A5083842969- Coastal and Marine Dynamics
- Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research
- Ocean Waves and Remote Sensing
- Geological formations and processes
- Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Coastal and Marine Management
- Underwater Acoustics Research
- Wave and Wind Energy Systems
- 3D Surveying and Cultural Heritage
- Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
- Flow Measurement and Analysis
- Landslides and related hazards
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Hydraulic flow and structures
- Structural Integrity and Reliability Analysis
- Hydrological Forecasting Using AI
- Fluid Dynamics Simulations and Interactions
- Dam Engineering and Safety
- Remote Sensing and LiDAR Applications
- Characterization and Applications of Magnetic Nanoparticles
University of Catania
2016-2025
University of Messina
2022
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education
2018
University of Nottingham
2018
Sapienza University of Rome
2018
Suzuki (Japan)
2018
Flanders Hydraulics
2018
Navigation is becoming more and complex over the years. The increase in maritime traffic vessel size inducing a global escalation of ship collision accidents, with consequent losses human lives economic assets worth billions. This particularly true for port basins, authorities struggling worldwide to keep up ever-increasing traffic. In this respect, demand advanced methods assess mitigate risk has never been higher. interdependency between physical failures, weather conditions, logistics,...
This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation backfilling scour holes around circular piles. Scour a pile are generated either by current or wave. Subsequently, flow climate is changed from to wave, combined waves and current, wave smaller leading hole. The has shed light onto mechanism behind process. show that depth corresponding equilibrium state same as for (or current) climate. time scale been determined function three parameters, namely, (1) Keulegan-Carpenter number...
Management of plastic litter in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is expensive but crucial to avoid harms critical environments. In the present work, an open-source numerical modelling chain proposed estimate seasonal pathways and fates macro-plastics, hence support effective planning implementation sea beach cleaning operations. The approach applied nearshore region that includes MPA Capo Milazzo (Italy). A sensitivity analysis on influence tides, wind, waves river floods over year indicates...
Coastal systems are experiencing increasing pressures and degradation due to climatic anthropic factors, projected escalate under future scenarios. Such an increase will require more natural economic resources maintain coastal zones the way we know them, leading competing often incompatible uses for scant fresh water, sand volumes or accommodation space. Without proactive measures, current protection strategies face exacerbating vulnerabilities, resulting in unsustainable risk levels...
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognized as effective measures for mitigating flood risks and enhancing climate change adaptation. However, evaluating their efficacy in delivering risk reduction ecosystem service (FRR-ESS) is usually limited by reliance on qualitative, expert-based "quick-scan" scoring methods. While already challenging present-day evaluations, this limitation becomes even more significant when addressing future scenarios, introducing deep uncertainties the...
In the last 15 years, number of vessels in world fleet has grown by around 53% and their gross tonnage increased 47%, with a consequent significant increment marine accidents worldwide. Accident database are basic resource for risk assessment methods to help decision-makers enact strategies undergo hazard vulnerability mitigation measures. Understanding ship distribution terms involved GT, typical age affected vessels, category ships, as well underlying causes consequences is first necessary...
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are heterogeneous, synthetic, and widespread organochlorine compounds, one of the persistent organic pollutants present in improperly dumped waste electronic equipment (e-waste), with a high bioaccumulation potential. In this study, toxicity Aroclor 1254 (a mixture commercial PCBs) human corneal epithelial cells (HCEpiCs), an vitro model ocular barrier, was evaluated. (0.1–10 μg/mL) reduced cell viability, trans-endothelial electric resistance (TEER)...
Riverbank analyses are crucial for understanding fluvial dynamics, evaluating environmental risks, and promoting the sustainable management of river catchments. The monitoring, assessment, governance basins, as prescribed by EU Directives 2000/60/EC (Water Framework Directive) 2007/60/EC (Floods Directive), declined Member States with their own guidelines methodologies. This makes it difficult to develop globally applicable calculation tools analyses.To address these challenges, we developed...
Urban floods are one of the major challenges in sustainable management urban areas, which have intensified due to climate change and rapid expansion urbanization. These floods, especially coastal low-lying create significant risks for infrastructure human settlements extensive economic social consequences. With increase heavy short-term rains, necessity surface runoff accurate prediction flood patterns areas is felt more than ever.Hydraulic modeling critical as basic tools predicting...
Upgrade of aging harbor breakwaters is a worldwide problem, whose urgency enhanced by the effects climate change on coastal areas. In this context, present work contributes to improve current understanding hydraulic response damaged and upgraded rubble-mound breakwaters, providing also methodology for implementation an ad-hoc prediction tool based numerical simulations. The model IH2VOF, which was calibrated using experimental data, proved be valid study wave overtopping phenomena structures...
The hydrodynamics generated by a regular wave field perpendicularly superimposed to steady current is investigated means of laboratory experiments. flow structure analyzed measuring the velocity profiles using micro Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter. Three cases are considered: only, waves only and plus current. Different bottom roughnesses used, apparent roughness k s estimated for each condition. In presence small roughness, superposition on causes an increase velocities close bottom, thus...
Archaeological sites are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of weather-related events, which may lead irreparable damages cultural heritage. Here an assessment debris-flow hazard for UNESCO site Roman Villa del Casale (Italy) is carried out, through a combination historical analyses, field surveys, geomorphological and hydrological investigations two-dimensional hydraulic numerical modelling, all performed at river catchment scale. Historical analyses reveal that has been hit by several...
Improved turbulent closures for use in fully nonlinear Boussinesq‐type models are described here. The approach extends previous works order to give a more flexible and accurate description of the turbulence due breaking wave. Turbulent stresses handled by means Boussinesq hypothesis, eddy viscosity is assumed vary over water depth according different laws. model detail, its performances evaluated both against available analytical solutions experimental data regular waves slope. influence...
The aim of this study was to assess the skeletal and dentoalveolar changes obtained after 1 year treatment with elastodontic appliances (EA) in a retrospective cohort children reporting early signs malocclusion. Also, detailed description tested EAs reported. sample included 20 subjects, 8 males 12 females, mean age 8.4 ± 0.6 years, control group consisting 9 11 8.1 0.8 years. All subjects treated received AMCOP second class (SC) (Ortho Protec, Bari, Italy) device. Digital impressions were...
A numerical model for the optimization of performance an innovative overtopping breakwater wave energy conversion is proposed. The based on stochastic description phenomenon results extensive laboratory tests, and it able to simulate behavior device operating under any assigned sequence sea states, thus allowing easily obtain that would otherwise require time consuming costly physical tests. used here identify main geometrical parameters affecting optimize such in order maximize average...
The effects of climate change on coastal areas are expected to significantly influence the risk for port operations. In present work, a novel methodology quantitative assessment performances upgraded rubble-mound breakwaters under changing is proposed. For each considered upgrading option, failure probability related certain limit state calculated through implementation Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, using factor ( FoC ) method include projected future climate. Three indexes defined immediate...
The South-East of Sicily hosts a complex system coastal lagoons and wetlands great naturalistic value. area is under significant anthropogenic pressure due to intensive agriculture tourism activities, resulting in decline biodiversity, ecosystem services, an increase erosion flooding risks, which are further exacerbated by the impact climate change. present study investigates effectiveness set restoration activities mitigate risks region. Specifically, effects revegetation interventions...
Until recently, physical models were the only way to investigate into details of breakwaters behavior under wave attack. From numerical point view, complexity fluid dynamic processes involved has so far hindered direct application Navier-Stokes equations within armour blocks, due complex geometry and presence strongly non stationary flows, free boundaries turbulence. In present work most recent CFD technology is used provide a new more reliable approach design analysis breakwaters,...
The propagation of spilling waves interacting with complex bathymetries was studied by means a new two-dimensional weakly dispersive, fully nonlinear Boussinesq-type model. In particular, the governing equations were derived assuming flow as rotational, and effects vorticity due to breaking included through surface roller concept, which defined implemented on basis algorithm developed for purpose. vorticity, wave breaking, is estimated under assumption that effect convection leading order...