Surf's up at UNCW as researchers play with waves in new high-tech research pool
The University of North Carolina Wilmington's main campus might be a few miles from the surf at Wrightsville Beach, but that isn't stopping staff and students from playing with waves, ironically in the shadow of UNCW's iconic blue and Seahawk-emblazoned water tower.
The school recently unveiled a new 80-foot-long, 5-foot-wide wave flume that allows researchers to mimic the impacts of the high seas on natural and manmade structures and locations susceptible to the power of the ocean.
Dr. Joe Long, director of the school's coastal engineering program, said the glass and steel tank that can hold up to 9,500 gallons of water will allow scientists and students to test how different materials and designs − such as those used in building living shorelines − handle the constant battering of waves. By modifying the giant wave pool, researchers can also measure the impact of storm surge and other storm-driven water impacts on coastal environments.
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"They really are the most destructive forces coming onto land," Long said of waves, adding that the flume is the first of its kind in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
He said the flume is a bit like a stage set, an instrument that can be modified with different materials, wave heights, speeds and power to meet the needs of the research project at hand.
"This gives us the chance to see waves from different angles and gauge their impacts in different situations," Long said. "That's often hard if not impossible to do out in the field."
A unique capability
As the world warms due to the rise of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, scientists are forecasting that hurricanes will be come bigger and stronger. That means stronger storm surges smashing into area beaches and waves pushing farther inland, carving the sandy environments into new shapes and impacting everything from coastal dunes and wetlands to human structures and infrastructure near the shoreline. The new flume will allow researchers to gauge how the stronger waves will impact coastal environments. Sea-level rise also means waves will have more reach even during non-storm periods.
The tank also can be adjusted to increase turbulence and currents to mimic real-world wave action to allow students to visually track the waves' impacts on sediment on the ocean floor and sand on the beach.
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"There's a big difference between seeing it on a white board and seeing it in practice," Long said as waves lashed the tank behind him.
The roughly $500,000 flume, which comes from Scotland, is located in the middle of UNCW's new Coastal Engineering Building, which opened last summer.
While officials are still getting up to speed with the new instrument, the flume has proven a hit with students, faculty and visiting school groups. Long said industry is also expected to take advantage of the flume's capabilities to test new designs, equipment and building materials.
"It really allows us to add a capability, another tool in our toolbox that not many other schools or institutions have access to," he said.
Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from 1Earth Fund and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work.