Stanford University
Welcome to The Baker Coastal Lab
Dynamics at the Land-Ocean Interface
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University
Welcome to The Baker Coastal Lab in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University. We study hydrodynamics in shallow waters and their impact on material transport, shaping out coastlines, and other coastal hazards. Starting summer 2024, the lab will be led by Prof. Christine M. Baker, a coastal engineer and enthusiast. We are part of The Bob and Norma Street Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory within the Doerr School of Sustainability and School of Engineering.
Our Research
Our research integrates laboratory experimentation with numerical modeling and remotely sensed field observations to build our fundamental understanding of fluid mechanics in coastal regions. We are broadly interested in (1) shallow-water wave breaking dynamics, (2) eddy processes and nearshore circulation, (3) long-wave driven sediment transport, and (4) extreme event driven coupled hydro- and morphodynamics. We seek to improve coastal sustainability in changing environments by informing predictions of coastal water quality, shoreline evolution, and other coastal hazards.
Land Acknowledgement
We recognize that Stanford sits on the ancestral land of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. This land was and continues to be of great importance to the Ohlone people. Consistent with our values of community and inclusion, we have a responsibility to acknowledge, honor and make visible the university’s relationship to Native peoples.