Browsing by Author "Catalan, Patricio A."

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    A new breaking wave height direct estimator from video imagery
    (ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, 2012) Almar, Rafael; Cienfuegos, Rodrigo; Catalan, Patricio A.; Michallet, Herve; Castelle, Bruno; Bonneton, Philippe; Marieu, Vincent
    Breaker height is a key parameter of nearshore processes and the demand for a continuous remote estimator is pressing. In this paper we present a standalone remote video-based method that estimates wave height at the breakpoint. Individual breaking events are first identified from changes in optical properties and wave height is further derived from the optical signature at the onset of breaking. An extended validation is performed using a dense wave basin dataset. The results show the ability of the method to measure individual breaker heights (9% of mean error, 18% RMS). In addition, the unique combination of in situ and remotely sensed data allows the estimation of two other breaking-related parameters, the height-to-depth ratio and wave front face slope, which show a substantial amount of dispersion. Because nearshore video systems are rapidly spreading over world coasts, this low-cost remote breaker height estimator should encounter large interest in coastal engineering studies. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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    Assessing the Performance of a Low-Cost Method for Video-Monitoring the Water Surface and Bed Level in the Swash Zone of Natural Beaches
    (2018) Ibaceta, Raimundo; Almar, Rafael; Catalan, Patricio A.; Blenkinsopp, Chris E.; Almeida, Luis P.; Cienfuegos Carrasco, Rodrigo Alberto
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    Present and Future Challenges of Coastal Erosion in Latin America
    (2014) Silva, Rodolfo; Luisa Martinez, M.; Hesp, Patrick A.; Catalan, Patricio A.; Osorio, Andres F.; Martell, Raul; Fossati, Monica; da Silva, Graziela Miot; Marino-Tapia, Ismael; Pereira, Pedro; Cienguegos, Rodrigo; Klein, Antonio; Govaere, Georges
    The coastal zones of Latin America have many landforms and environments, including sedimentary cliffs, deeply incised estuaries, headlands, barrier coasts and low lying, muddy coastal plains. These forms will respond differently to the expected changes in climate and associated sea level rise, which may produce coastal erosion in the future. Considering the coasts of Latin America overall, erosion is not yet a serious threat, although it is widespread and it is severe in some parts. Major erosion problems are frequently associated with human intervention in sediment supply, with poor planning or with the morphodynamic nature of the coast. Permanent erosional processes, locally or regionally, are caused by tectonic subsidence, deforestation and the fragmentation of coastal ecosystems, land use changes and sediment deficits because of infrastructure built along the coast. In this article we analyse coastal erosion in Latin America and the challenges it presents to the region. We first highlight the relevance of Latin America in terms of its biodiversity; then we describe the population at risk, demographic trends and economic growth throughout the low lying coastal zones. We also examine the vulnerability of the region by analyzing the resilience of key coastal ecosystems after exposure to the most frequent hazards that affect coastal zones in Latin America, namely tropical cyclones, sea level rise, ocean acidification, earthquakes and tsunamis. Finally, we discuss seven case studies of coastal erosion across Latin America. We close the study by pinpointing the main areas of concern in Latin America and explore possible strategies to overcome erosion and thus sustain economic growth, minimize population risk and maintain biodiversity.
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    What Can We Do to Forecast Tsunami Hazards in the Near Field Given Large Epistemic Uncertainty in Rapid Seismic Source Inversions?
    (2018) Cienfuegos Carrasco, Rodrigo Alberto; Catalan, Patricio A.; Urrutia, Alejandro; Benavente, Roberto; Aranguiz, Rafael; Gonzalez, Gabriel