Alejandro Lopez-Ruiz

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at University of Seville

The influence of both natural and human-induced changes on the evolution of worldwide deltas has been widely addressed; however, the variations of the submerged morphology of the delta and their implications on coastal dynamics have received limited attention. This work details the spatial and temporal variability of the mouth of the Guadalfeo Rive...

Submarine canyons and progradational sedimentary bodies are common features of continental margins worldwide. Few studies have analyzed the relationship between the coastal morphology and the morphology and sedimentary characteristics of the adjacent shelf in wave-dominated coasts; or the potential role played by shelf-indenting canyons as inducers...

Growing concern about the effects of dredging in certain nearshore areas has led to the development of complex tools to analyze the effects of bathymetric changes on estuarine dynamics. Changes occur not only for average conditions, but also in the response to extreme river discharge events and storm surges (Hoagland et al., 2020), both of which af...

Coasts are highly dynamic areas that are particularly sensitive to the effects of climate change (CC) due to their geographical location and the variety of physical processes that shape them. It is well known in the scientific community that CC modifies the characteristics of various marine variables; in particular, the latest IPCC report (AR6, 202...

Marine spatial planning and environmental management in Antarctica require reliable data to address challenges such as climate change impacts, sea level changes and the dynamics of fragile ecosystems. Deception Island, a volcanic caldera in the South Shetland Islands, presents unique hydrodynamic conditions influenced by extreme weather, glacial me...

The hydrodynamics of river mouths are the result of a complex interaction between river flow, tidal conditions, and outlet geometry. This complex interaction of factors shapes the jet that flows onto the continental shelf and influences the dynamics of these areas. This work analyses the influence of idealized but realistic outlet geometries under...

The Doñana Protected Area, Western Europe’s largest protected wetland and UNESCO World Heritage Site, is of great importance for the Spanish biodiversity. Despite its ecological value, there is a noticeable scarcity of scientific and technical information about its hydrology and expected climate change effects, as highlighted by several authors. Th...

Estuarine dynamics are highly complex as a result of the temperature and salinity gradients, as well as the multiple interactions between atmospheric, maritime, and hydrological forcing agents. Given the environmental and socioeconomic importance of estuaries and their current and future threats due to human interventions and climate change, it is...

Coastal regions in Southwest Europe have experienced major interventions and transformations of the territory with unprecedented urban development, primarily related to growing tourism activity. The coast is the place where marine and terrestrial processes converge, making it highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. However, the lack of...

Estuarine dynamics are highly complex as a result of the temperature and salinity gradients, as well as the multiple interactions between atmospheric, maritime and hydrological forcing agents. Given the environmental and socioeconomic importance of estuaries and their current and future threats due to human interventions and climate change, it is o...

This paper investigates the impact of the bridge-pilling modifications on the tidal flow at the strait of a human-altered mesotidal estuary (Cádiz Bay, Spain). The analysis was accomplished by combining (1) field data of current velocities in a cross-section close to the pile of a recently built bridge, and (2) hydrodynamics results from the calibr...

A complex hydrodynamic computational model was implemented in the Guadalquivir river estuary. Along-channel in situ observations of water level were confronted to model output during normal and high-discharge events. The determination coefficients attained mean values of R2= 0.88 and R2=0.78, respectively. Model simulations were able to closely mim...

This paper addresses the role of the phase difference between the peak discharge and the tidal level on the development of nearshore bars at river mouths during extreme river discharge events. We use a coupled hydrodynamic and morphodynamic numerical model (Delft3D) to reproduce extreme river discharge events on an idealized river mouth debouching...

Multi‐basin bays constitute one of the most complex coastal environments, as tides, waves, freshwater discharges and air‐water heat exchange often coexist in basins with very different characteristics, ranging from low‐friction open water bodies directly connected to the open sea to narrow, highly frictional shallow creek systems with no connection...

Mapa de eventos metereológicos extremos en las costas de Portugal, España y sur de Francia durante los últimos 10 años. Pérdidas humanas y económicas.

Bays are coastal environments with significant socio-economic importance, which has led to the development of human interventions in their interior that can have an important impact on the water and wave dynamics, which in turn modify their morphodynamics and water renewal capacity. In order to deepen our understanding of these impacts, numerical m...

La Actividad 1.1 del GT 1 de RISKCOAST tiene como finalidad llevar a cabo un exhaustivo inventario de los eventos costeros ocurridos durante los últimos 10 años, que hayan generado alarma y daños significativos en el territorio SUDOE de cada uno de los países participantes. Como «significativo» ha de entenderse eventos con víctimas mortales y/o dañ...

López-Ruiz, A.; Garel, E., and Ferreira, Ó., 2020. The effects of high river discharges on the morphodynamics of the Guadiana ebb-tidal delta. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 558-562. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. This work analyses the role of h...

Ruiz-Reina, A.; Zarzuelo, C.; López-Herrera, J., and López-Ruiz, A., 2020. The marine-fluvial frontier at river mouths during extreme events: A hydrodynamic approach. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 1525–1530. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. This w...

Mixed sand and gravel beaches are characterized by a mixture of sand and gravel-sized sediment across and along the beach profile, leading to two, three or even more dominant sediment fractions. They can be found in a wide range of tidal and wave environments geographically, particularly those at higher latitudes, such as New Zealand, the United Ki...

Current techniques assessing longshore sediment transport rates have large uncertainties, pleading for the development of alternative and complementary approaches. The present study proposes a method to estimate the decadal average rate of longshore transport at modern ebb‐tidal deltas based on a sediment budget analysis of the outer shoal growth....

Es conocido que una reflexión mareal especialmente significativa se produce típicamente en constricciones abruptas del canal en estuarios y en las presas o represas situadas en sus cabeceras. Este es el caso de numerosos estuarios, como, por ejemplo, los estuarios del Guadiana y del Guadalquivir en el SE de la península ibérica (Garel, 2014; Díez-M...

Las bahías son áreas caracterizadas por un gran dinamismo debido principalmente al intercambio de agua y sedimentos entre los ambientes terrestre y marino. Este intercambio permite el desarrollo de entornos únicos, con una alta productividad ecológica y de gran importancia para otros ecosistemas marinos. Se encuentra, además, entre los ecosistemas...

Improving current understanding of hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics in complex tidal embayments is of major importance to face future challenges derived from climate change and increasing human pressure. This work deepens the knowledge of the hydro-morphodynamics of complex creek networks that connect basins with different characteristics, ident...

Despite relevant advances achieved in recent years, sediment transport and sedimentation problems at tidal inlets are still worldwide issues to be addressed. Furthermore, dredging strategies are carried out following traditional layouts, such as channel deepening, lasting short periods of time despite the high economic expenditures and the potentia...

The morphodynamics of coastal embayments and estuarine areas are defined by the flow conditions since tidal, wind and wave–induced currents are the main drivers of the sediment transport. In turn, gradients in the resulting sediment transport define sedimentation/erosion patterns and hence the morphodynamic evolution of these systems. Any modificat...

This work presents a new methodology for the long-term simulation and uncertainty analysis of the performance of different alternatives of wave energy converter arrays. With it, we can analyze complete operational lifetime time-series of energy production for any type of wave energy converter. The methodology is based on the application of cutting...

Este trabajo estudia los efectos que una granja de convertidores de energía del oleaje induce, en función de su localización, sobre la hidro- y morfodinámica de una playa heterogénea en un sistema deltaico (Guadalfeo, sur de España). Para ello, ocho escenarios con distinta localización longitudinal fueron definidos y los resultados fueron comparado...

Many deltas across the globe are retreating, and nearby beaches are undergoing strong erosion as a result. Among soft and prompt solutions, nourishments are the most heavily used. This paper presents an integrated methodology to forecast the efficiency of nourishment strategies by means of wave climate simulations, wave propagations with downscalin...

Many worldwide coasts are under erosion with climate projections indicating that damages will rise in future decades. Specifically, deltaic coasts are highly vulnerable systems due to their low-lying characteristics. This paper investigates the role of wave energy converter (WEC) farms on the protection of an eroding gravel-dominated deltaic coast...

Over the last few decades, several efforts have been made to develop an alternative and sustainable energy source from wind waves. To achieve financial sustainability of this technology, most of the research has focused on analyzing facilities composed of several wave energy converters (WECs) arrays instead of isolated ones. Although the interactio...

This work quantifies how human interventions can modify the tidal energy potential in a mesotidal estuary and if these variations can be used to increase the production of renewable energy at a highly altered bay. The analysis is applied to Cádiz Bay (Southern Spain), where important human interventions are developing, specifically a new port termi...

Although the influence of both natural and human-induced changes on the evolution of worldwide deltas have been widely addressed, few studies have analyzed the variations of the submerged morphology due to river regulations by dams. In this work, we analyze the changes in the submerged morphology of a Mediterranean deltaic system after the regulati...

This book describes recent advances in the morphodynamics of mixed sand and gravel Mediterranean coasts, and provides updates and new methods for their study and management. It assesses how the differences in the geomorphic setting, in comparison with traditional sandy beaches, result in distinctive physical processes governing the dynamics of thes...

In the field of Marine and Coastal Engineering, the analysis and simulation of wave climate and wave propagation towards coastal areas is a fundamental knowledge for the training of undergraduate students. The main objective of this work is to present two visual tools that solve numerical methods typically used in the framework Marine and Coastal E...

Plataforma integral de e-Learning con Sistema de Corrección Automática (SCA) en el Ámbito de la Ingeniería de Costas e Hidráulica Ambiental. Proyecto de Innovación Docente (PID) 12-203 de la Universidad de Granada

Progradational sedimentary bodies are common features of inner shelves worldwide. These features are sandy bodies deposited beyond the shoreface in steep inner shelves, and usually present an undulating geometry. They can affect the wave propagation patterns and hence, the sediment dynamics and shoreline morphology. However, few studies have analyz...

Deltas are located at the transition between terrestrial and aquatic environments, consequently, they respond rapidly to both natural and human-induced disturbances. Mediterranean deltaic systems are particularly sensitive to changes in the coastline and in the sea level. This work addresses the evolution of the Guadalfeo Delta during the last fift...

La influencia de alteraciones naturales e inducidas por el hombre en la evolución de sistemas deltaicos ha sido ampliamente estudiada, sin embargo, poco trabajos han analizado las variaciones de la morfología sumergida y sus implicaciones. Este artículo detalla la variación espacio-temporal de un sistema deltaico heterogéneo (Playa Granada, sur de...

This work presents a simple method for estimating the nearshore wave angle along weakly curvilinear coasts. Our approach is considered an alternative to the existing, more sophisticated and precise (but also time-consuming) numerical models for practical applications at large spatial scales. The method corrects the nearshore results of Snells law u...

Submarine canyons and progradational sedimentary bodies are common features of inner shelves worldwide. Nevertheless, few studies have analyzed the relationship between the sediment dynamics, the coastal evolution and the characteristics of the adjacent shelf in wave-dominated coasts. This work presents a study that correlates the coastal evolution...

1 This work proposes an expression for the alongshore sediment transport and a one-line type model to analyze the importance that the curvature of the shoreline and the bathymetric contours, and the associated alongshore wave energy gradients have in the evolution of the coastline and in the development of shoreline undulations. This model characte...

This article proposes a one-line type model to explain the formation and evolution of shoreline undulations on circular or elliptic curvilinear coasts, such as littoral spits. The model takes into account the variation of the surf zone width stemming from the convergence and divergence of the waves propagating over a conical bathymetry with a small...

This work applies a one-line type model to explain the formation and evolution of shoreline sand waves on the curvilinear coast of the Doñana Spit at the Guadalquivir estuary (Spain). The model takes into account the variation of the surf zone width due to the convergence and divergence of the waves propagating over a conical bathymetry with a smal...