The study of storms, tsunamis, and other large waves on coastal landscapes is important to keep people safe and protect ecosystems and structures.
It is why the coastal research group at Smith Engineering conducts both physical and computational modeling of coastal processes to help gain better knowledge of these hazards to help mitigate their harmful effects.
It’s also important that the next generation of potential scientists can visualize and appreciate the challenges rising sea levels can pose.
That is why the Civil Society in the Department of Civil Engineering teamed with the Beaty Water Research Centre to acquire an exciting new tool.
“The wave tank is a 14-foot-long skinny acrylic aquarium tank,” says Laura Szczyrba, a PhD candidate with Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering. “You fill it about halfway up with water, and at one end there's a paddle. A motor runs the paddle at a set frequency and generates waves by pushing water forward at equal intervals.”
Once the water is moving, grade-school-aged learners can conduct experiments to watch the effect of open waves on rubber ducks, place trees at certain points along the tank, and explore how different environments provide critical sheltered habitats.
Upper-year students examine different strategies for mitigating coastal erosion and protecting infrastructure like roads and buildings located close to the shore. Many are also curious about how the tank mechanically operates.
The wave tank was purchased through the Dean's Donation Fund, which accepts applications from Smith Engineering competitive design teams, outreach programs, conferences, clubs, and student-led campus businesses. In this case, the wave tank was supported by the Fund to help with community outreach and education.
Szczyrba became aware of this unique wave tank design during an online conference where a group from the University of Delaware talked about the tanks they deployed at high schools across the U.S. and how the tool had changed students’ thinking around engineering and science. Acquiring the tank and conducting local demonstrations is also a way for her department to talk about the significant coastal research happening at Queen’s.
Those conversations around research opportunities will continue this summer as Szczyrba seeks opportunities to bring the wave tank to classrooms and other public engagement events. It will also be used to help educate grade school students through the Queen's Summer Engineering Academy (QSEA) camps.
At the same time, Szczyrba is finishing up her PhD and preparing for work at BGC Engineering, an international firm with an office in Kingston, where she will join their growing coastal team.
Schools and educators interested in arranging a visit by the wave tank to their class should contact the Beaty Water Research Centre at bwrc.info@queensu.ca.