Alexander Alfano

My doctoral research project aims to assess the presence, morphology, and migration of bedforms in the German Bight, with a focus on the Weser and Elbe estuaries and the Jade tidal inlet. Using GIS, I will create an updated map of submarine dunes that characterizes their morphology, distribution, dynamics, and evolution as well as relating them to hydrodynamics and sedimentological properties. These insights are particularly relevant for the development of marine renewable energy infrastructure, maintaining submarine cables and navigational depth, as well as understanding the impacts of marine aggregate extraction and the dynamics of mine burial.

Prior mapping was carried out in 1973 and only considered bedforms two-dimensionally. The modern three-dimensional data with greater spatial and temporal resolution can offer insights that have yet to be thoroughly investigated. Of particular interest is the morphological and dynamic variability of low-angle tidal dunes along tidal rivers and estuaries. Finally, I will evaluate the varied characteristics of estuarine, tidal, and marine dunes in order to develop specific dune predictors across a range of tidal environments.

DFG Project Number: 546809660