Pedro J.M. Costa
Profile
Job: Associate Professor\ Professor Associado
Research Center: Instituto Dom Luiz - Associated Laboratory
Email: ppcosta@dct.uc.pt
Room: Torre C, 222
Academic Degrees and fields of specialization:
Current positions – Associate Professor\ Professor Associado – Departamento de Ciências da Terra, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal & Invited Lecturer Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Brazil
2020-2021 - Visiting Research Fellow – UERJ (Brazil) and RWTH (Germany)
2012 PhD in Geology Departamento de Geologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
2006 Master in Geography and Earth Sciences, Dep. of Geography and Earth Sciences, School for the Environment, Brunel University, London, UK
2002 BSc in Geology, “Licenciatura pré-Bolonha” (5-year degree) Departamento de Ciências da Terra, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
Scientific Information
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6573-0539
SCOPUS ID: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=35589428000
Web of Science: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/304368
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pedro_Costa10
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.pt/citations?hl=en&user=ACEzJQ8AAAAJ
Main Scientific Interests
Multidisciplinary research focused on the study of coastal and marine risks using field data (sedimentological, geomorphological, geophysical and geochemical) combined with empirical and numerical modelling to understand the impacts caused by natural disasters (tsunamis, storms, floods). Currently working of geophysical and geotechnical studies form the instalation of offshore wind farms.
Keywords:
Coastal and marine geology; Natural hazards; Tsunami and Storm deposits; Sedimentary dynamics; Adaptation to climate change; Provenance studies; Sediment transport modelling; Offshore Wind farms
Selected Publications:
Onshore Tsunami and storm deposits
- Costa, P.J.M., S. Dawson, R.S. Ramalho, M. Engel, F. Dourado, I. Bosnic, and C. Andrade. ‘A Review on Onshore Tsunami Deposits along the Atlantic Coasts’. Earth-Science Reviews 212 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103441.
- Costa, P.J.M., and C. Andrade. ‘Tsunami Deposits: Present Knowledge and Future Challenges’. Sedimentology 67, no. 3 (2020): 1189–1206. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12724
- Mitra, S., R. Paris, L. Bernard, R. Abbal, P. Charrier, S. Falvard, P. Costa, and C. Andrade. ‘X-Ray Tomography Applied to Tsunami Deposits: Optimized Image Processing and Quantitative Analysis of Particle Size, Particle Shape, and Sedimentary Fabric in 3D’. Marine Geology 470 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2024.107247.
- Costa, P.J.M., S. Costas, R. González-Villanueva, M.A. Oliveira, D. Roelvink, C. Andrade, M.C. Dawson, A.G., S. Dawson, S. Bondevik, P.J.M. Costa, J. Hill, and I. Stewart. ‘Reconciling Storegga Tsunami Sedimentation Patterns with Modelled Wave Heights: A Discussion from the Shetland Isles Field Laboratory’. Sedimentology 67, no. 3 (2020): 1344–53. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12643.
- Dourado, F., P.J. Costa, M.A. Baptista, R. Omira, A.P. Cezario, A.V. Veloso, and F. Fatela. ‘Possible Evidence of the 1755 CE Transatlantic Tsunami in Brazil’. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 116 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2022.103823.
- Freitas, et al. ‘How Did the AD 1755 Tsunami Impact on Sand Barriers across the Southern Coast of Portugal?’ Geomorphology 268 (2016): 296–311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2016.06.019.
- Moreira, S., P.J.M. Costa, C. Andrade, C. Ponte Lira, M.C. Freitas, M.A. Oliveira, and G.-J. Reichart. ‘High Resolution Geochemical and Grain-Size Analysis of the AD 1755 Tsunami Deposit: Insights into the Inland Extent and Inundation Phases’. Marine Geology 390 (2017): 94–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2017.04.007.
Offshore Tsunami deposits
- Feist, L., P.J.M. Costa, J.I. Santisteban, S. Albers, P. Bellanova, I. Bosnic, M. De Batist, J.F. Duarte, A. Rodrigues, and K. Reicherter. ‘Shallow Seismic Stratigraphy of the Southwestern Algarve Shelf (Portugal) and Characteristics of Offshore Tsunami Deposits’. Marine Geology 480 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2024.107463.
- Feist, L., P.J.M. Costa, P. Bellanova, I. Bosnic, J.I. Santisteban, C. Andrade, H. Brückner, et al. ‘Holocene Offshore Tsunami Archive – Tsunami Deposits on the Algarve Shelf (Portugal)’. Sedimentary Geology 448 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2023.106369.
- Brill, D., A. Zander, P.J. Costa, L. Feist, H. Laermanns, K. Reicherter, and H. Brückner. ‘Luminescence Dating of Tsunami Deposits from the Algarve Shelf, Portugal’. Quaternary Geochronology 81 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2024.101513.
- Costa, P.J.M., L. Feist, A.G. Dawson, I. Stewart, K. Reicherter, and C. Andrade. ‘An Overview on Offshore Tsunami Deposits’. In Tsunamiites: Features and Implications, 183–92, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-823939-1.00011-2.
- Quintela, M., P.J.M. Costa, F. Fatela, T. Drago, N. Hoska, C. Andrade, and M.C. Freitas. ‘The AD 1755 Tsunami Deposits Onshore and Offshore of Algarve (South Portugal): Sediment Transport Interpretations Based on the Study of Foraminifera Assemblages’. Quaternary International 408 (2016): 123–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2015.12.029.
Provenance studies
- Sikora, P., M. Kiac, P.J.M. Costa, A. Molinero-García, and M.E. Górska. ‘Automatic Image Analysis Applied to the Recognition of Quartz Surface Microtextures Using Neural Network’. Micron 182 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2024.103638.
- Costa, P.J.M., Y.S. Park, Y.D. Kim, M. Quintela, W.C. Mahaney, F. Dourado, and S. Dawson. ‘Imprints in Silica Grains Induced during an Open-Channel Flow Experiment: Determination of Microtextural Signatures during Aqueous Transport’. Journal of Sedimentary Research 87, no. 7 (2017): 677–87. https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2017.39.
- Wang, G., J. Li, S. Ravi, R. Scott Van Pelt, P.J.M. Costa, and D. Dukes. ‘Tracer Techniques in Aeolian Research: Approaches, Applications, and Challenges’. Earth-Science Reviews 170 (2017): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2017.05.001.
- Costa, P.J.M., C. Andrade, J. Cascalho, A.G. Dawson, M.C. Freitas, R. Paris, and S. Dawson. ‘Onshore Tsunami Sediment Transport Mechanisms Inferred from Heavy Mineral Assemblages’. Holocene 25, no. 5 (2015): 795–809. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683615569322
- Costa, P.J.M., C. Andrade, W.C. Mahaney, F. Marques da Silva, P. Freire, M.C. Freitas, C. Janardo, M.A. Oliveira, T. Silva, and V. Lopes. ‘Aeolian Microtextures in Silica Spheres Induced in a Wind Tunnel Experiment: Comparison with Aeolian Quartz’. Geomorphology 180–181 (2013): 120–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.09.011.
Modeliling sediment transport
- Bosnic, I., P.J.M. Costa, F. Dourado, S. La Selle, and G. Gelfenbaum. ‘Onshore Flow Characteristics of the 1755 CE Lisbon Tsunami: Linking Forward and Inverse Numerical Modeling’. Marine Geology 434 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2021.106432.
- Dourado, F., P.J.M. Costa, S. La Selle, C. Andrade, A.N. Silva, I. Bosnic, and G. Gelfenbaum. ‘Can Modeling the Geologic Record Contribute to Constraining the Tectonic Source of the 1755 CE Great Lisbon Earthquake?’ Earth and Space Science 8, no. 4 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001109.
- Scardino, G., G. Scicchitano, M. Chirivì, P.J.M. Costa, A. Luparelli, and G. Mastronuzzi. ‘Convolutional Neural Network and Optical Flow for the Assessment of Wave and Tide Parameters from Video Analysis (LEUCOTEA): An Innovative Tool for Coastal Monitoring’. Remote Sensing 14, no. 13 (2022). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14132994.
Other topics
- Bellanova, P., L. Feist, P.J.M. Costa, S. Orywol, K. Reicherter, F. Lehmkuhl, and J. Schwarzbauer. ‘Contemporary Pollution of Surface Sediments from the Algarve Shelf, Portugal’. Marine Pollution Bulletin 176 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113410.
- Areia, N.P., P.J.M. Costa, and A.O. Tavares. ‘Social Engagement in Coastal Adaptation Processes: Development and Validation of the CoastADAPT Scale’. Environmental Science and Policy 133 (2022): 107–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2022.03.011.
- Johnson, M.E., A. Uchman, P.J.M. Costa, R.S. Ramalho, and S.P. Ávila. ‘Intense Hurricane Transports Sand Onshore: Example from the Pliocene Malbusca Section on Santa Maria Island (Azores, Portugal)’. Marine Geology 385 (2017): 244–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2017.02.002.
- St-Onge, G., E. Chapron, S. Mulsow, M. Salas, M. Viel, M. Debret, A. Foucher, et al. ‘Comparison of Earthquake-Triggered Turbidites from the Saguenay (Eastern Canada) and Reloncavi (Chilean Margin) Fjords: Implications for Paleoseismicity and Sedimentology’. Sedimentary Geology 243–244 (2012): 89–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2011.11.003.
- Leroy, S.A.G., M.J. Schwab, and P.J.M. Costa. ‘Seismic Influence on the Last 1500- Year Infill History of Lake Sapanca (North Anatolian Fault, NW Turkey)’. Tectonophysics 486, no. 1–4 (2010): 15–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2010.02.005
Ongoing and recent projects:
Project name | Funding body | Project theme | Principal Investigator | Role in project |
PRR Eólicas | Portuguese Government - PRR Funds | Geophysical and Geotechnical studies to develop Offshore Wind Farms | IPMA | Project Manager |
OnOff | FCT | Onshore and offshore tsunami geological record | Pedro JM Costa | PI |
Von Karman | RWTH Aachen (Alemanha) | Wave tank experiments | Pedro JM Costa | PI |
National Roadmap | EEA Grants | Climate change adaptation strategies | Pedro Matos Soares (IDL, FCUL) | WP leader |
NorSeat | BELSPO (Belgium) | Offshore tsunami geological record and sea-level evolution (Shetland, Scotland) | Marc De Batist (Univ. Ghent, Bélgica) | WP leader |
TsunaStorm | Polish Science Foundation | DNA in Foraminifera to differentiate tsunami and storm deposits | Witold Szczuciński (Poznan Univ., Poland) | WP leader |
Coastal hazards Sahara | Morocco Interior Ministery | Coastal hazards Sahara | Mohamed Najib Zaghloul (Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tétouan, Marrocos) | WP leader |
Storm | FCT-Açores | Coastal monitoring system | Sérgio Ávila (Univ. Açores) | WP leader |
SUGERE | European Union (Erasmus +) | Sustainable Sustainability and Wise Use of Geological Resources | Nelson Rodrigues (DCT-UC) | Co-WP leader |
UnTied | FCT | Tsunami boulders in Cape Verde | Ricardo Ramalho (IDL, FCUL) | Research team member |
Tunísia | FCT (Bilateral) | Holocene evolution (Tunisia) | Conceição Freitas (IDL, FCUL) | Research team member |
Online talks (selected)
• OnOff - Coupling onshore and offshore tsunami record: complementary tools for a broader perspective on tsunami events (FCT funding - PTDC/CTA-GEO/28941/2017). 21 de Fevereiro de 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFZBSbrA_XM
• Depósitos sedimentares de Tsunamis no Atlântico – GIDs UFCG. 20 de Janeiro de 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So_X24R3nrA
• Tsunami deposits - key future challenges. NamiLinks 1.0 - A Virtual Workshop on Tsunamis. 14 de Dezembro de 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER57T-J3qcQ
Book chapters:
· 2022 Costa, P.J.M., Lario, J., Reicherter, K. (2022). Tsunami Deposits in Atlantic Iberia: A Succinct Review. In: Álvarez-Martí-Aguilar, M., Machuca Prieto, F. (eds) Historical Earthquakes, Tsunamis and Archaeology in the Iberian Peninsula. Natural Science in Archaeology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1979-4_5 LINK
· 2022 Costa, P.J.M and Dawson, S. (2022). Tsunami Sedimentology. Page 135-151. In: Tilling R.I. (eds) Complexity in Tsunamis, Volcanoes, and their Hazards. Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1705-2_646 LINK
· 2020 Costa, P.J.M, Feist, L., Dawson, A., Stewart, I., Reicherter, K., Andrade, C. (2020). Chapter 11 - An overview on offshore tsunami deposits. Page 202-212. Book: Tsunamiites – Features and Implications, 2nd Edition. Edited by Shiki, T. Tsuji, Y., Yamazaki, T. and Nanayama, F. Published by Elsevier. Paperback ISBN: 9780128239391. eBook ISBN: 9780128239407 482 pp. LINK
· 2020 Costa, P.J.M. (2020). Chapter 19 - Microtextures in tsunami deposits: a useful sediment fingerprinting tool. Pages 403-425. Editor(s): Max Engel, Jessica Pilarczyk, Simon Matthias May, Dominik Brill, Ed Garrett. Book: Geological Records of Tsunamis and Other Extreme Waves. Published by Elsevier. ISBN 9780128156865. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815686-5.00019-5. LINK
· 2020 Dawson, S., Costa, P.J.M., Dawson, A., Engel, M. (2020). Chapter 6 - Onshore archives of tsunami deposits. Pages 95-111. Editor(s): Max Engel, Jessica Pilarczyk, Simon Matthias May, Dominik Brill, Ed Garrett. Book: Geological Records of Tsunamis and Other Extreme Waves. Published by Elsevier. ISBN 9780128156865. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815686-5.00006-7. LINK
· 2019 Freitas, M.C., Cascalho, J., Costa, P.J.M., Inácio, M., Leira, M., Lira, C.P., Silva, A.N. and Taborda, R. (2019). MEC2019 - 5ª Conferência sobre Morfodinâmica Estuarina e Costeira – Livro de Resumos. 107 páginas. ISBN: 978-989-20-9612-4 LINK
· 2017 Costa, P.J.M., and Andrade, C. (2017). 5th International Tsunami Field Symposium - Field Guide. 97 pages. ISBN: 978-989-20-7817-5_2 LINK
· 2017 Costa, P.J.M., Andrade, C. and Freitas, M.C. - Editors - (2017). 5th International Tsunami Field Symposium - Volume of Abstracts. 131 pp. LINK
· 2016 Costa, P.J.M., Oliveira, M. A., González-Villanueva, R., Andrade, C. and Freitas, M. C., (2016). Imprints of the AD 1755 Tsunami in Algarve (South Portugal) Lowlands and Post-impact Recovery. In: V. Santiago-Fandiño, H. Tanaka, M. Spiske (Eds.), Tsunamis and Earthquakes in Coastal Environments: Significance and Restoration. Springer International Publishing, 17-30. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-28528-3_2 LINK
· 2016 Andrade, C., Freitas, M. C., Oliveira, M. A. and Costa, P.J.M., (2016). On the sedimentological and historical evidences of seismic-triggered tsunamis on the Algarve coast of Portugal. Natural Hazards and Plate Tectonics. 29 pp. Edited by Duarte, J. Published by AGU/Wiley. ISBN: 978-1-119-05397-2. LINK
· 2014 Costa, P.J.M., Andrade, C. and Dawson, S., (2014). Geological recognition of onshore tsunami deposits. Series: Coastal Research Library, Vol. 8 Advances in Coastal and Marine Resources Environmental Management and Governance, 28 pp. Edited by Finkl, C. W., Makowski, Christopher Published by Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-06305-8_1 LINK
· 2013 Aarup, T., Baptista, M. A., Costa, P.J.M., Matias, L. M., Pires, P., Santini, M., Santoro, F., Soddu, P.L., (2013). Tsunami Preparedness Civil Protection - Good Practices Guide. 73 pp. Published by IOC/UNESCO. LINK
· 2004 Leroy, S. A. G. C., Costa, P.J.M. (2004). Volume of abstracts and field guide - ICSU Dark Nature - IGCP 490. Mauritania January 2004- 1st joint meeting. Mauritania. 173 pp. LINK
Other pedagogical ans scientific activities
• Supervisor of app. 30 BSc, 28 MSc, 8 PhD thesis and 9 post-doctoral completed thesis
• Coordinator of the Computational Geosciences Lab
• Member of IDL's Board of Directors
• Member of Editorial Board of Sedimentary Geology, Marine Geology and Discover Geosciences (Springer)
• Evaluator of R&D projects for different institutions in France, Estonia, Poland, Brazil, Chile
• 2021-to present – Member of the Scientific Comission (Departamento de Ciências da Terra, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra).
• 2019-to present – Lecturer\Professor of Geologia Marinha, Geologia Geral, Geologia de Campo I, Elementos de Cartografia e SIG, Cartografia Geológica I, Geomatemática and Cartografia Geológica II (BSc in Geology), Análise e Gestão de Riscos Naturais, Fatores e Análise do Risco and Métodos de Apoio à Decisão em Ciências do Risco (MSc in Social Dynamics, Natural anda Technological Risks), Geologia Geral (MSc in Environmental Engeneering) from the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Coimbra.
• 2019-to present - Ocasional Lecturer in BSc, MSc and PhD programs of different Universities in Portugal, Brazil, Germany, Poland, Angola, United Kingdom.
• 2019-2024 - Co-coordinator of MSc program in Dinâmicas Sociais, Riscos Naturais e Tecnológicos (Univ. Coimbra)