My primary research interest is in sediment erosion, transport, and deposition in river, coastal, and wetland environments. Current research topics include storm-driven transport and the formation of sedimentary strata on the continental shelf, erosion and deposition on tidal salt marshes, flow-sediment-vegetation interactions in shallow coastal bays, mud dynamics in meso- and macro-tidal flats, wave-formed ripples, impact of climate change on barrier-bay-marsh morphology, and sediment associated contaminant transport.

PUBLICATIONS

Wiberg Google Scholar Link

• Tradeoffs among hydrodynamics, sediment fluxes and vegetation community in the Virginia Coast Reserve, USA
  2018; Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science; Nardin, W. | Larsen, L. | Fagherazzi, S. | Wiberg, P.
• Exploring the impacts of seagrass on coupled marsh-tidal flat morphodynamics
  2018; Frontiers in Environmental Science; Carr, J. | Mariotti, G. | Fahgerazzi, S. | McGlathery, K. | Wiberg, P.
• Intense Storms Increase the Stability of Tidal Bays
  2018; Geophysical Research Letters; Castagno, K.A. | Jiménez-Robles, A.M. | Donnelly, J.P. | Wiberg, P.L. | Fenster, M.S. |...
• Wave Attenuation by Oyster Reefs in Shallow Coastal Bays
  2018; Estuaries and Coasts; Wiberg, P.L. | Taube, S.R. | Ferguson, A.E. | Kremer, M.R. | Reidenbach, M.A.
• Spatially explicit feedbacks between seagrass meadow structure, sediment and light: Habitat suitability for seagrass growth
  2016; Advances in Water Resources; Carr, J.A. | D'Odorico, P. | McGlathery, K.J. | Wiberg, P.L.
• Source-to-sink research: Economy of the Earth's surface and its strata
  2016; Earth-Science Reviews; Walsh, J.P. | Wiberg, P.L. | Aalto, R. | Nittrouer, C.A. | Kuehl, S.A.
• Quantifying the distribution and influence of non-uniform bed properties in shallow coastal bays
  2015; Limnology and Oceanography: Methods; Wiberg, P.L. | Carr, J.A. | Safak, I. | Anutaliya, A.
• Controls on residence time and exchange in a system of shallow coastal bays
  2015; Continental Shelf Research; Safak, I. | Wiberg, P.L. | Richardson, D.L. | Kurum, M.O.
• Rates and Forcing of Marsh Edge Erosion in a Shallow Coastal Bay
  2014; Estuaries and Coasts; McLoughlin, S.M. | Wiberg, P.L. | Safak, I. | McGlathery, K.J.
• Marsh collapse does not require sea level rise
  2013; Oceanography; Fagherazzi, S. | Mariotti, G. | Wiberg, P.L.

TEACHING

Physical Hydrology (EVSC 3600)

This course examines the physical principles governing the flow of water on and beneath the earth's surface, including fundamental concepts of fluid dynamics applied to the description of open channel hydraulics, ground water hydraulics, and dynamics of soil moisture. Introduces elements of surface water and ground water hydrology and explores humanity's influence on its hydrological environment.  Prerequisite: One semester of calculus.

Coastal Oceanography (EVSC 5060)

An interdisciplinary course covering physical, ecological and biogeochemical processes occurring along coastlines and within coastal ecosystems.  Co-taught with Karen McGlathery and Matt Reidenbach.

Sediment processes and environments with lab (EVGE 5840/5841)

This course investigates erosion, transport, and deposition of sediment; initial motion, bedload and suspended load transport,  bedforms, cohesive sediment; and important sediment-transporting environments (rivers, deserts, coasts).   Sediment-transport-related problems of geological and environmental interest are considered.  Prerequisite: one year of calculus and physics, or instructor permission; corequisite: EVGE 5841.

Environmental fluid mechanics and lab (EVHY 5670)

This course examines the mechanics of fluids and fluid-related processes occurring at the Earth's surface, including laminar, inviscid, and turbulent flows, drag, boundary layers, diffusion and dispersion of mass, flow through porous media, and effects of the Earth's rotation. River, atmospheric boundary layer and coastal environments are considered.   Topics, including current research, related to the environmental sciences are emphasized.  Prerequisite: Integral calculus and calculus-based physics, or instructor permission.

Numerical methods in hydrology (EVHY 7670)

This course is a one-semester introduction to numerical methods with application to the solution of hydrological problems.  Matlab computational and plotting software is used for all examples and assignments, including finite difference and finite element solutions to equations describing the flow of water and transport of contaminants in the terrestrial environment. Prior knowledge of Matlab is not required.  Prerequisite: EVHY 5000-level course.