological events that drive compound coastal flooding are projected under climate change. Communications Earth & Environment, 1(1), 47. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-020-00044-z
- Lewis, H. W., Castillo Sanchez, J. M., Arnold, A., Fallmann, J., Saulter, A., Graham, J., et al. (2019). The UKC3 regional coupled environmental prediction system. Geoscientific Model Development, 12(6), 2357–2400. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-2357-2019
- Palmer, M.D., Harrison, B.J., Gregory, J.M. et al. A framework for physically consistent storylines of UK future mean sea level rise. Climatic Change 177, 106 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-024-03734-1
Potential supervisors
Lead supervisor
Dr Hachem Kassem PhD, MSc, FHEA
Lecturer
Research interests
- Nearshore hydrodynamics and coastal sediment dynamics
- Coastal and ocean engineering and flow-structure-seabed-biota interactions
- Adaptive, nature-inclusive solutions to climate-mediated geohazards, including flooding, erosion and habitat degradation
Entry requirements
You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree or higher in a relevant subject. You can also have its international equivalent.
We are looking for:
- a degree in a relevant field such as mathematics, physics, engineering, oceanography, or a related discipline, with a strong focus on numerical and physical process modelling and a good analytical background
- an ability to handle and analyse large datasets, and experience working in Linux and high-performance computing (HPC) environments is preferred but not essential
Training is provided as part of the FloodCDT as well as support and specific training on numerical modelling by the supervisory team.
If English is not your first language, you will need an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall score of 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in all components. Visit our English language proficiency pages to find out about other qualifications we accept.
Fees and funding
For UK students, the studentship covers UK fees, plus a stipend of £20,780 (UKRI Standard rate) tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years.
How to apply
You need to:
- add the project title under ‘Topic or field of research proposed’
- add your supervisor in section 2
Applications should include:
- 1 page statement of your research interests in flooding and FLOOD-CDT and your rationale for your choice of project
- CV (resumé) giving details of your academic record and stating your research interests
- two current academic referees together with institutional email addresses
- academic transcripts and degree certificates (translated if not in English) – if you have completed both a BSc and an MSc, we require both.
- English language qualification (if applicable)
Contact us
Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences
If you have a general question, email our doctoral college: fels-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk.
Project leader
For project specific queries, email the lead supervisor Dr Hachem Kassem: hachem.kassem@soton.ac.uk.
