Maria MazaIHCantabria, Universidad de Cantabria
Maria Maza
Professor
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54
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Introduction
Additional affiliations
March 2021 - present
November 2018 - March 2021
April 2016 - present
Publications
Publications (54)
Historically, flooding and erosion challenges in coastal areas have been addressed through conventional gray/rigid structures such as breakwaters, dikes, and walls (Morris et al., 2017). As a consequence of the context of climate change, which is accompanied by a global biodiversity crisis and an increasing risk to coastal systems and communities,...
Recently, bulk drag coefficient ( C ˜ D ) formulations used to quantify wave energy dissipation by Rhizophora mangroves were developed from laboratory data; however, these formulations have not yet been validated with field data. Additionally, due to the complex geometry of mangrove trees within forests and spatial variability, common criteria for...
Among the newest strategies are nature-based solutions based on coastal ecosystems (Spalding et al., 2014; Jongman 2018). Such solutions have several co-benefits, such as habitat creation, increased water quality or carbon sequestration. However, these solutions may not be effective on their own in high-risk areas or in areas where there is not eno...
Most existing analytical and numerical models to quantify wave energy attenuation attributed to saltmarshes are based on the definition of a drag coefficient that varies with vegetation and wave characteristics and requires calibration, i.e., a case-specific variable. With the aim of determining a new variable to estimate wave energy attenuation wi...
In this work, a recently developed numerical model, capable of solving the hydro- and morphodynamics of the cross-shore beach profile, is used to gain insight into the relevant processes driving the generation of a breaker bar. The bedload and suspended sediment transport contributions are analysed separately. It has been shown that the bedload tra...
Salt marshes and mangrove forests provide critical ecosystem services such as reduced sediment erosion and increased hydrodynamic buffering. Sediment transport and hydrodynamics can be influenced by specific functional traits of the plants (for example, flexibility vs. rigidity) and community traits (for example, spatial density). While there is a...
Semi-analytical solutions are proposed to investigate the effects of a submerged/suspended circular patch on water waves scattering. The patch is simplified to periodic cylindrical lattices with a strong contrast between the cylinder spacing and the typical wavelength. The homogenization theory is employed to derive the effective equations on the m...
This video shows the results of concentration fields produced by breaking waves simulated with the numerical model IH2VOF-SED. The top panel shows results during the first waves of the simulation, when the bathymetry is still nearly flat. The bottom panel shows the results after 24 minutes of wave action, when the bathymetry evolved forming a break...
In this work, a new numerical model for cross-shore beach profile evolution, IH2VOF-SED, is developed. It consists in the bidirectional coupling of a 2D RANS hydrodynamic solver and a sediment transport module. The resulting model is extensively validated against three benchmark cases at different scales, attending to the hydrodynamics, bottom shea...
Although mangroves reduce the daily risk of flood for millions of people, it is still difficult to estimate the protection they provide for variable wave conditions and forest characteristics. This aspect is crucial for the promotion of conservation and restoration of mangrove forests and for the estimation of how the coastal protection service the...
In this talk, I will present recent research findings on flow-ecosytems interactions, and their impacts on nature based solutions.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/K9GGXyrW2RU
Estimation of the flow energy dissipation induced by an ecosystem that accounts for its characteristics (i.e. biomechanical properties, morphology, density) and the incident hydrodynamic conditions is crucial if ecosystem-based coastal protection measurements want to be implemented. Characterization of a vegetated ecosystem by measuring leaf traits...
The use of CFD for numerical representation of laboratory wave flume and basins, commonly known as numerical wave tanks (NWT), has become more popular in recent years with the aim of improving knowledge in the field of wave-structure interaction (WSI), both fixed and floating, due to advances that have been made in numerical modelling, mainly with...
Dentro del diseño de cajones de hormigón para la construcción de diques verticales, se ha definido unanueva metodología para el cálculo de las solicitaciones tridimensionales y la estabilidad hidráulica asociadapara todas las fases constructivas de los mismos, basada en el modelado numérico CFD (ComputationalFluid Dynamics) tridimensional y las téc...
Bridge pier scour poses major concerns for public safety and riverine communities because of its ability to undermine pier foundations. A new collar design is introduced as an improvement on the existing Flat Plate Collar (FPC). Uniquely, the three-dimensional collar is specifically designed to contain the horseshoe vortex and guide it safely downs...
VIDEOS: 1) Wave overtopping for oblique waves on a vertical breakwater on a rubble-mound foundation (https://vimeo.com/456919845) 2) Regular waves interaction with a vertical breakwater on a rubble-mound foundation (https://vimeo.com/456919285) 3) Coupled mooring analysis of a semisubmersible floating offshore wind platform using the Overset framew...
This paper presents an innovative vertical breakwater cross-section integrating an overtopping wave energy converter, named OBREC-V, and the analysis of its hydraulic performance and stability response to hydraulic loading. The structure is composed of a vertically-faced caisson with a sloping ramp on the top, a reservoir and a set-back crown-wall....
The 7th International Conference on The Application of Physical Modelling in Coastal and Port Engineering and Science, Coastlab18, was organized in Santander, Spain, from 22 to 26 May 2018, by the Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria, IHCantabria. The conference was organized under the auspices of the International Assoc...
This study investigates the capacity of a Spartina alterniflora meadow to attenuate waves during storm events based on field observations in the Chesapeake Bay. These observations reveal that environmental conditions including the ratio between water depth and plant height (hr), the ratio between wave height (HS) and water depth, and current direct...
With the aim of better understand and parameterize the physical processes involved in flow-mangrove interaction, wave attenuation and drag forces along a 1:6 scale fringe Rhizophora mangrove forest are studied experimentally. The 26 m long forest is composed by 135 models built reproducing mature Rhizophora mangrove trees with 24 prop roots. Hydrod...
The hybrid non-conventional breakwaters are innovative coastal structures, which have as a primary function the coastal and harbours protection, but with the important benefit of electricity production, due to their combination with Wave Energy Converters. The most recent example of a non-conventional breakwater is called OBREC, standing for Overto...
Numerical modelling of the interaction of water waves with coastal structures has continuously been among the most relevant challenges in coastal engineering research and practice. During the last years, 3D modelling based on RANS-type equations, has been the dominant methodology to address the mathematical modelling of wave and coastal structure i...
Mangrove forests exist in intertidal areas of tropical zones and most are characterized by their complex root systems, which attenuates flow energy. Among the mangrove species, Rhizophora species is the most common one, representing approximately 90% of the world mangrove distribution (Ohira et al., 2013). In addition, this species is used in the m...
This paper presents the stability analysis of a non-conventional breakwater cross-section integrating an overtopping wave energy converter, named OBREC. The device consists of a traditional rubble-mound breakwater in which the upper part of the armour layer is replaced by a smooth ramp and a reservoir.
The analysis of the structure is carried out...
Numerical modelling of the interaction of water waves with coastal and offshore structures has continuously been among the most relevant challenges in engineering research and practice. During the last years, 3D modelling based on RANS-type equations, has been the dominant methodology to address the mathematical modelling of wave and structure inte...
An experimental study of unidirectional flow through a model mangrove forest measured both velocity and forces on individual trees. The individual trees were 1/12th scale models of mature Rhizophora, including 24 prop roots distributed in a three-dimensional layout. Thirty-two model trees were distributed in a staggered array producing a 2.5-m long...
Velocity caps are part of an offshore intake structure often used to collect water from the ocean for cooling systems in power plants or for desalinization plants. As a general rule, they are used to be placed between 20 and 30 m. However, according to the seabed characteristics,the tower has to be located in shallower water areas (<20 m) where wav...
Oceanwaves and current flows (mainly tidal flow) exist simultaneouslyin natural environments. The interaction between wavesand a current flow has attracted great attention fromscience and industry, as it plays an important role in sediment transport,seabed stabilityand in the interaction of waves and current flows with structures in the marine envi...
In the present paper, a two-dimensional VOF-type model (IH2-VOF) based on the Volume-Averaged Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations (VARANS) is used to study the wave interaction with a non-conventional rubble-mound breakwater integrated with an Overtopping Device denominated OBREC, an acronym for Overtopping BReakwater for Energy Conversion. T...
A model is proposed to study transient long waves propagating through coastal vegetation. The coastal forest is modeled by an array of rigid and vertically surface-piercing cylinders. The homogenization method, i.e. multi- scale perturbation theory, is applied to separate two contrasting physical length scales: the scale characterizing transient wa...
Small-amplitude water waves propagating through a heterogeneous coastal forest of arbitrary shape is studied. Following the theoretical approach introduced by Liu et al. [10], the forest is modeled by an array of rigid and vertical cylinders. Assuming that the wavelength is much larger than the cylinder diameter and the cylinder spacing, a multi-sc...
The effect of vegetation patchiness on solitary wave propagation, attenuation and wave-induced forces is studied both experimentally and numerically. Vegetation patchiness is simulated with rigid cylinder configurations built by one, eight and four patches tested under emergent, near emergent and submerged conditions. These configurations are param...
Based on energy conservation a new analytical formulation for the evaluation of wave damping under the combined effect of waves and both following and opposing currents is presented. The formulation obtained for regular and random waves allows the derivation of analytical expressions for the vegetation drag coefficient as a function of wave damping...
Abstract The growing interest in incorporating nature-based solutions and ecosystem services as part of coastal protection schemes has recently increased in the literature and focused on the understanding and modeling of wave and current interactions with natural coastal landforms, such as salt marshes. With this purpose, using flumes or basins has...
Engineering solutions are widely used for the mitigation of flood and erosion risks and have new challenges because of the expected effects induced by climate change in particular sea level rise and increase of storminess.This chapter describes both active methods of mitigation based on the reduction of the incident wave energy, such as the use of...
Abstract This paper assesses the influence of different flow and vegetation parameters on the wave attenuation provided by two contrasting salt marsh species: Puccinellia maritima and Spartina anglica. Different water depths and wave parameters (height and period) are considered for both regular and irregular waves with and without an underlying un...
A three dimensional numerical approach based on IHFOAM to study the interaction of tsunami waves with mangrove forest is presented. As a first approximation, the problem is modelled by means of solitary waves impinging on emergent rigid cylinders. Two different conceptual approaches are implemented into IHFOAM. Solving the URANS equations provides...
Natural coastal habitats play an important role in protecting coastal areas from sea water flooding caused by storm surge events. Many of these habitats, however, have been lost completely or degraded, reducing their ability to function as a natural flood defense. Once degraded, natural habitats can potently be destroyed by storm events, further th...
Over the last decades, population densities in coastal areas have strongly increased. At the same time, many intertidal coastal ecosystems that provide valuable services in terms of coastal protection have greatly degraded. As a result, coastal defense has become increasingly dependent on man-made engineering solutions. Ongoing climate change proce...
This work presents a new model for wave and submerged vegetation which couples the flow motion with the plant deformation. The IH-2VOF model is extended to solve the Reynolds Average Navier–Stokes equations including the presence of a vegetation field by means of a drag force. Turbulence is modeled using a k–ε equation which takes into account the...
The contribution of seagrasses to coastal protection is examined through the review of the most relevant existing knowledge. Seagrasses are the largest submerged aquatic vegetation ecosystem protected in Europe and it is worth examining their contribution to coastal protection. The review performed highlights incident energy flux, density, standing...
The correct address of wave characteristics in the vicinity of submerged vegetation is crucial to perform an ecological analysis. Although several attempts have been done in the past using an analytical approach or depth averaged models, the rigidity of the assumptions used to solve the physics produced limited application to real cases. The use of...
Over the last years Navier-Stokes numerical models have been developed to accurately simulate wave interaction with all kinds of coastal structures, focusing on both functionality and stability of coastal structures. Although several models have been used to simulate wave interaction with coastal structures in two dimensions (2DV) there are a vast...
Solitary wave evolution over a shelf including porous damping is investigated using Volume-Averaged Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes equations. Porous media induced damping is determined based on empirical formulations for relevant parameters, and numerical results are compared with experimental information available in the literature. The aim of th...