Research Topics
CAESAR: Modelling catchment response to environmental change
The bulk of my research career has revolved around a numerical model (CAESAR) that is designed to simulate how the geomorphology of river catchments and reaches responds to environmetnal change over time scales of tens to thousands of years. There are a set of pages especially looking at this aspect of my research - please follow this link to them. My other research interests are outlined below:
The bulk of my research career has revolved around a numerical model (CAESAR) that is designed to simulate how the geomorphology of river catchments and reaches responds to environmetnal change over time scales of tens to thousands of years. There are a set of pages especially looking at this aspect of my research - please follow this link to them. My other research interests are outlined below:
Modelling Ebullition in Peatlands
This project is looking at the numerical simulation of methane bubbles - or ebullition in peatlands using a simple cellular automaton approach. This is based upon an 'upside down sand pile' model to simulate the irregular - and possibly chaotic bursts of gas bubbles from a peat body. This work is being carried out by Jorge Ramirez, working as a PhD student at the University of Leeds, in conjunction with Prof. Andy Baird. Preliminart work has already been published: Coulthard, T., Baird, A.J., Ramirez, J., and Waddington, J.M. (2009) Methane dynamics in peat: the importance of shallow peats and a novel reduced-complexity approach for modeling ebullition. In Carbon Cycling in Northern Peatlands. Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 184, 299 pp.
This project is looking at the numerical simulation of methane bubbles - or ebullition in peatlands using a simple cellular automaton approach. This is based upon an 'upside down sand pile' model to simulate the irregular - and possibly chaotic bursts of gas bubbles from a peat body. This work is being carried out by Jorge Ramirez, working as a PhD student at the University of Leeds, in conjunction with Prof. Andy Baird. Preliminart work has already been published: Coulthard, T., Baird, A.J., Ramirez, J., and Waddington, J.M. (2009) Methane dynamics in peat: the importance of shallow peats and a novel reduced-complexity approach for modeling ebullition. In Carbon Cycling in Northern Peatlands. Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 184, 299 pp.
Aiding Flood Prevention via Sustainable Solutions for
Roadside Gully Cleansing (EPSRC CASE studentship with Univar
and Hull City Council)
Blocked gully pots were partially blamed for exacerbating the 2007 Hull floods. There are over 17 million gully pots in England and Wales that are used extensively in urban drainage networks. Gully pots (also known as catch basins) are small sumps that are located in the roadside gutter which act as runoff inlet points to surface water sewers, combined sewers and drainage networks. Their main purpose is to retain sediments from road runoff, leaves and organic litter before entry into drains and sewers in order to avoid blockages or hydraulic restriction in the drainage system. Sumps require regular mechanical clearance to prevent potential flooding.
The main aims of this research are:
* To find out what decomposition processes occur within the gully pots
* Whether seasonal/catchment area variations have any impact upon the processes
* Investigate methods to assist with speeding up decomposition within the gullies
Blocked gully pots were partially blamed for exacerbating the 2007 Hull floods. There are over 17 million gully pots in England and Wales that are used extensively in urban drainage networks. Gully pots (also known as catch basins) are small sumps that are located in the roadside gutter which act as runoff inlet points to surface water sewers, combined sewers and drainage networks. Their main purpose is to retain sediments from road runoff, leaves and organic litter before entry into drains and sewers in order to avoid blockages or hydraulic restriction in the drainage system. Sumps require regular mechanical clearance to prevent potential flooding.
The main aims of this research are:
* To find out what decomposition processes occur within the gully pots
* Whether seasonal/catchment area variations have any impact upon the processes
* Investigate methods to assist with speeding up decomposition within the gullies
Tom Coulthard Professor of Physical Geography, University of Hull, UK.
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Copyright 2010 Tom Coulthard, University of Hull, UK.
T.Coulthard@hull.ac.uk
T.Coulthard@hull.ac.uk
Sub-Contracting Risk: Neoliberal Policy Agendas and
the Changing Perceptions and Practices of Flood Risk
Management
This ESRC project runs from September 2008 to February 2010. It involves three lead investigators from Hull University, Prof Graham Haughton (Human Geography), Prof Tom Coulthard (Physical Geography) and Prof Greg Bankoff (History). The project explores how our understanding of flood risk in the UK has changed over the past 60 years, and the causes and consequences of the fragmentation of flood risk management. In exploring these issues the project explores changing attitudes to flood risk in Hull, from the 1953 east coast floods through to the present, including the aftermath of the 2007 Hull flood event.
Crucially, privatisation and the contracting out of water management and local government services have altered the manner in which flood risk issues are addressed. We want to explore any implications that arise from any shift in emphasis away from retaining local knowledge and the build-up of local expertise in favour of alternative forms of management procedures, oriented instead to global "best practice" and achieving flexibility and cost effectiveness.
This ESRC project runs from September 2008 to February 2010. It involves three lead investigators from Hull University, Prof Graham Haughton (Human Geography), Prof Tom Coulthard (Physical Geography) and Prof Greg Bankoff (History). The project explores how our understanding of flood risk in the UK has changed over the past 60 years, and the causes and consequences of the fragmentation of flood risk management. In exploring these issues the project explores changing attitudes to flood risk in Hull, from the 1953 east coast floods through to the present, including the aftermath of the 2007 Hull flood event.
Crucially, privatisation and the contracting out of water management and local government services have altered the manner in which flood risk issues are addressed. We want to explore any implications that arise from any shift in emphasis away from retaining local knowledge and the build-up of local expertise in favour of alternative forms of management procedures, oriented instead to global "best practice" and achieving flexibility and cost effectiveness.
Using GPS drifters (GRIFTERS) to measure flow patterns
in river channels
This project builds upon the PhD work of Richard Stockdale (Stockdale, R.J., McLelland, S.J., Middleton, R. & Coulthard, T. J. (2007) Measuring river velocities using GPS river flow tracers (GRiFTers). Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. DOI: 10.1002/esp.1614) that uses small data logging GPS recievers to measure surface flow patterns and pheonomena in river channels. By lumping the results from multiple releases of these 'GRIFTERS' it is possible to develop accurate high resolution maps of surface flow patterns in natural channels.
This project builds upon the PhD work of Richard Stockdale (Stockdale, R.J., McLelland, S.J., Middleton, R. & Coulthard, T. J. (2007) Measuring river velocities using GPS river flow tracers (GRiFTers). Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. DOI: 10.1002/esp.1614) that uses small data logging GPS recievers to measure surface flow patterns and pheonomena in river channels. By lumping the results from multiple releases of these 'GRIFTERS' it is possible to develop accurate high resolution maps of surface flow patterns in natural channels.