Il libro

Morphodynamics is a new discipline that investigates the formation and development of sedimentary patterns, i.e. the shapes of the cohesionless or cohesive boundaries of water bodies, evolving in response to the action of flowing water. Sedimentary patterns occur in fluvial, transitional, coastal and submarine environments. Their fascinating forms (e.g. dunes, meanders, alluvial fans, deltas, lagoons, coastal bars, tidal ridges, submarine fans) have attracted the attention of scientists. They also play a major role in fluvial, coastal and offshore engineering.       
The present monograph is the first of a series planned by an Editorial Committee comprising the four Authors. It provides a phenomenological introduction to the variety of patterns that will be investigated in the future Monographs. It also introduces to the mathematical theory of Morphodynamics, clarifying its nature of free boundary problem for the interface between a flowing water-sediment mixture and an erodible boundary.

Scritto da

Paolo Blondeaux, graduated in Civil Engineering at the University of Genoa, where he started      
his academic career. Then, he became full professor, moved to the University of l’Aquila and      
returned to the University of Genoa in 1997. Blondeaux’s research interests range over fluid      
mechanics, coastal hydrodynamics and morphodynamics.      

Marco Colombini, graduated in Chemical Engineering at the University of Genoa in      
1984, where he became full professor in 2000. He presently teaches Hydraulics and Fluvial      
Hydraulics in the Civil and Enviromental Engineering program. Colombini’s research interests      
span from fluid mechanics to fluvial hydraulics and morphodynamics.      

Giovanni Seminara, Laurea in Civil Engineering (Genoa) and PhD in Applied Maths      
(Imperial College, London), formerly professor of Fluid Mechanics in Genoa University,      
is presently professor emeritus. Seminara’s research interests focus on fluid mechanics and      
applications to bio-engineering, hydraulic engineering and geophysics.      

Giovanna Vittori, graduated in Mathematics at the University of Genoa and was awarded a      
PhD in Hydrodynamics at the University of Padua. Presently, she is full professor of Fluid      
Mechanics at the University of Genoa. Her main research interests include hydrodynamic      
stability, turbulence, coastal hydrodynamics and morphodynamics.