Dr Kristen D Splinter from the UNSW Water Research Laboratory was awarded a four-year Future Fellowship by the Australian Research Council (ARC) to advance the ability to predict changes to shorelines.
Dr Splinter’s project, titled ‘Multi-scale ensemble modelling of coastal systems in a changing climate’ utilises 35 years of satellite images to predict how sandy beaches will change in the future as a result of wave action and rising seas. The aim is to enable a better assessment of coastal hazards and risks to assets and infrastructure.
Dr Splinter said that it was an honour to be awarded this ARC Future Fellowship to extend her research in the field of coastal shoreline prediction.
“This will give me the opportunity to work with some amazing colleagues from around the world and continue to develop my own team here at UNSW in the areas of remote sensing and machine learning,” said Dr Splinter.
“As a larger coastal community, I feel we are at this tip where data and computers are going to change what we know (or thought we knew) about beaches... It’s exciting.”
With more than 10,000 sandy beaches surrounding Australia, they play a key role in the country’s economy and national identity. However, increased coastal development on land and beach erosion from the sea is resulting in extreme pressure to properly manage these valuable natural assets.
Dr Splinter’s Future Fellowship will draw on her 20 years of applied and fundamental research experience in the fields of coastal processes and hazards. Her research uses physical and numerical modelling as well as field data collection to better understand coastal processes. She is part of a dynamic team that pioneers the use of remote sensing in the coastal zone of Australia using lidar, satellites, UAV, and video cameras.