collapse

Author Topic: predicting flooding via gravity..  (Read 1351 times)

sky otter

  • Guest
predicting flooding via gravity..
« on: July 11, 2014, 08:55:40 pm »


Gravity Variations Foretell Flood Risk Months in Advance 

 Written by Science News     
Thursday, 10 July 2014 

Satellites can monitor saturated river basins to forecast disasters
 

Small gravitational tugs from waterlogged river basins could give scientists a big advantage in predicting devastating floods, researchers report July 6 in Nature Geoscience.

Hydrologist J.T. Reager and colleagues from the University of California, Irvine looked at data from GRACE, a duo of NASA satellites that detect small changes in Earth’s gravity. As a river basin soaks up water, the satellites record a stronger gravitational pull. Wetter ground is more liable to flood when hit by a surge of rain or snowmelt.

The researchers studied GRACE data collected during the months before the May–July 2011 catastrophic flooding along the Missouri River. The team found that the region’s gravity increased leading up to the floods, and the researchers showed that the uptick could have been used to predict the 2011 flood five months in advance. Field measurements of snowmelt and soil moisture can offer at most two months of warning.

While promising, Reager’s team says the approach can’t predict flash floods brought on by sudden torrential rain, such as the deadly July 2010 typhoon that flooded parts of Pakistan.




Citations
 J.T. Reager, B.F. Thomas and J.S. Famiglietti. River basin flood potential inferred using GRACE gravity observations at several months lead time. Nature Geoscience. Published online July 6, 2014. doi: 10.1038/ngeo2203.



Further Reading
 J. Shugart. Flood damage to cost up to $1 trillion per year by 2050. Science News Online, August 16, 2013.



E. Wayman. Extreme storm surges may occur more often. Science News. Vol. 183, April 20, 2013, p. 18.

S. Perkins. Johnstown Flood matched volume of Mississippi River. Science News. Vol. 176, November 21, 2009, p. 10.

Source: Science News
http://www.amerisurv.com/content/view/12835/2/

.........................................

Satellite Data Enables Early Flood Predictions

by Michelle Jones
July 07, 2014, 12:40 pm   

Studying water levels

In the study, researchers took measurements of how much water was in a river basis before the spring flooding season came. Then they looked at historical satellite data, using it to take measurements about the amount of water that saturated the ground ahead of the Missouri River flooding in 2011. They found that the statistical model they developed gave strong indicators that a major flood was about to happen five months before it did. Researchers said they may be able to predict a major flood up to 11 months out, although predictions that far ahead of time would be less reliable.
 
 
The 2011 Missouri River flood lasted months, soaking farmland, closing nuclear plants and shutting down highways. A month before the floods rolled in, the National Weather Service issued flood warnings


NASA’s GRACE satellites

The data researchers used for the study came from the two GRACE satellites launched by NASA. Their orbits around Earth were affected slightly due to changes in the planet’s gravitational pull. Scientists say these small pulls indicate that the planet’s mass is changing slightly due to impacts from a buildup of water and / or snow. NASA originally launched the satellites to keep an eye on ice sheet melting.

At this point, researchers have only used their statistical method to examine past floods. In addition, they said only some types of floods can be predicted using their model. Flash flooding caused by sudden downpours, like what happens during monsoon season in India, could not be predicted.

Scientists also said it takes about three months for researchers to gather data from the two satellites, which means they can only predict floods two or three months ahead of time. That’s not much different than the amount of time current ground methods of measurements provide. However, NASA is looking at ways to speed up how fast its data is delivered, bringing it down to 15 days.


http://www.valuewalk.com/2014/07/satellite-data-enables-early-flood-predictions/


..................................

http://austriantribune.com/informationen/144044-researchers-say-satellite-data-may-predict-floods-earth


Researchers say that Satellite Data May Predict Floods on the Earth


..............................................................




The findings were published on July 6 in the Nature Geoscience journal.

http://www.nature.com/ngeo/index.html

Letter | 6 July 2014
   River flood potential inferred using GRACE observations at several months lead time    
J. T. Reager et al.

Offline Norval

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 590
  • Gold 161
  • hmmmm what should go here? Ahh, a question!
    • Crater Chains Research
Re: predicting flooding via gravity..
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2014, 07:32:59 am »
Now this is some good science, , thanky Otter.

GFY
It's the questions that drive us, , , the answers that guide us.
 What will you know tomorrow? Have a question?
Send me an email at craterchains@yahoo.com

Offline Littleenki

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4340
  • Gold 215
Re: predicting flooding via gravity..
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2014, 08:21:03 am »
Thats a cool post, Sky, Im certain a dowser would agree with this methodology as well.

Even Tesla might have raised an eyebrow.... 8)
Hermetically sealed, for your protection

 


Wal-Mart.com USA, LLC
affiliate_link
Free Click Tracking
Wal-Mart.com USA, LLC

* Recent Posts

Re: kits to feed your family for a year by Shasta56
[March 17, 2024, 12:40:48 pm]


Re: kits to feed your family for a year by space otter
[March 16, 2024, 08:45:27 pm]


Re: kits to feed your family for a year by Shasta56
[March 16, 2024, 07:24:38 pm]


Re: kits to feed your family for a year by space otter
[March 16, 2024, 10:41:21 am]


Re: Full Interview - Lance Corporal Jonathan Weygandt (1997) by RUSSO
[March 12, 2024, 07:22:56 pm]


Re: Full Interview - Lance Corporal Jonathan Weygandt (1997) by RUSSO
[March 09, 2024, 03:25:56 am]


Re: Full Interview - Lance Corporal Jonathan Weygandt (1997) by RUSSO
[March 09, 2024, 02:33:38 am]


Re: Music You Love by RUSSO
[March 09, 2024, 01:10:22 am]


Re: The Man Who Built UFOs For The CIA (Not Bob Lazar!) by RUSSO
[March 09, 2024, 12:14:14 am]


Re: Full Interview - Lance Corporal Jonathan Weygandt (1997) by RUSSO
[March 09, 2024, 12:08:46 am]


Re: A peculiar stone in DeForest by Canine
[March 03, 2024, 11:54:22 am]


Re: The Man Who Built UFOs For The CIA (Not Bob Lazar!) by kevin
[March 03, 2024, 11:30:06 am]


Re: The Man Who Built UFOs For The CIA (Not Bob Lazar!) by kevin
[March 03, 2024, 11:21:15 am]


Re: The Man Who Built UFOs For The CIA (Not Bob Lazar!) by kevin
[March 03, 2024, 11:16:05 am]


Re: Music You Love by RUSSO
[March 02, 2024, 07:58:09 pm]


Re: Full Interview - Lance Corporal Jonathan Weygandt (1997) by RUSSO
[March 02, 2024, 07:50:59 pm]


Re: The Man Who Built UFOs For The CIA (Not Bob Lazar!) by RUSSO
[March 02, 2024, 07:43:03 pm]


Re: The Man Who Built UFOs For The CIA (Not Bob Lazar!) by RUSSO
[March 02, 2024, 07:41:30 pm]


Re: The Man Who Built UFOs For The CIA (Not Bob Lazar!) by kevin
[March 01, 2024, 11:54:23 am]


Re: The Man Who Built UFOs For The CIA (Not Bob Lazar!) by kevin
[March 01, 2024, 11:34:15 am]