Coastal Boulder Displacement on the West Coast of Ireland

Notre Dame Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Andrew Kennedy discusses his research in connection to the West of Ireland which focuses on waves, surge, and currents in the coastal ocean and their effects on human activities. Parts of this work are observational, ranging from the rapid deployment of wave and surge gauges in advance of hurricane landfalls, to the analysis of very large-scale bathymetric lidar datasets to determine morphological changes during large storms.
Meet the Director: Lisa Caulfield
Lisa Caulfield is the Director of the Kylemore Global Centre in Connemara, Ireland. Lisa completed an M.A. in modern Irish literature from the National University in Maynooth, County Kildare and has worked for the University of Notre Dame since 2004. In 2014, Lisa was appointed Director of the Kylemore Abbey Global Centre and by 2018 created an additional opportunity for ND junior semester abroad at the National University of Galway. Lisa teaches the Immunity to Change module on the Executive education program that is annually hosted at Kylemore and is responsible for curating the interdisciplinary programs, courses, residencies and retreats hosted at the Global Centre.
Meet the Faculty: Andrew Kennedy
Presented by Lisa Caulfield
Andrew Kennedy is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at the University of Notre Dame. Professor Kennedy’s research focuses on waves, surge, and currents in the coastal ocean and their effects on human activities. Parts of this work are observational, ranging from the rapid deployment of wave and surge gauges in advance of hurricane landfalls, to the analysis of very large-scale bathymetric lidar datasets to determine morphological changes during large storms. Prof. Kennedy also holds a concurrent faculty position in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.
Waves, Surge, and Currents in the West of Ireland
Presented by Andrew Kennedy
Notre Dame Professor Andrew Kennedy provides and introduction to the work that he has been doing in the West of Ireland that focuses on water as a force that has shaped the landscape.
Coastal Boulders Research in Western Ireland
Presented by Mary Bourke
Trinity College Dublin Professor Mary Bourke discusses the research she has been conducting on coastal boulders in Western Ireland and how climate change and different types of storms affect coastlines in Ireland.
The Boulder Transport Problem
Presented by James Herterich
University College Dublin Professor James Herterich talks about his recent research into the boulder transport problem and how large boulders are transported on high-energy coastlines by storm waves, particularly on the West Coast of Ireland.
Additional Resources
Presented by Andrew Kennedy
- Storm Waves May Be the Source of Some “Tsunami” Coastal Boulder Deposits by Andrew B. Kennedy, Rónadh Cox, Frédéric Dias
- Systematic Review Shows That Work Done by Storm Waves Can Be Misinterpreted as Tsunami-Related Because Commonly Used Hydrodynamic Equations Are Flawed by Rónadh Cox, Fabrice Ardhuin, Frédéric Dias, Ronan Autret, Nicole Beisiegel, Claire S. Earlie, James G. Herterich, Andrew Kennedy, Raphaël Paris, Alison Raby, Pál Schmitt and Robert Weiss
- Clast abrasion of a rock shore platform on the Atlantic coast of Ireland by Niamh Danielle Cullen, Mary Carol Bourke
- Selected Research Topics – Andrew Kennedy, University of Notre Dame College of Engineering
View the Live Virtual Event
Presented by Lisa Caulfield
Wednesday, February 16, 2022 11:00 am
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Featured Speakers:
- Lisa Caulfield, Director of the Kylemore Global Centre in Connemara, Ireland, University of Notre Dame
- Andrew Kennedy, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame