Critical review of Terrain Tile and Google Earth: Virtual image mapping methods for floodplain management

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 433
Author(s):  
Richard Wise, MSCE, EIT ◽  
Andrew Darnell, MSCE, EIT ◽  
John Quaranta, PhD, PE
Keyword(s):  
Computer Modeling ◽  
River System ◽  
File Sharing ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Dam Failure ◽  
Floodplain Management ◽  
Mapping Procedure ◽  
Critical Information ◽  
Inundation Maps ◽  
Response Measures

Inundation mapping is a major component of floodplain management, providing critical information as to the consequences of potential failures of flood control structures. Flood mitigation efforts rely on the creation of inundation maps to develop appropriate response measures for crisis situations, including dam failures. To develop inundation maps, a dam and river system is modeled with engineering computer programs, and a simulation of the dam failure is performed to generate data for the flood. This output data are input into other programs to develop inundation maps. Inundation maps have traditionally been produced in a paper format, but recent advances in computer modeling have provided the capability for virtual inundation maps. Virtual inundation maps offer new methods of presentation and analysis of flood impacts; thus, these mapping methods need to be investigated to determine the applications and relevance to floodplain management. The goal of this research is to advance the development and use of inundation maps by floodplain managers and emergency agencies. A simulation of a potential dam failure was performed using computer modeling for a candidate river system, and the inundation maps were created using two procedures: Terrain Tiles and Google Earth. An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each mapping procedure was conducted. The results indicated that the Terrain Tiles procedure has advantages in displaying critical information, such as arrival times and water depths. However, this mapping procedure is more labor intensive, and the online file sharing may not be accessible for all users. The strengths of the Google Earth procedure include two-dimensional and three-dimensional views for analysis, user-friendly file sharing, and the inclusion of built-in critical infrastructure and terrain data. Drawbacks of this procedure are that the inundation must still be generated in ArcGIS, the display of critical information is not as clear, and the online file sharing may pose security issues. Thus, the Terrain Tiles procedure should be used for the development of emergency response measures, and the Google Earth procedure should be used by emergency responders in the event of an actual emergency.

Comparison of ArcToolbox and Terrain Tiles processing procedures for inundation mapping in mountainous terrain

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Andrew Darnell, MSCE, EIT ◽  
Richard Wise, MSCE, EIT ◽  
John Quaranta, PhD, PE
Keyword(s):  
Flood Control ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Flood Damage ◽  
Dam Failure ◽  
Floodplain Management ◽  
River Systems ◽  
Processing Methods ◽  
Inundation Maps ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Software Programs

Floodplain management consists of efforts to reduce flood damage to critical infrastructure and to protect the life and health of individuals from flooding. A major component of this effort is the monitoring of flood control structures such as dams because the potential failure of these structures may have catastrophic consequences. To prepare for these threats, engineers use inundation maps that illustrate the flood resulting from high river stages. To create the maps, the structure and river systems are modeled using engineering software programs, and hydrologic events are used to simulate the conditions leading to the failure of the structure. The output data are then exported to other software programs for the creation of inundation maps. Although the computer programs for this process have been established, the processing procedures vary and yield inconsistent results. Thus, these processing methods need to be examined to determine the functionality of each in floodplain management practices. The main goal of this article is to present the development of a more integrated, accurate, and precise graphical interface tool for interpretation by emergency managers and floodplain engineers. To accomplish this purpose, a potential dam failure was simulated and analyzed for a candidate river system using two processing methods: ArcToolbox and Terrain Tiles. The research involved performing a comparison of the outputs, which revealed that both procedures yielded similar inundations for single river reaches. However, the results indicated key differences when examining outputs for large river systems. On the basis of criteria involving the hydrologic accuracy and effects on infrastructure, the Terrain Tiles inundation surpassed the ArcToolbox inundation in terms of following topography and depicting flow rates and flood extents at confluences, bends, and tributary streams. Thus, the Terrain Tiles procedure is a more accurate representation of flood extents for use by floodplain engineers, hydrologists, geographers, and emergency managers.

River system recovery following the Novaţ-Roşu tailings dam failure, Maramureş County, Romania

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 3498-3518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Bird ◽  
Paul A. Brewer ◽  
Mark G. Macklin ◽  
Dan Balteanu ◽  
Mihaela Serban ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River System ◽  
Dam Failure ◽  
Tailings Dam

scholarly journals Developing Low-Cost Inundation Maps for Dam Failures: Modeling and Analysis of a Potential Dam Failure for the Péligre Dam in Haiti

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Jachimowicz ◽  
Shiyan Zhang ◽  
Dan Jakubek
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Dam Failure ◽  
Gis And Remote Sensing ◽  
Modeling And Analysis ◽  
Inundation Maps ◽  
Crucial Component ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques ◽  
Inundation Map ◽  
The Impact

Dam failure relates to significant risk of human lives, property, and the environment protection. Understanding the risk that a dam introduces is significant for making contingency plans. After a dam failure an inundation map is a crucial component to understand the impact of flooding that will occur. This paper takes Péligre Dam in Haiti as the study area, using an innovative approach for producing inundation maps and estimate consequences. This research uses GIS and remote sensing techniques to merge DEM and generate land cover as data preprocessing, and subsequently uses the DSSWISE Lite System to develop the flood simulation and generate an inundation map for further estimation of life loss. It demonstrates the potential for the production of low-cost accurate inundation maps for dam failed emergencies that can be applied in other developing countries. As the result of the simulation with setting of a moderate breach of 100 meters that developed over 1 hour, it was estimated that 65 fatalities would occur and 202 buildings would be destroyed based on it.

scholarly journals Flood of Ecology - Floodplain Habitation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Christopher Braczek
Keyword(s):  
Flood Control ◽  
River System ◽  
Flood Protection ◽  
Natural Occurrence ◽  
Floodplain Management ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Flood Events ◽  
Coastal Forests ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Human Modification

<p>Larger and more devastating flood events are happening more frequently across the planet, but flooding is a natural occurrence for any river system. It is only due to human modification of the river system, through the removal of natural features and attempts at flood control, that creates flood hazards that cause damage to communities and ecosystems.  Kapiti Coast’s terrain consisted, pre 19th century, of a mixture of dense coastal forests and extensive wetlands. The landscape has and always will be prone to flooding. With the addition of the expressway to the region, making it easier to travel to and from the capital Wellington, it is expected that the population of Kapiti will grow. But biodiversity may get lost, and flooding may become increasingly more frequent. How might new settlers learn to live with flooding and the constant risk that every time it rains it may cause damage to their homes or businesses? Can there be other benefits to floodplain management, such as biodiversity and recreation?  The aim of this research is to investigate and develop strategies to aid in the settlement of floodplains so that biodiversity is improved, allowing people to live with floods and without the fear that flooding may cause damage. Specifically, the design-led research seeks to generate solutions that improve both flood awareness and flood protection along the Waikanae River. The design seeks to allow the river to express its own flow patterns, and then secondly, how settlement will work within that. It can then be a catalyst for settlement of floodplain areas along the edge of the river.  This thesis will explore how ecology, rehabilitation and natural flood protection can be employed amongst an expanding urban context to create a new way of thinking about our rivers and mitigating the ever pressing issue of flooding.</p>

scholarly journals Automated Inundation Mapping Over Large Areas Using Landsat Data and Google Earth Engine

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria L. Inman ◽  
Mitchell B. Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Landsat Imagery ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Okavango Delta ◽  
Infrared Band ◽  
Inundation Maps ◽  
Noaa Avhrr ◽  
Inundation Mapping ◽  
Google Earth Engine

Accurate inundation maps for flooded wetlands and rivers are a critical resource for their management and conservation. In this paper, we automate a method (thresholding of the short-wave infrared band) for classifying peak inundation in the Okavango Delta, northern Botswana, using Landsat imagery and Google Earth Engine. Inundation classification in the Okavango Delta is complex owing to the spectral overlap between inundated areas covered with aquatic vegetation and dryland vegetation classes on satellite imagery, and classifications have predominately been implemented on broad spatial resolution imagery. We present the longest time series to date (1990–2019) of inundation maps for the peak flood season at a high spatial resolution (30 m) for the Okavango Delta. We validated the maps using image-based and in situ data accuracy assessments, with overall accuracy ranging from 91.5% to 98.1%. Use of Landsat imagery resulted in consistently lower (on average, 692 km2) estimates of inundation extent than previous studies that used Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Advanced Very-High-Resolution Radiometer (NOAA AVHRR) imagery, likely owing to the increased number of mixed pixels that occur when using broad spatial resolution imagery, which can lead to overestimations of the size of inundated areas. We provide the inundation maps and Google Earth Engine code for public use. This classification method can likely be adapted for inundation mapping in other regions.

scholarly journals Assessment of Flood Hazard and its Effects in Dolokhat village of Lakhimpur District, Assam

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 5365-5369
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
River System ◽  
Flood Plain ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Great Earthquake ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
The People ◽  
Tectonically Active

Land of rivers, India annually faces the perennial problems of flood and siltation basically along the flood plain region since millennia. Situated on a tectonically active zone and transversed by the Brahmaputra and Barak river system, Assam has been recognized as the worst sufferer. Increasing magnitude and devastation of the hazard is much owed due to the great earthquake of 1950 along with both natural and human-induced factors and activities. The regions located at upper Brahmaputra valley are frequently inundated and eroded wiping away vast areas of cropland, properties, and human lives. As such, the Lakhimpur district of Assam faces similar havoc each year with massive destruction leaving many people helpless and homeless. The people living in the rural areas of the district had to struggle hard to sustain their lives and livelihoods and thus, adopted their indigenous or traditional ways and means of coping with the floods. This paper, therefore, attempts to study the causes and impacts of floods caused by the river Singri, a sub-tributary of the Brahmaputra river on the inhabitants of Dolokhat village located in Lakhimpur district. This study also takes into account the differential shifting patterns of the river for a period of 12 years from 2005 to 2017, wherein highest erosion was observed during 2017 eroding 22.60 hectares of land displacing people and livestock. The study was undertaken using both primary and secondary sources of information. Data and information collected have been processed and analyzed using Google Earth Pro, ArcGIS 10.9.2, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. Such information will enable the planners, policy-makers, geomorphologists, etc. in targeted solutions and strategies to initiate measures and mitigate such problems so that the adverse effects of floods could be reduced to a certain extent.

scholarly journals Automated Inundation History Mapping over Large Areas using Landsat and Google Earth Engine

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria L Inman ◽  
Mitchell B Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Landsat Imagery ◽  
Short Wave ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Okavango Delta ◽  
Complex Case ◽  
Infrared Band ◽  
Inundation Maps ◽  
Google Earth Engine

Accurate inundation maps for flooded wetlands and rivers are a critical resource for their management and conservation. In this paper we automate a method (thresholding of the short-wave infrared band) for classifying inundation, using Landsat imagery and Google Earth Engine. We demonstrate the method in the Okavango Delta, northern Botswana, a complex case study due to the spectral overlap between inundated areas covered with aquatic vegetation and dryland vegetation classes on satellite imagery. Inundation classifications in the Okavango Delta have predominately been implemented on broad spatial resolution images. We present the longest time series to date (1990-2019) of inundation maps at high spatial resolution (30m) for the Okavango Delta. We validated the maps using image-based and in situ data accuracy assessments, with accuracy ranging from 91.5 - 98.1%. Use of Landsat imagery resulted in consistently lower estimates of inundation extent than previous studies, likely due to the increased number of mixed pixels that occur when using broad spatial resolution imagery, which can lead to overestimations of the size of inundated areas. We provide the inundation maps and Google Earth Engine code for public use.

scholarly journals Glof Study in Tawang River Basin, Arunachal Pradesh, India

2014 ◽  
Vol XL-8 ◽  
pp. 101-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Panda ◽  
S. K. Padhee ◽  
S. Dutta
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Flash Flood ◽  
River System ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Landsat 8 ◽  
Arunachal Pradesh ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Eastern Himalayas ◽  
River Reach

Glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is one of the major unexpected hazards in the high mountain regions susceptible to climate change. The Tawang river basin in Arunachal Pradesh is an unexplored region in the Eastern Himalayas, which is impending to produce several upcoming hydro-electric projects (HEP). The main source of the river system is the snow melt in the Eastern Himalayas, which is composed of several lakes located at the snout of the glacier dammed by the lateral or end moraine. These lakes might prove as potential threat to the future scenario as they have a tendency to produce flash flood with large quantity of sediment load during outbursts. This study provides a methodology to detect the potential lakes as a danger to the HEP sites in the basin, followed by quantification of volume of discharge from the potential lake and prediction of hydrograph at the lake site. The remote location of present lakes induced the use of remote sensing data, which was fulfilled by Landsat-8 satellite imagery with least cloud coverage. Suitable reflectance bands on the basis of spectral responses were used to produce informational layers (NDWI, Potential snow cover map, supervised classification map) in GIS environment for discriminating different land features. The product obtained from vector overlay operation of these layers; representing possible water area, was further utilized in combination with Google earth to identify the lakes within the watershed. Finally those identified lakes were detected as potentially dangerous lakes based on the criteria of elevation, area, proximity from streamline, slope and volume of water held. HEC-RAS simulation model was used with cross sections from Google Earth and field survey as input to simulate dam break like situation; hydrodynamic channel routing of the outburst hydrograph along river reach was carried out to get the GLOF hydrograph at the project sites. It was concluded from the results that, the assessed GLOF would be a lead for the qualitative approximation of the amount of bed load transported along the river reach and thus hydropower project sites.

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