Dr. Scott Douglass
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
University of South Alabama
Ph.D., 1989, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Research Description:
Coastal engineering is my primary research interest including surf zone wave breaking, runup and sediment transport modeling; the design of engineering works in the coastal environment; and the influence of such engineering works on the beach and inlet system. My research results are actively applied in coastal zone management at the local, state, and regional levels.

We are continually surveying the beaches of Alabama as part of coastal processes studies. We have developed a super-computer based, numerical model of the full hydrodynamics of the approach to wave breaking in the surf zone.

One area of recent work is estimating the landward migration rates of submerged, constructed sand beams in the nearshore. This work will improve the design of “profile nourishment” projects out on the submerged portion of the beach profile as an alternative to beach nourishment; direct placement on the dry, upper portion, of the profile. Such placement can result in fewer environmental and aesthetic impacts on the beaches and can save money at inlet bypassing systems.

Representative Publications:
Douglass, S.L. 1990. Influence of Wind on Breaking Waves. Jour. Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Engrg. ASCE. WW6:116:651-663.

Douglass, S.L. 1991. A Simple, Conceptual Explanation of Downdrift Offset Inlets. Jour. Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Engrg, ASCE, WW2:117:136-142.

Douglass, S.L., Schroeder, W., and Robinson, J.T. 1992. Wave Forecasting for Construction in Mobile Bay. Proc. Coastal Engrg. Practice ‘92, ASCE, pp. 713-727.

Douglass, S.L. 1992. Estimating Extreme Values of Runup on Beaches. Jour. Waterway Port. Coastal and Ocean Engrg, ASCE, WW2:118:2, pp. 220-224.

Douglass, S.L. and Hinesley, P. 1993. Dauphin Island, Alabama Beaches: Real Decisions in the Real World. Coastlines of the Gulf of Mexico, S. Laska and A. Puffer, eds., ASCE, 172-185.

Douglass, S.L. and Ortiz, J.C. 1993. Nearshore Breaking Waves: A Numerical Model. Ocean Wave Measurement and Analysis, O.T. Magoon and J.M. Hemsley, eds., ASCE. 864-879.

Douglass, S.L. 1994. Beach Erosion and Deposition on Dauphin Island, Alabama, U.S.A. Jour. Coastal Res. 10:2:306-328.

Douglass, S.L. 1995. Coastal and Harbor Engineering. Chapter 23 in The Design Handbook for Civil Engineers, Merritt, F.S. and Ricketts, J.T., ed., 5th edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, (in press).