Speaker: Jörg Imberger
Affiliation: University of Western Australia
Areas of Expertise: Management of hte water environment
Date: Dec 14, 98
Topic: Dispersion and Mixing of Wastewater in the Coastal Regime

Abstract: Hong Kong has spent millions of dollars in recent years on the design and construction of new wastewater outfalls in and around the Victoria Harbour. Such disposal relies on the active natural dispersion; and any design of wastewater outfalls must incorporate a careful analysis of the action of the tides, the wind, the stratification and even large scale ocean circulation features if the effluent discharged is not to exceed the sustainable assimilative capacity of the receiving waters. Professor Imberger has just completed a recent detailed investigation of near-shore natural dispersion near an outfall. The results from his investigation have allowed the construction of a numerical model capable of predicting the dilution rates for different wind and tidal conditions.

In his talk, Professor Imberger will describe the general principles underlying the physical dispersion mechanisms and illustrate the success of the model in predicting the behavior of the effluent under a variety of environmental conditions.

Biography:Professor Jörg Imberger received his Ph.D. degree from the University of California (Berkeley) in 1970. He is Professor of Environmental Engineering, Director of the Centre for Environmental Fluid Dynamics and Chair of the Centre for Water Research at The University of Western Australia. He is currently Chair of the Western Australian Estuarine Research Foundation, Scientific Advisor to Earthwatch, a Taskforce Member, Swan-Canning Cleanup Programme, and was a member of the United Nations High Level Advisory Board on "Sustainable Development".

Professor Imberger's main research interest is in the motion of stratified fluid in the context of environmental fluid dynamics. Specifically, this research includes the study of the motion and qualtiy of water in estuaries, reservoirs and lakes. The interaction of the biological system and the water motion is also a primary focus.

Professor Imberger has held various visiting and academic positions at the Univeristy of Padova, University of California (Berkely), Stanford Univeristy, Caltech, University of Karlsruhe and The University of Western Australia. In addition, he has been a consultant to many State and Federal government bodies and private agencies. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Institute of Engineers, Australia, and the Australian Academy of Science.

Professor Imberger was awarded the Stockholm Water Prize by Stockholm Water Foundation (1996), Onassis International Prize: "Man and his Environment" (1995), Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal for 1995 by the Institution of Engineers, Australia, Karl Emil Hilgard Hydraulics Prize by American Society of Civil Engineers (1988 & 1994), Jolly Award by Australian Society for Limnology (1992) and Shimizu Professorship by Stanford University (1992). He was also made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1992.


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