Presenter(s):
Blaine Morriss (Geographer, USACE) and Chandler Engle (Research Hydraulics Engineer, USACE)
Description:
The Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory's (CRREL) Ice Jam Program and Database began in 1992 as a means of cataloguing and analyzing river ice-related flooding problems. Rivers in the northern United States are subject to ice jams that cause flooding, interfere with hydropower and water supply intakes, impede navigation, damage riverine infrastructure, and decrease downstream discharge. Our mission is to document and report on these events and serve as a resource for emergency managers and planners trying to understand the risks and potential mitigations of said events. We utilize a variety of data sources to identify and evaluate jams, including Weather Service reports, USGS and local gauge data, CPC forecasts, optical and microwave satellite remote sensing, in-situ cameras, firsthand accounts, as well as news outlets and social media. We will discuss some use cases and applications of this dataset, some practical limitations and bias inherent to the process and their impacts, our plans to enhance our operational detection and record-keeping capabilities moving forward, and aspirations of improving our predictive capabilities by including research products to describe ice thickness, frazil ice production, infrequent storm and rain-on-snow risk, and to work towards a more comprehensive risk model.
Access:
meet.google.com/cqb-upnm-bfg
1-475-222-3513
PIN: 545 813 857#