Morphological Impacts and COastal Risks induced by Extreme storm events. (MICORE)
With a multidisciplinary and integrated approach in natural hazards research, the MICORE project provides an opportunity for European science to guide and support the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and its framework for action (2005-2015).
The general aim of the project is to develop and demonstrate online tools for reliable predictions of the morphological impact of marine storm events in support of civil protection mitigation strategies. The project is specifically targeted to contribute to the development of probabilistic mapping of the morphological impact of marine storms and to the production of early warning and information systems to support long-term disaster reduction.
The specific objectives of the MICORE project are:
1. To undertake a review of historical marine storms that had a significant impact on a representative number of sensitive European regional coastlines.
2. To collate data related to occurrence of significative extreme events and socio-economic impacts in a database.
3. To undertake monitoring of nine European case study sites for a period of 1 year.
4. To test and develop reliable methods for numerical modelling of storm-induced morphological changes.
5. To set-up real-time warning systems and to implement their use within Civil Protection agencies.
6. To disseminate results to end users at national, European and International levels.
The Department of Physical, Chemical and Natural systems of the University Pablo de Olavide (UPO) is involved in the proposal through the Climate Reconstruction and Climate Variability Analysis Research Group, headed by Prof. Pedro Ribera Rodríguez. This group includes two permanent staff and one contracted researcher. The main interests of the group include climate variability, climate reconstruction from documentary sources and research on extreme events occurrence and trends, both for present and historical times. In the MICORE project, the research group in UPO has developed a historical chronology of winter coastal storms in the Spanish coasts of the Gulf of Cadiz for the period 1929-2005. This chronology, combined with modern instrumental data, has been used to identify a wave height threshold for coastal storms with a morphological impact over these coasts. Two research papers, in collaboration with the research group in the University of Cadiz, have been written and sent to research journals included in the Journal Citation Reports. One of these papers has been already accepted for its publication.
- Review of historical marine storms that had a significant impact on a representative number of sensitive European regional coastlines,
- Collection of data related to occurrence of significative extreme events and socio-economic impacts,
- Monitoring of nine European case study sites,
- Testing and development of reliable methods for numerical modeling of storm-induced morphological changes,
- Setting-up of real-time warning systems and implementation of their use within Civil Protection agencies,
- Dissemination of results to end users at national, European and International levels.
The impact of storms on coastal cities has also worldwide implication. With a multidisciplinary and integrated approach in natural hazards research, the MICORE project provides an opportunity for European science to guide and support the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and its framework for action (2005-2015). MICORE aims to develop a strategy for coastal hazard assessments that takes into account basic steps which should be implemented in all locations (regardless of the socio-economic differences between coastal countries) and also to look at differences in the management approaches that varied socio-economic/development levels might require. Coastal managers will use MICORE's outputs to decide where coastal protection works are needed and what kind of coastal protection works are sustainable, in a cost-benefit context.
Ciencias de la Tierra y de la Atmósfera
Code PAIDI: RNM 356
Pedro Ribera Rodríguez. Socio.
Universidad Pablo de Olavide
Budget of Andalusian group: € 87,956.00
- Universita Degli Studi Di Ferrara (Italy)
- ARPA Hydro Meteorological Service of the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy)
- Geological Survey of the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy)
- University of Algarve (Portugal)
- University of Lisbon - Fundação da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal)
- University of Cadiz (Spain)
- BRGM-French Geological Survey - Regional Geological Survey of Languedoc-Roussillon Montpellier (France)
- International Marine Dredging Consultants (Belgium)
- University of Plymouth (United Kingdom)
- University of Szczecin (Poland)
- Institute of Oceanology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bulgaria)
- Stichting Deltares (Netherlands)
- Technical University of Delft (Netherlands)
- Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory – Natural Environment Research Council (United Kingdom)
- Universidad Pablo de Olavide (Spain)
- Consorcio Ferrara Ricerche (Italy)
