COASTAL HAZARDS @ VIRGINIA TECH

Natural Infrastructure

Natural infrastructure research addresses the interaction of natural and nature-based features - including wetlands, mangroves, beaches, and dunes - with storm surge and tsunami inundation. We aim to improve understanding of the role of vegetation and beaches in coastal hazard mitigation, including the influence of sea-level rise on their mitigation potential. Follow the links below for information on specific projects in this research theme.

---

Barrier Island
​Overwash & Breaching

Tsunami Inundation
in Coastal Forest

Other Natural
​Infrastructure Projects

Back to Research Themes

Acknowledgements & Credits: This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Sea Grant Program, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Energy, National Commission on Energy Policy, South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Texas General Land Office, and Virginia Tech. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of these funding sponsors. Background photo courtesy of Sadatsugu Tomizawa (Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). Field survey shown above above supported by National Science Foundation & American Society of Civil Engineers. Figure (left) of Westhampton Beach, NY USA courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; figure (right) modified from Irish et al. 2011 (Geophys. Res. Lett.)

© 2016 Jennifer L. Irish & Robert Weiss. All Rights Reserved.