Publications
2025
Assessing the role of a probabilistic model for guiding storm surge barrier maintenance
Storm surge barriers protect coastal cities, but their maintenance is increasingly challenged by ageing infrastructure and climate change impacts such as sea-level rise. Environmental conditions which make it unsafe to carry out work will occur more often, reducing maintenance windows. This study evaluates a probabilistic model used by Rijkswaterstaat to support maintenance decisions at the Maeslant barrier in the Netherlands. Using 16 years of forecast and observation data, the model's performance is assessed via binary classification. Results show it works well but is conservative. Adjusting model parameters of critical probability and water level threshold affects the trade-off between False Alarms and Misses, highlighting the balance between risk appetite and opportunity to carry out maintenance .
2025
Why do tides vary regionally?
My contribution to Nature Reviews Earth & Environment as part of their newly launched ‘Ask an Expert’ article series. This format allows anyone, from anywhere, to submit a question related to Earth science. Selected questions are answered by experts through two complementary responses—one accessible to the general public and another with more detail for those with some geoscience background. A schematic figure also helps illustrate key concepts.
2023
How should storm surge barrier maintenance strategies be changed in light of sea-level rise?
Low lying coastal cities face growing risks of flooding due to sea-level rise, population growth, and changes in storminess. To protect these cities, storm surge barriers are built. These large engineering structure require regular maintenance. This study focuses on the Maeslant barrier in Rotterdam, evaluating past and future water level exceedances of maintenance thresholds. Future projections indicate that, with 1 meter of sea-level rise by 2100, maintenance will be greatly impeded. Adaptations to maintenance strategies are crucial to ensure the barrier reaches its design life. This framework can be applied to other existing and future storm surge barriers.
2022
The role of tides and sea ice on the carbonate chemistry in a coastal polynya in the south-eastern Weddell Sea
This study investigates the impact of tides on marine carbonate chemistry in polar coastal regions, specifically in the south-eastern Weddell Sea near Antarctica. Two case studies conducted in January 2015 and 2019 show significant semi-diurnal oscillations in the water column, affecting physical and biogeochemical variables. Neglecting tide-induced variability may lead to a 67% overestimation or a 73% underestimation of CO2 uptake by the polynya. The findings emphasize the need for considering tidal currents in future polar ocean studies to improve understanding of these complex systems and avoid measurement biases.