Aaron Furnish
PhD: Pathways to Realistic Impact Modelling in Estuarine Areas (PRIMEA)
Location: School Of Ocean Sciences, Menai Bridge, Bangor University
Growing up on the Thames estuary I have appreciated the bluer things in life. Eventually this appreciation led me to Bangor University to study a BSc in Ocean Sciences. At the pinnacle of my undergraduate studies the physical processes and raw power contained within the ocean began to interest me and I eventually finished my BSc in Ocean and Geophysics with a dissertation based around the phase relationship in aggregated electricity conversion from tidal stream and tidal range power plants in the UK. Through my time at university I discovered coding and particularly numerical modelling which allowed me to submit my dissertation for my BSc and along with a love for green energy led me to complete an MSc in Marine Renewable Energy at Bangor focussing on the baseload potential of tidal energy across the coastline of Australia. Some of the work from this research is currently in preparation for submission to the Journal of Renewable Energy
Alongside my academic work I was also able to enjoy and participate in the university clubs that Bangor has to offer. I started to sail again and experience the physical processes in the Menai Strait first hand. Eventually I became Captain of the University Sailing Club alongside my studies which gave me an insight into how to teach, learn and broaden my horizons in all endeavours I take up. I was invited to join the Estuarine Physics Summer School in the summer of 2020 and 2021, based in Bordeaux France. I have also worked closely with Natural Resource Wales (NRW) and Isle of Anglesey County Council to help run their water quality model at Cemaes Bay.
My PhD project will look at inundation modelling across estuarine areas within the UK. Working closely with the Met Office and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) to help develop coupled models that help us understand flood events that are caused by multiple environmental hazards. The impacts of climate change will be investigated to get insight in how these events are changing and so that we can predict and prepare for the flood events of the future.“