Annual glacial outburst floods from Suicide Basin present a severe threat to downstream homes, businesses and infrastructure in Juneau, Alaska. As Suicide Glacier retreats, the expanding basin traps massive amounts of seasonal meltwater before suddenly releasing it down the Mendenhall River valley — emptying the basin in 48 hours or less.
As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seeks to build and reinforce flood control measures near river communities — including Juneau — critical monitoring and data collection are needed. But traditional monitoring methods are either unable to survive the harsh environment or unable to provide the highly accurate information needed.
To overcome this obstacle, ERDC is leveraging the unique research capabilities at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory and its Remote Sensing and GIS Center of Expertise to deploy lidar technology that can withstand the elements and deliver precise water levels and ice volumes from a safe distance.
In this episode, we are joined by Adam LeWinter, a research physical scientist, to discuss the phenomenon of a glacial outburst flood (2:17), how fast the outburst happens (4:09) and the geological events that lead to the outburst (5:21). We also discuss current monitoring techniques and the challenges in measuring the basin’s water level and ice capacity (11:47), the capabilities of the Remote Sensing and GIS Center of Expertise (15:30) and the type of high-fidelity monitoring system — tested in other Arctic environments — ERDC would like to deploy to Alaska (20:38).
For more information, visit PowerofERDCPodcast.org/78-Glacial-Outburst-Flooding_resources. Watch a video of this podcast at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/78-Glacial-Outburst-Flooding_video.
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