Dr Judith Wolf

Member of Marine Systems Modelling Group, Head of Site for NOC Liverpool
Research interests
I work on coastal and shelf seas modelling of hydrodynamics and waves. My speciality is coastal oceanography and coupled modelling. I am interested in waves and their interactions with currents, turbulence and sediment transport. I have worked on wave modelling over many years and been involved in acquiring wave observations (in-situ and remote sensing). I initiated the development of the coupled wave-current model (POLCOMS-WAM) and work on wave climatology. The applications of my work are in Marine Renewable Energy and coastal impacts of climate change.
Current projects
EPSRC EcoWatt2050 (2014-2017): Led by Prof Jon Side at Heriot-Watt University, this project aims to understand the combined impact of climate change by 2050 with the effect of large arraqys of offshore renewable energy device such as tidal turbines.
EPSRC ARCoES (2012-2017): Led by Prof Andy Plater at Liverpool University, this project looks at the adaptation and resilience of coastal energy systems.
Recently completed projects
EU FP7 RISES-AM- (2013-2016): Led by Prof Agustin Sanchez Arcilla at Universita Politecnica de Catalunya, this project addresses adaptation and resilience of the coast to climate change, especially looking at novel adaptation measures.
NERC ESPA Consortium Grant 'Assessing health, livelihoods, ecosystem services and poverty alleviation in populous deltas' ESPA Deltas (2012-2016): Led by Prof Robert Nicholls of Southampton University, and focussing on the Brhmaputra-Ganges-Megna Delta in Bangladesh, this large-scale interdisciplinary project has used complex biophysical models to produce a systems model for livelihoods of people living in absolute poverty in the coastal zone of Bangladesh.
Older projects
FP7 FIELD_AC (2010-2012): Led by Prof Agustin Sanchez Arcilla at Universita Politecnica de Catalunya, this project addresses the downscaling of satellite observations for use in coastal operational oceanography, including coastal modelling and in-situ observatories.
NERC FORMOST (2008-2010): Led by Prof Alan Davies of Bangor University, this project built on observational datasets collected in the Dee Estuary in North Wales/NW England, improving turbulence and sediment transport modelling.
UKCP09 Marine and Coastal Projections (2008-2009): Led by the Met Office for DEFRA, this report included wave model projections produced by the Tyndall Coastal Simulator project (see below)
OCEANS 2025 Theme 3 (2007-2012) Shelf and Coastal Processes: Led by Prof Jonathan Sharples, then myself.
Joule tidal energy project (2006-2009) ‘Tapping the Tidal Power Potential of the Eastern Irish Sea'. Led by Prof Richard Burrows of Liverpool University this project studied the electricity generating potential of tidal barrages in NW England
Tyndall Coastal Simulator (2005-2008) Led by Prof Robert Nicholls of Southampton University, this interdisciplinary project looked at the threat of climate change on East Anglian coast
EPSRC LEACOAST2 (2004-2007): Led by Dr Shunqi Pan of Liverpool (then Plymouth) University this project studied the sediment transport around the offshore breakwaters at Sea Palling on the Norfolk coast
NERC FREE CoFEE project (2007-2010): Led by Prof Andy Plater at Liverpool University, this project looked at threats of coastal flooding on the Sefton coast
Tyndall project 'Towards a vulnerability assessment for the UK coastline' (2001-2003): Led by Prof Mikis Tsimplis at Southampton University
Links to further information on specialist area or projects:
Current projects: Coupled wave and current model development
Current projects: UKERC Energy and Environment Project 2
Current projects: EPSRC ARCC ARCoES
Completed projects: Tyndall Coastal Simulator
Completed projects: Joule Tidal Energy
Completed projects: NERC FREE CoFEE
Chairman of NPOP Working Group on Ocean Waves (UK)
Member of international NEMO-Waves Working Group