PhD Position in Normandy University:

Monitoring of COastal hydrodynamics by combining Spatial

observations and numerical MOdeling : COSMO

Job Description
Coastal zones, including deltas and estuaries, are considered the most vulnerable
environments to the effects of anthropogenic impact and climate change (CC), and are
defined as multi-hazard and multi-risk zones (coastline retreat, storm surge flooding,
coastal river flooding and sea-level rise, pollution). The time evolution of these systems
and their hydro-morphodynamics response of these systems to climate drivers is very
complex. Indeed, they are continuously changing in space and time, due to the non-linear
interactions between various processes such as tides, swells, storms, sea-level rise in the
context of CC and river flows as well. Moreover, the Low Resolution (LR) ocean products
will be also explored to investigate the extent of their applications for nearshore systems.
With the aim to enhance the monitoring of coastal processes, the changes of these
systems reproduce their multi-timescale evolution, combining different approaches by
the use of different sensors (airborne and spaceborne), including in-situ measurements,
and numerical tools are strongly required and crucial for further projections.

The new mission SWOT provides us with a high resolution required for an excellent
coverage that improves the monitoring of physical processes and the modeling of the
hydro-morphodynamics evolution of coastal systems in response to water level changes;
which represents a significant advance for coastal oceanography and estuarine
hydrology.

As part of the SWOT Science Team and CNES TOSCA and NASA ROSES programs, a series
of four projects have already been carried out with a special focus on the use of SWOT in
coastal and estuarine areas. The outcomes of these projects have provided us with
important insights into the use of SWOT in these environments. With the launch of SWOT
and the acquisition of data (water level, wave height, DEM, water slope...), we will be
able to give answers to different applications by investigating the accurate contribution
of SWOT in these environments and the various challenges raised by the Science team
SWOT in recent years. In-situ observations from other field campaigns such as open data
acquired for the S-MODE will also be helpful to compare or to corroborate our
observations, especially with respect to airborne campaigns.

This context introduces the main challenges of this PhD project aiming to investigate the
coastal hydrodynamics induced by sea level, storm surges and waves in response to
weather drivers in the case of Normandy coasts. A special focus will be given to extreme
events for assessing flood hazards, especially in areas connected to fluvial discharge as
Seine bay. This objective will be fulfilled by developing new approaches based on the
combination of remote sensing observations and numerical modeling to improve our
monitoring of coastal and nearshore processes in Normandy (NW France).

The main challenges addressed are:

1. To which extent SWOT products could improve the monitoring of hydrodynamic

processes (waves, storm surges) in nearshore and coastal environments?
2. What is the contribution of SWOT’s data assimilation to improving numerical
models/simulations of coastal hydrodynamics?
3. How can we optimize the use of SWOT products to investigate coastal flooding
hazards?

Requirements
We are looking for a candidate with

• a Master of Science (MSc) in Coastal Engineering, Remote Sensing, Maritime

Engineering, Physical Oceanography or any other related field with coastal dynamics.

• skills in applying numerical modelling for ocean and coastal areas

• Extensive competence in coding and managing big dataset.

• Strong knowledge on remote sensing applications, including spaceborne and

airborne techniques.

• willingness to perform in-situ measurements, the candidate should be willing to

acquire new skills for applying remote sensing characterization methods;

• good communication and reporting skills in English;

• Strong problem-solving abilities for complex issues in coastal areas

• Affinity with AI is a plus

• Experience in setting up databases in a plus

• Ability to work in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment both with scientific

partners from international organisms ( CNES, ECC Canada, JPL, …).

The realization of this PhD project ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and
interact well with international partners, report the scientific results and write scientific
articles and a final thesis.

Conditions of employment
This PhD project is funded by CNES and Normandy Region. The candidates will be offered
a 3-year period of employment in principle, Salary and benefits are in accordance with
Doctoral School Agreement for French Universities, around 1800 euros per month. The
PhD candidate works in an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of
supervisors and academic staff.

The Normandy School provides an advanced program aiming at developing your

transferable, discipline-related and research skills through a series of courses and training
activities with a multi-disciplinary vision.

Additional Information
For more information about this PhD, please contact Dr Emma Imen Turki
(imen.turki@univ-rouen.com) and Dr Laurent Froideval ( laurent.froideval@unicaen.fr)

Involved Researchers:

Edward Salameh ; Benoit Laignel (Uni. Rouen Normandie)

Nicolas Picot (CNES);

Application procedure
Are you interested in this PhD?

Please apply before 3 March 2024 by sending to Dr Emma Imen Turki (imen.turki@univ-
rouen.com) and Dr Laurent Froideval ( laurent.froideval@unicaen.fr)

1. Extended CV ,

2. Motivation letter

3. Other documents related to previous internships and professional experience.