Freshwaterhack Project: Mountain to Sea Sediment

There is an important gap in flood modeling: flood models do not sufficiently resolve sediment dynamics in river networks and related consequences for channel conveyance. Especially in tectonically active regions, changes in channel capacity due to geomorphic processes may sometimes be as or more important than the frequency of high discharge events in determining flood risks.

Alex Bryk et al. at UC Berkeley have been using Earth Engine to study geomorphology. Specifically, this animation (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16U1vGD1ewGyBBVh_UHslYRkf5FNLZHmsLiD_1fcaAzY/edit SLIDE 67) shows patterns of erosion and deposition over time. Because they can scale their algorithms to run anywhere, their findings are challenging conventional wisdom for how rivers form and evolve.

How to can use remotely sensed data, together with tools such as GEE, to quantify changes in the sediment flux through river systems?
How can we use these tools to improve our understanding of sediment and flooding in the Pacific Northwest?

Geohackweek questions to explore:
(1) Which watersheds have the greatest upland river dynamics?
(2) Which watersheds have the greatest lowland and esturay dynamics?
(3) In which watersheds should we extend our observational networks and modeling studies to best understand those areas most affected by flooding uncertainty related to sediment?