Kehui (Kevin) Xu

Position: Director, Coastal Studies Institute; James P. Morgan Distinguished Professor; Professor, Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences

Phone: 225-578-0389

Fax: 225-578-6513

E-mail: kxu@lsu.edu

Office: 2165 Energy, Coast and Environment Building

Bachelor's Degree: B.S. Geology & Computer Applications, Ocean University of China, 1999

Master's Degree: M.S. Geological Oceanography, Ocean University of China, 2002

Ph.D. Degree: Ph.D. Marine Science, College of William and Mary, 2006

Sediments Dynamic Lab website

Research Interests

Coastal restoration; sediment diversion; sediment dredging and management, geological oceanography, coastal morphodynamics, observation and numerical modeling of sediment transport, sedimentary geology, coastal processes

Research Projects

Google Scholar Profile

Sapkota, Y., Xu, K.H., Maiti, K., Inglett, P., White, J.R. 2023. Temporal variability in soil organic matter accretion rates in coastal deltaic wetlands under changing depositional environments, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 2023, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20515

Chaichitehrani, N., Li, C., Xu, K.H., Hestir, E.L., Allahdadi, M.N., 2023. Sediment dynamics over a dredge pit during summer fair weather conditions: A numerical study for Sandy Point, west flank of the Mississippi River, Ocean Engineering, 269, 113473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2022.113473.

Tian, Q., Xu, K. H., Wang, Y.P., Liang, C.J. 2022. Dam impacts on seasonality of water and sediment transport in intensively managed river basins: A case study of the Yangtze River, Journal of Geophysical Research - Earth Surface, 2021JF006573. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JF006573.

Moran*, K., Xu, K.H., Wilson, C., Lopez, G. 2022. Contrasting modes of sediment infilling and geomorphic change within a sand dominated dredge pit on the inner Louisiana shelf, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 108127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2022.108127.

Yang, H.F., Li, B.C., Yang, S.L., Zhang, Z.L., Xu, K.H., Chen, C.P., Ding, Y.F., Zhang, W.X., Shi, B.W., Wang, Y.P. 2022. Impacts of large projects on the sediment dynamics and evolution of the Hengsha Shoal in the Yangtze Delta, Ocean Engineering, 261, 112030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2022.112030.

Sorourian, S., Huang, H., Xu, K.H., Justic, D., D'Sa, E.J., 2022. A modeling study of water and sediment flux partitioning through the major passes of Mississippi Birdfoot Delta and their plume structures, Geomorphology, 108109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2022.108109

Xu, K.H., Yang, S.L., Milliman, J.D., Yang, Z.S., Yang, H.F. and Xu, H., 2022. Spatial and Temporal Variations of Water and Sediment Discharges of the Yangtze River from 1950 to 2018: Erosion of Lake, Channel and Delta. In: Avijit Gupta (Editor), Large Rivers: Geomorphology and Management (2nd edition): John Wiley & Sons, pp 891-915. https://www.wiley.com/en-ie/Large+Rivers:+Geomorphology+and+Management,+2nd+Edition-p-9781119412601

Zhang, W., Xu, Y.J., Guo, L.C., Lam, N. S.-N., Xu, K.H., Yang, S.L., Yao, Q., Liu, K., 2022. Comparing the Yangtze and Mississippi River Deltas in the light of coupled natural-human dynamics: Lessons learned and implications for management. Geomorphology, 108075. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.108075

Xu, K.H., Wang*, J., Li, C., Bentley, S., Miner, M., 2022. Geomorphic and Hydrodynamic Impacts on Sediment Transport on the Inner Louisiana Shelf. Geomorphology, 108022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.107983

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, (2019-2022), "Responses of Ecological Function of the Ship Shoal Biological Communities Subjected to Dredging", PI, Nelson, J., Co-PI, Xu, K.H., Roberts, B., Rieucau, G.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, (2019-2022), "Impact of Non-linear sedimentation on Dredge Area Benthic Ecosystem on Louisiana Shelf ", PI, Xue, Z., Co-PI, Xu, K.H., Maiti, K., Glaspie, C.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, (2019-2022), "Investigation of an Ancient Bald Cypress Forest in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, Phase 2",PI, DeLong, K., Co-PI, Harley, G., Bentley, S., Xu, K.H., Reese, C, Obelcz, J.

U.S. Coastal Research Program, (2019-2021), "Evaluation the Distribution and Geotechnical Properties of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Sand Resources and Coupled Environmental Responses to Dredging", PI, Jafari, N., Co-PI, Xu, K.H.,

Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Coastal Science Assistantship Program (2019-2022), "Quantifying Erosional Process in Sediment Diversion Receiving Basins". PI, Xu, K.H.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (2017-2020), "Development of a Monitoring Program for Water Quality and Biogeochemical Processes of Louisiana Sediment Borrow Areas", PI, Xu, K.H., Co-PI, Maiti, K., Bargu, S., Bentley, S., White, J., Wilson, C., Xue, Z.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (2016-2020), "Assessment of Ship Shoal Borrow Areas for Coastal Restoration of Louisiana Barrier Islands", PI, Xu, K.H., Co-PI, Bentley, S., Li, C, Shaw, R., Wilson, C.

Louisiana Center of Excellence, through The Water Institute of Gulf (2017-2020), "Integrating High-Fidelity Models with New Remote Sensing Techniques to Predict Storm Impacts on Louisiana Coastal and Deltaic Systems", PI, Xu, K.H., Co-PI, Chen, Q., Couvillion, B., Jeuken C.

Louisiana Center of Excellence, through The Water Institute of Gulf (2017-2020), "Enhancing Sediment Retention Rates of Receiving Basins of Louisiana Sediment Diversions", PI, Xu, K.H., Co-PI, Bentley, S., Ma, Y., Xue, Z.

Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (2019), 2019 Survey of Mississippi River near Middle Breton Diversion, PI, Bentley, S., Co-PI, Xu, K.H., Hiatt, M.

National Science Foundation (2017-2018), "Collaborative Research: Continuous vs. episodic fluviodeltaic sedimentation: Implications for carbon sequestration and coastal restoration", PI, Xu, K.H., subcontract with Coastal Carolina University.

Louisiana Board of Regents, Traditional Enhancement Program (2016-2017), “Acquisition of Acoustic and Optical Sensors to Enhance the Research and Teaching of Sediment Diversion and Coastal Restoration”, PI, Xu, K.H.

Louisiana Sea Grant, (2016-2018), “From Physics to Oysters: An Integrated Modeling Study of the Potential Impacts of Future Large Sediment Diversions on Louisiana Eastern Oyster“. PI, Huang, H., Co-PI, Justic, D., Xu, K.H., LaPeyre, M., LaPeyre, J.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, (2015-2018), “Investigation of an Ancient Bald Cypress Forest in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, U.S.A.”,PI, DeLong, K., Co-PI, Harley, G., Bentley, S., Xu, K.H., Reese, C.

Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, (2015-2016), “Reducing Uncertainty on Nutrient Removal for Sediment Diversions”, PI, White, J., Co-PI, Xu, K.H.

National Science Foundation, (2014-2017), “Coastal SEES Collaborative Research: Changes in actual and perceived coastal flood risks due to river management strategies”, PI, Twilley, R., Co-PI, Xu, K.H., Bentley, S., Chen, Q., Lam, N.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (2014-2017), “Assessment of Mud-Capped Dredge Pit Evolution on the Outer Continental Shelf of northern Gulf of Mexico”, PI, Xu, K.H., Co-PI, Bentley, S., Li, C.

Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (2014-2015), Applied Research Program, “Characterization and Modeling of Sediment Settling, Consolidation, and Suspension to Optimize the Retention Rate of Sediment Diversions for Coastal Restoration”, PI, Xu, K.H., Co-PI, Bentley, S.

National Science Foundation and the Louisiana Board of Regents, EPSCoR Pfund Program (2014-2015), “A Study of Sediment-Plant Interaction to Benefit Coastal Protection and Restoration”, PI, Xu, K.H.

The Water Institute of Gulf (2014-2015), “Geological and Geotechnical Characterization of Middle Barataria Bay and Middle Breton Sound Diversion Receiving Basins“, PI, Bentley, S., Co-PI, Xu, K.H., Chen, Q.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (2013-2016), “Mass Wasting Processes and Products of the Mississippi Delta Front: Data Synthesis and Observation”, PI, Bentley, S., Co-PI, Xu, K.H., Georgiou, I. [link]

The Water Institute of Gulf (2013-2014), “Geological and Geotechnical Characterization of Lower Barataria Bay and Lower Breton Sound Diversion Receiving Basins“, PI, Bentley, S., Co-PI, Xu, K.H., Chen, Q.

Classes Taught

OCS 4210 – Geological Oceanography
OCS 4024 – Coastal Morphodynamics

Awards, Honors and Service

2020–present, Chair of Education and Knowledge Transfer of Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System (CSDMS)

2015–present, Associate Editor of Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

2020, LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award

2017, LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award

2015, LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation Undergraduate Teaching Award

2015, Phi Kappa Phi Non-Tenured Professor Award, LSU Chapter

2013, Top 25 most cited articles published on ‘Geomorphology’, 2008-2013; Xu and Milliman (2009)

2012–present, James P. Morgan Distinguished Professorship, Louisiana State University

2011-2012 Emerging Scholar Incentive Award, Coastal Carolina University

Recent Publications

View the full list on Dr. Xu's lab page.

Xu, K.H., Wang*, J., Li, C., Bentley, S., Miner, M., 2022. Geomorphic and Hydrodynamic Impacts on Sediment Transport on the Inner Louisiana Shelf. Geomorphology, 108022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.108022

Liu*, H., Xu, K.H., Wilson, C., Bentley, S., Xue, Z., Zhang, Z., 2022. Geomorphologic response and patchy mud infilling in a sandy dredge pit in Ship Shoal, Louisiana shelf, USA. Geomorphology, 107983. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.107983

Bales*, R., Xu, K.H., Li, G., Maiti, K., Liu, H., 2021. Hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and water quality of two contrasting dredge pits on the Louisiana shelf, Continental Shelf Research 230, 104569, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2021.104569

Allen T, Behr J, Bukvic A, Calder RSD, Caruson K, Connor C, D’Elia C, Dismukes D, Ersing R, Franklin R, Goldstein J, Goodall J, Hemmerling S, Irish J, Lazarus S, Loftis D, Luther M, McCallister L, McGlathery K, Mitchell M, Moore W, Nichols CR, Nunez K, Reidenbach M, Shortridge J, Weisberg R, Weiss R, Wright LD, Xia M, Xu K.H., Young D, Zarillo G, Zinnert JC. Anticipating and Adapting to the Future Impacts of Climate Change on the Health, Security and Welfare of Low Elevation Coastal Zone (LECZ) Communities in Southeastern USA. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 2021; 9(11):1196. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9111196

Xue, Z., Wilson, C., Xu, K.H., Bentley, S., Liu*, H., 2021. Sandy Borrow Area Sedimentation—Characteristics and Processes Within South Pelto Dredge Pit on Ship Shoal, Louisiana Shelf, USA. Estuaries and Coasts, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-021-00975-6

Xu, F., Hu, B., Zhao, J., Liu, X., Xu, K.H., Xiong, Z., Wang, F., Ding, X., Li, Q., Guo, J., 2021. Provenance and weathering of sediments in the deep basin of the northern South China Sea during the last 38 kyr. Marine Geology, 106602.

Yang, L., Zhang, H., Li, A., Rockne, K. J., Xu, K.H., Wu, Y., Xu, X., Chen, S., Hu, Y., Wang, X., others, 2021. Polyhalogenated carbazoles in freshwater and estuarine sediment from China and the United States: A multi-regional study. Science of The Total Environment, 147908.

Xu, F., Dou, Y., Zhao, J., Li, J., Liu, X., Xu, K.H., Cai, F., Wen, Z., Chen, X. (2021). Low‑latitude control on sea surface temperatures in the middle Okinawa Trough over the last 3.6 kyr. Geo-Marine Letters, 41(39).

Tian, Q., Xu, K. H., Dong, C. M., Yang, S. L., He, Y. J., Shi, B. W., 2021. Declining sediment discharge in the Yangtze River from 1956 to 2017: Spatial and Temporal changes and their causes., accepted by Water Resources Research, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR028645.

Johnson, C., Chen, Q., Ozdemir, C., Xu, K.H., McCall, R., 2021. Event-scale Morphological Modeling of a Low-lying Mainland Barrier Subject to Hurricane Forcing: The Role of Backbarrier Wetlands, Coastal Engineering, 167, 103886.

DeLong, K. L., Gonzalez, S., Obelcz, J. B., Truong, J. T., Bentley, S. J. Sr, Xu, K.H., Reese, C. A., Harley, G. L., Caporaso, A., Shen, Z. & Middleton, B. A., 2021. Late Pleistocene baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) forest deposit on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Boreas. https://doi.org/10.1111/bor.12524. ISSN 0300-9483.

Yang, HF, Yang, SL , Li, BC, Wang, YP, Wang, JZ, Zhang, ZL , Xu, K.H., Huang, Y.G., Shi, B.W., Zhang W.X., 2021. Different fates of the Yangtze and Mississippi deltaic wetlands under similar riverine sediment decline and sea-level rise, Geomorphology, 381, 107646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.107646

Zhang, X., Xu, K.H., Yang, Z., Tan, X., Wu, C., 2021. Decreasing land growth and unique seasonal area fluctuations of two newborn Mississippi subdeltas, Geomorphology, 378, 107617, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.107617.

Xu, K.H., Wren, P. A., Ma, Y., 2020. Tidal and Storm Impacts on Hydrodynamics and Sediment Dynamics in an Energetic Ebb Tidal Delta. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 8(10), 810. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8100810

Ou, Y., Xue, Z., Li, C., Xu, K.H., White, J. R., Bentley, S. J., Zang, Z., 2020. A numerical investigation of salinity variations in the Barataria Estuary, Louisiana in connection with the Mississippi River and restoration activities. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 107021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2020.107021

Li*, G., Xu, K.H., Xue, Z., Liu, H., Bentley, S. J., 2020. Hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 107090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2020.107090

Liu*, H., Xu, K.H., Wilson, C., 2020. Sediment infilling and geomorphological change of a mud-capped Raccoon Island dredge pit near Ship Shoal of Louisiana shelf, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 245, 106979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106979.

Zang, Z., Xue, Z. G., Xu, K.H., Bentley, S. J., Chen, Q., D'Sa, E. J., Zhang, L., and Ou, Y., 2020. The Role of Sediment-induced Light Attenuation on Primary Production during Hurricane Gustav (2008), Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-58, accepted.

Zang, Z., Xue, Z. G., Xu, K.H., Ozdemir, C. E., Chen, Q., & Bentley, S. J., et al., 2020. A numerical investigation of wave‐supported gravity flow during cold fronts over the Atchafalaya shelf. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 125, e2019JC015269. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JC015269

Yang, SL, Luo, X,Temmerman, S, Kirwan, M,Bouma, T, Xu, K.H., Zhang, S, et al., 2020, Role of delta‐front erosion in sustaining salt marshes under sea‐level rise and fluvial sediment decline, Limnology and Oceanography, 65(9), 1990-2009.

Liu*, H., Xu, K.H., Ou, Y., Bales, R., Zang, Z., Xue, Z.G., 2020. Sediment Transport near Ship Shoal for Coastal Restoration in the Louisiana Shelf: A Model Estimate of the Year 2017–2018. Water 2020, 12, 2212.

Elliton*, C., Xu, K.H., Rivera-Monroy, V.H., 2020. The Impact of Biophysical Processes on Sediment Transport in the Wax Lake Delta (Louisiana, USA). Water 2020, 12, 2072.

Chaytor, J. D., Baldwin, W. E., Bentley, S. J., Damour, M., Jones, D., Maloney, J., Miner, M. D., Obelcz*, J., Xu, K.H., 2020. Short-and long-term movement of mudflows of the Mississippi River Delta Front and their known and potential impacts on oil and gas infrastructure. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 500.

Robichaux*, P., Xu, K.H., Bentley, S. J., Miner, M., Xue, Z., 2020. Morphological evolution of a mud-capped dredge pit on the Louisiana shelf: Nonlinear infilling and continuing consolidation. Geomorphology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.107030, 107030.

Shi, B., Pratolongo, P. D., Du, Y., Li, J., Yang, S., Wu, J., Xu, K.H., Wang, Y. P., 2020. Influence of macrobenthos (Meretrix meretrix Linnaeus) on erosion-accretion processes in intertidal flats: A case study from a cultivation zone. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, doi: 10.1029/2019JG005345.