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PhD Thesis Title: Numerical simulation of coastal sediment transport induced by the propagation of waves over rippled bottom

Abstract: The sediment transport, which is induced by wave propagation, in the coastal zone is the principal mechanism of coast erosion, while it is also responsible for sea bed scour around coastal and harbor works. In the usual case where the coastal sediment is non-cohesive sand, the sea bed acquires a rippled shape. The aim of the thesis is to simulate numerically the interaction of turbulent flow, generated by the propagation of waves over rippled bed, the induced sediment transport and the evolution of bed morphology. The methodology is based on the large-eddy simulation of turbulent flow and includes a coordinate transformation of the moving boundaries of the free surface and the bed. The results target the turbulence statistics and structures of the flow, the effect of the ripples on the development of turbulence, the spatial and temporal development of sediment transport as well as the motion of the ripples.