Assaf Azouri

My Scientific Journey

Being fascinated with astronomy for many years, I was motivated to pursue my undergraduate education in geophysics and math. Wanting to proceed my studies abroad, combined with my passion for surfing, I found my way to the University of Hawai’i where I enrolled in the physics masters program with a focus on statistical mechanics and solid state physics. Although I was always intrigued by theoretical physics, I was also interested in learning more about applications of some of those concepts. Finding out about the physical oceanography program, it sounded like an ideal path for me as it allowed me to keep studying physics, and applying it to a medium where I feel most comfortable: the ocean.

My Ph.D. in the physical oceanography program involved research of non-linearly generated long waves, known as infragravity waves. I focused on studying the types of infragravity waves, their generation mechanisms, and their associated dynamics in complex coastal environments under short-wave (sea & swell) forcing. The work was initially focused on data collection but was later expanded to using hydrodynamic phase-resolving wave models. Over the years, the modeling component became a central component of my work as many of our group’s grants were oriented towards the creation of: wave-driven harbor surge forecasts, run-up forecasts, and flood mapping tools.

Current Research

Using two-dimensional phase-resolving models for the development of wave-driven harbor surge forecasts, run-up forecasts, and flood mapping tools. Those tools are being developed for the Hawaiian Islands, as well as several other Pacific Islands.