Projects and Grants per year
Grants and Contracts Details
Description
Abstract:
Recent flash flooding in eastern Kentucky claimed dozens of lives and damaged or destroyed over
10,000 homes. Unfortunately, catastrophic floods and other natural disasters are becoming increasingly
frequent, and this trend is expected to continue under climate change projections. For example, in
eastern Kentucky, climate change is expected to lead to increased precipitation in the dormant season,
when soil water storage is already high—this combination will lead to increased flooding frequency and
magnitude. The Flooding in Appalachian Streams and Headwaters (FLASH) Initiative seeks to 1) better
understand the dynamics and mechanics of flash flooding in eastern Kentucky headwaters, 2) build
models to more accurately and effectively predict flooding given soil moisture and precipitation
conditions, and 3) develop community partnerships to build early warning technologies that serve local
community needs. The UKy component of this collaborative proposal focuses on improving
understanding of flooding in headwater streams and education and workforce development. To
accomplish the former, we will analyze decades of historical streamflow and precipitation data from
UK’s Robinson Forest for trends in flood frequency, duration, timing, and magnitude, in watersheds
ranging from less than 50 ha to over 1,200 ha. Next, we will install a suite of soil moisture sensors in UK’s
Robinson Forest to address a critical water cycle data gap—soil moisture. We have good data in the
forest on incoming precipitation and outgoing streamflow, but we lack a robust understanding of soil
moisture variability over time and space. These sensors will enable us to more accurately model the
movement of incoming precipitation through soil and into streams, improving the ability of our models
to predict flash flood risk. To accomplish the education and workforce development goals, we will
recruit undergraduate students from traditionally underrepresented groups, including students from
Appalachia, for mentored student research projects. We will also recruit high school teachers from the
Appalachian region to participate in Teacher Fellowship programs that will support their professional
development in STEM education. Overall, this project builds on decades of hydrology research at
Robinson Forest and strengthens partnerships across Kentucky and West Virginia institutions to address
a critical public health and safety concern in Central Appalachia—flash flooding. If funded, the proposed
project will dramatically improve both our understanding of flood propagation in small headwater
streams, but also develop critical infrastructure and technologies for prediction and early warning of
deadly flash floods, saving lives.
Status | Active |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 9/1/24 → 8/31/28 |
Funding
- National Science Foundation
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Projects
- 1 Active
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Collaborative Research: RII FEC: The Flooding in Appalachian Streams and Headwaters Initiative: Mitigating Impacts of Climate Change and Flash Flooding in Appalachia
Barton, C. (PI), Fox, J. (CoI) & Sena, K. (CoI)
9/1/24 → 8/31/28
Project: Research project