In this study, we propose a new Rapid Flood Inundation Model (RFIM). The purpose of the RFIM is to generate predictions of water depth and flood extent using less computer resource than required by two-dimensional shallow water equation models (SWEMs). To be useful the RFIM must produce predictions that are comparable with those obtained from SWEMs. The model described here is an improvement on...

With the publication of eight original research articles, four types of advances in the remote sensing of floods are achieved. The uncertainty of modeled outputs using precipitation datasets derived from in situ observations and remote sensors is further understood. With the terrestrial laser scanner and airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) coupled with high resolution optical and radar...

Pahoehoe lava flows are common in every basaltic province, and their submarine variants, pillow lavas and sheet flows, cover the bulk of the Earth. Pahoehoe flows are emplaced by inflation—the injection of molten lava underneath a solidified crust. Only in the past few years has an understanding of the inflation process and the ability to recognize ancient inflated lava flows been achieved. All...

T HE DISASTER IN LEH. Less than 1 week after the catastrophic slow-rise flooding of the Indus River in Pakistan in late July 2010 (Houze et al. 2011), f looding of a different, more sudden type produced a disaster in the city of Leh, India, located 500 km to the east. The town of Leh, located in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir State in India, is a high-altitude cold desert valley, 3,500 ...

T HE DISASTER IN LEH. Less than 1 week after the catastrophic slow-rise flooding of the Indus River in Pakistan in late July 2010 (Houze et al. 2011), f looding of a different, more sudden type produced a disaster in the city of Leh, India, located 500 km to the east. The town of Leh, located in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir State in India, is a high-altitude cold desert valley, 3,500 ...

Facing rising sea levels, increasing peak discharges of the rivers and intensification of rainstorms due to climate change; the subsidence of land; development of urbanization; and the growth of population, flood risks continue to be the prime issue to the Netherlands. As the frequency and severity of floods increase, the reconsideration of current flood defense strategies is imperative. This p...

Flood hazard mapping is a topic of increasing interest involving several aspects in which a series of progress steps have occurred in recent years. Among these, a valuable advance has been performed in solving 2-D shallow water equations in complex topographies and in the use of high resolution topographic data. However, reliable predictions of flood-prone areas are not simply related to these ...

A flood warning system incorporates telemetered rainfall and flow/water level data measured at various locations in the catchment area. Real-time accurate data collection is required for this use, and sensor networks improve the system capabilities. However, existing sensor nodes struggle to satisfy the hydrological requirements in terms of autonomy, sensor hardware compatibility, reliability a...

Satellite remote sensing is a valuable tool for monitoring flooding. Microwave sensors are especially appropriate instruments, as they allow the differentiation of inundated from non-inundated areas, regardless of levels of solar illumination or frequency of cloud cover in regions experiencing substantial rainy seasons. In the current study we present the longest synthetic aperture radar-based ...