Environmental Fluid Mechanics: Modelling and its Role in Sustainable Development

Overview

Environmental Fluid Mechanics is concerned with the fluid motions and associated mass, momentum and energy transport processes that occur in the earth’s hydrosphere and atmosphere and in engineered systems such as drainage, water supply and waste disposal systems on both local and regional scales. These flows interact with nearly all human activities and their understanding and modelling is critical for addressing issues in sustainable development.

The School is a signature IAHR event that was founded and energised by the late Professor Gerhard Jirka, with a vision to bring together renowned experts and top graduate students from around the world for a unique, interactive learning experience in environmental fluid mechanics. A central objective of the School has always been to combine theory, experiments and applications, with an emphasis on basic theoretical principles (and their mathematical description) as well as consideration of examples of engineering design and environmental applications. This objective is realised in the School through formal, in-class lectures as well as informal, out-of class excursions and visits. In the School, the students have plenty of opportunities to present their own research projects and to discuss and seek advice on these projects from Lecturers and fellow students.

The school was previously held in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 1999 and 2006; Dundee, Scotland, in 2001; Budapest, Hungary, 2004; Santiago, Chile, 2009; and Lucerne, Switzerland 2012. The 2014 IAHR school builds on the great success of the previous schools. It will cover the fundamental principles of environmental fluid mechanics, their mathematical description and practical significance, and their implication to sustainable development. The fundamental topics that will be covered include turbulence and waves; fate and transport of pollutants; rotating effects in environmental flows; stratified flow; terrestrial energy systems; air trapping and sewer surcharging; water and energy losses due to leaks and blockages in pipes; lakes and reservoirs, sediment transport; jets & plumes; desalination; and Tsunami-induced hydrodynamics and morphology changes.