Survey of the Waihou River Tidal Delta

Looking down the Waihou River to its distal end in the Firth of Thames, New Zeland, the system is river dominated, meaning that the majority of sediments carried by the Waihou River from inland New Zealand are deposited at its mouth. Over time, the accumulation of sediments has formed a broad, flat tidal delta that is a dominant feature in the South East region of the Firth of Thames. 

The survey of the Waihou River Tidal Delta at the Southeastern corner of the Firth of Thames was one of the largest surveys undertaken by ASR Ltd. A 4000 m x 7000 m box including very shallow/intertidal areas was surveyed by a single point bathymetry system at 50 m spacing at a speed of approximately 10 km/hr. 560 km of data was recorded for a total 200,000 data points (not including some areas not covered by LIDAR) over a period of 13 days. Problems encountered include difficult access, strong tidal currents, surface and subsurface obstructions, extremely shallow water (less than 0.5 m) and cold, wintry conditions.

The most satisfying aspect being that against these challenges, the survey was completed on time, within budget and delivered high quality data. This kind of data falls between what LIDAR and expensive multi-beam systems can collect.

Japan Radioactive Seawater Impact Map and Floating Debris Model

Please check out our third (March 2012) update on the ASR ltd Japan Radioactive Seawater Impact Map and Floating Debris Model. We have interactive google earth maps as well as youtube links for those who don't have the google earth plugin. Please check out the YouTube videos bellow. 

ASR scientists Jose Borrero and Gegar Prasetya discuss Tsunamis with the Jakarta Globe

As the first tsunami experts on the scene in Aceh following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, ASR scientists Jose Borrero and Gegar Prasetya look back on that awful event and assess the state of tsunami preparedness now. Dr. Jose Borrero and Gregar Prasetya go into detail with the Jakarta Globe on Tsunami research and preparedness in the Indonesian Archipelago and Indian Ocean. Check out the videos here or on the Jakarta Globe.

Borth Coastal Defense Progress

The Welsh community of Borth is seeing a massive coastal defense upgrade by engineering firm Royal Haskoning. The project consists of a series of shore parallel breakwaters, groynes, and a Multi-Purpose Reef.

Naturally we have been paying close attention to the construction of the North and South Multi-Purpose Reefs. Because construction consists of interlocking rocks, Royal Haskoning has built a temporary causeway and can only work on these structures at low tide.

 The community of Borth has done an excellent job of documenting the work and proving those resources for the community. Check out the September / October pictures here and the coastal defense project scheme here.

This video shows the pysical modeling of the coastal defense scheme at HR Wallingford facilities.