Deltas and Oceans

SAFL conducts research as it relates to ocean and shoreline (primarily delta) related processes. Research involving oceanic currents, transport of oil spills, wind-wave interactions, the atmosphere-ocean transfer of greenhouse gases, and other upper-ocean flow processes helps continue to build a better physical understanding of oceanic processes and enables more powerful numerical simulations. SAFL's delta research relates to the development of techniques for replicating all the main forms of natural deltas at experimental scales, and combining the resulting experimental data with field observations to be able to predict deltaic stratigraphy, as well as to ‘mine’ natural strata for insight on delta response to changes such as sea-level rise and population growth. SAFL also has historically conducted laboratory experiments looking at turbidity currents, or gravity-driven flows, on the ocean floor.