Modeling and simulating the aftermath of hurricanes before they hit landfall is no easy task.
But Clint Dawson, director of the Computational Hydraulics Group at the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES), has taken on the challenge.
With accurate data and powerful computing resources such as the Texas Advanced Computing Center, Dawson, who is also a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, has been able to create storm simulations and predict the effectiveness of new infrastructure, such as hurricane walls and levees, for future storms.
Read more about the proposed Galveston Bay dike in the Further Findings research blog.
Read a transcript of the interview (PDF).
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When a dike is built, the water will flow off the dike and head to the lowest point. With all this water stacking up against the shore won't it move off to the lowest point for flooding somebody else??? One has to wonder if building higher is cheaper than building a dike? Reminds me of all the contruction in Austin before the Memorial Day flood in 1980, all the run off and "unprecedented flooding" in areas that normally did not flood.
Will hurricane help or worsen the current oil spill? I am not sure if the current models can simulate this. It may take the oil to the shores where it could be easier to manage the crisis rather than going out in the water and tackling it there. Besides, the marine life could be bathed out of oil with a medium hurricane.
it's very helpful to the people who are experiencing hurricanes in their places. this can lessen damages or prevent massive destruction caused by hurricanes.
A salute for Mr. Cliff Dawson for giving his time to study and make a mapping of hurricanes that really helps many people and it can also save many lives in case of calamities like this.
Nice video, but I really think this is all just theoretical. To simulate the aftermath of a hurricane? In a hurricane, there is so much "butterfly effect" like in nothing else, don't you think?
Nice research project! It would be absolutely great, if this could help to prevent horrible damages in future. As Mike Geary commented, I also think that hurricanes are absolutely inpredictable, but I think we can better protect ourselves with these research results!