Develop digital subsurface models to improve Dutch dike safety against erosion.
We are looking for a PhD-candidate in a unique project investigating the subsurface heterogeneity and geohydrological conditions below dikes, focusing on the risk of backward erosion (piping).
The Netherlands relies on a network of about 2,000 km of river dikes to contain flooding in its floodplains. These dikes undergo continuous assessment, maintenance, and reinforcement to uphold the highest safety standards. A major risk to dike stability is Backward Erosion Piping (BEP): groundwater flow underneath a dike entrains sand particles, eroding the base of the dike. Current BEP risk assessments weigh uncertainties conservatively and simplify the interactions between subsurface heterogeneity, 3D groundwater flow and BEP. To make risk assessments of BEP more realistic it is therefore necessary to get a better grip on t...