Dr. Chris Houser

Bio

Dr. Houser's general areas of expertise are process geomorphology in coastal and aeolian environments, impact of extreme storms on barrier islands and the recovery of barrier islands following storms. Dr. Houser recently joined the Department of Geography following a teaching assignment at the University of West Florida. In Florida he had the good fortune of being hit by 2 hurricanes and 2 tropical storms all within the course of a year. These storms broadened his research to include the geologic scale and remote sensing (specifically LiDAR), which has provided him with a new perspective on small-scale transport processes. At the Texas A&M, Dr. Houser is planning to explore the coupling of beach and dune systems along the Texas coast.

Research

Chris Houser is a coastal geomorphologist interested in nearshore and estuarine sediment transport and the role of aquatic vegetation in wave and current attenuation. His current research projects include shoreline erosion by vessel generated wakes, wave transformation through seagrass beds, geomorphological controls on barrier island response to hurricanes and their recovery, the geologic framework of barrier islands in northwest Florida and sediment transport and hydrodynamics of the swash zone.

Projects

Dr. Houser's current research projects include shoreline erosion by vessel generated wakes, wave transformation through seagrass beds, geomorphological controls on barrier island response to hurricanes and their recovery, and the geologic framework of barrier islands in northwest Florida.

Experience

• Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University, August 2007 - present
• Assistant Professor, University of West Florida, August 2004 - July 2007
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Pacific Geoscience Centre, October 2003 - September 2004
• Associate Lecturer, Royal Roads University, June 2003 - August 2004
• Doctoral Candidate/Graduate Research Associate, University of Toronto at Scarborough, June 1999 - October 2003

Selected Publications

• Houser, C. (In Review) Wave scale changes in bed elevation on an intermediate beach.   Marine Geology, September 2008. 
• Houser, C., and Hamilton, S. (Accepted) Post-hurricane beach and dune recovery.  Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, April 2008. 
• Houser, C., Hapke, C., and Hamilton, S. 2008.  Controls on coastal dune morphology, shoreline erosion adn barrier islnd response to extreme storms.  Geomorphology, 100:223-240. 
• Houser, C., (Accepted) Relative importance of vessel and wind waves to salt marsh erosion at Fort Pulaski National Monument.  Accepted to Journal of Coastal Research, July 2008.
• Houser, C., (Accepted) Geomorphological controls on road damage during Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis.  Journal of Coastal Research,  October 2007.
• Houser, C., Hobbs, C. and Saari, B. 2008. Post-hurricane airflow and sediment transport over a recovering dune. Journal of Coastal Research, 4:944-953.
• Houser, C., Hamilton, S., Meyer-Arendt, K., and Oravetz, J. 2007. EOF analysis of barrier island morphological change during Hurricane Ivan. Coastal Sediments, ’07.
• Houser, C. and Greenwood , B. 2007. Onshore migration of a swash bar. Journal of Coastal Research, 23, 1-14.
• Houser, C., Greenwood, B., and Aagaard, T. 2006. Divergent Response of an Intertidal Swash Bar. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 31:1775-1791.
• Houser, C. and Greenwood, B. 2005. Feedback mechanisms in the morphodynamics of a lacustrine multiple barred nearshore. Marine Geology, 218:37-63.
• Houser, C. and Greenwood, B. 2005. Profile response of a lacustrine multiple-barred nearshore to a sequence of storm events. Geomorphology, 69:118-137.
• Bauer, B., Houser, C., and Nickling, W.G. 2004. Analysis of velocity profiles from wind tunnel experiments with saltation. Geomorphology, 59:81-98.
• Houser, C. and Nickling, W.G. 2000. The emission and vertical flux of PM10 from a clay- crusted surface. Sedimentology, 48:255-267.
• Houser, C. and Nickling, W.G. 2000. The factors influencing the abrasion efficiency of saltating grains. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 26:491-505.