Michael Ramirez, Ph.D Graduate Student

My Research

I am a graduate student working with Mead Allison, studying the interactions between flow, bed morphology, and sediment transport in the lower Mississippi River. My work is field based and involves using high-technology geophysical methods to quantify the sedimentary resources of the Mississippi River. A major theme of my research is how these resources can be tapped for the purpose of Louisiana coastal restoration. I have a M.S. (2011) in Geosciences from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. (2009) in Earth and Environmental Science from Vanderbilt University.

Publications

Ramirez, M. T. and M. A. Allison, 2013. Suspension of bed material over sand bars in the Lower Mississippi River and its implications for Mississippi delta environmental restoration, Journal of Geophysical Research 118, doi: 10.1002/jgrf.20075

Allison, M. A., M. T. Ramirez, and E. A. Meselhe, 2014. Diversion of Mississippi River water downstream of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA to maximize sediment capture and ameliorate coastal land loss, Water Resources Management, doi: 10.1007/s11269-014-0731-y

Allison, M.A., B. M. Vosburg, M. T. Ramirez, and E. A. Meselhe, 2012. Mississippi River channel response to the Bonnet Carre Spillway opening in the 2011 flood and its implications for the design and operation of river diversions, Journal of Hydrology, doi: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2012.11.011

My Life at Tulane

I have been attracted to the music and culture of New Orleans for some time. After experiencing several brief stays in the city as a graduate student from Texas, I was eager to move here and experience it firsthand. You can find me cheering for Zulu on Mardi Gras morning.