Dr Thomas Smyth
School of Science, Engineering & Environment
Current positions
Lecturer
Biography
Dr Thomas Smyth is a coastal and aeolian geomorphologist whose research focuses on airflow dynamics, sediment transport, and morphological change. He holds a First-Class Honours degree in Environmental Science and a PhD from Ulster University, where his doctoral work examined boundary-layer wind flow and sediment transport within coastal dune blowouts using computational and field-based approaches.
Dr Smyth has taught geography since 2011 across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. He previously held posts as a postdoctoral research fellow at Flinders University, Lecturer at Liverpool Hope University and Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader at the University of Huddersfield.
Dr Smyth’s research combines computational fluid dynamics (OpenFOAM), aerial and satellite imagery, and geomorphological field measurements to investigate sediment pathways, sand dune evolution, and the effectiveness of coastal management interventions such as artificial foredune notching.
Dr Smyth is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and serves on the board of the International Society for Aeolian Research (ISAR).
Areas of Research
Coastal and aeolian geomorphology, including dune blowouts and foredune notching
CFD modelling (OpenFOAM) of near-surface wind flow and sediment transport
Remote sensing and LiDAR for monitoring vegetation and bare sand change
Applied dune restoration and coastal management across UK and international systems
Dr Smyth currently teaches on the following modules at the University of Salford:
Consultancy Project
Data Handling
Earth Surface Processes
Geographical Information Systems and Science
Mitigating Climate Change
Monitoring Environmental Change
Professional Practice
Dissertation
Publications
- Exploring wind flow dynamics in foredune notches using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
- Dune slope, not wind speed, best predicts bare sand in vegetated coastal dunes.
- A review of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) airflow modelling over aeolian landforms
- Flow deflection over a foredune
- The dune effect on sand-transporting winds on Mars