ETH Zürich’s Post

Amidst the current surge in extreme weather phenomena, I'm looking into an analysis of significant weather events from last year. This exploration aims to ascertain the utility of satellite imagery in assessing damages and identifying vulnerable regions in the context of natural disasters based on known events. One notable event occurred on April 25th, when the Mississippi River surged to Major Flood Stage in Wabasha, Minnesota. This marked the fourth-highest river level in recorded history for the area. The flooding was not precipitated by a singular rain event but rather by a confluence of factors, including unusually high temperatures, snowmelt upstream, and above-average precipitation leading up to April 25th. In my investigation, I utilized true-color satellite imagery. A 10-meter resolution Sentinel-2 image captured the area on April 14th, eight days before the flood, offering a baseline view. A true-color 3-meter resolution Planet image was acquired during the flood event on April 26th. This imagery revealed extensive inundation of low-lying areas in the town. Remarkably, it took nearly a week after the peak for river levels to recede to minor flood stage. Acquiring optical imagery for flood assessment can be challenging due to cloud cover. However, in this case, the flooding was not tied to a specific precipitation event but rather to spring runoff, which allowed for clear satellite observations. #geospatial #gis #sentinel2 #remotesensing #flooding #insurance

I have given myself the challenge of reading David Ryglicki et al series of papers on unexpected rapid intensification of tropical cyclones. So far I’ve finished the first one and it is thoroughly enjoyable and extremely sophisticated. Some of the best research I’ve encountered, as a non-specialist in the field of tropical meteorology. Here are the four relevant papers. I think I have them in the wrong order so check the publication dates when creating your study plan. Part 3: **”The Unexpected Rapid Intensification of Tropical Cyclones in Moderate Vertical Wind Shear: Outflow–Environment Interaction"** - This paper discusses the interaction between outflow and environmental factors during the rapid intensification of tropical cyclones. - [Full Text](https://lnkd.in/eiTDZsSd) Part 2:**"The Unexpected Rapid Intensification of Tropical Cyclones in Moderate Vertical Wind Shear: Vortex Tilt"** - This paper examines how vortex tilt contributes to the unexpected rapid intensification in such conditions. - [Full Text](https://lnkd.in/er7YHkSW) Part 1: **"The Unexpected Rapid Intensification of Tropical Cyclones in Moderate Vertical Wind Shear: Overview and Observations"** - This overview paper presents observational data and analysis on the rapid intensification phenomena. - [Full Text](https://lnkd.in/esSqKJK9) Part 3.5: **"Observations of Atypical Rapid Intensification Characteristics in Hurricane Dorian (2019)"** - This study looks into the atypical characteristics of Hurricane Dorian's rapid intensification. - [Full Text and PDF](https://lnkd.in/eNwKJwUz)

While it makes for an impressive photo, the practical application of Tropical Weather Analytics, Inc.'s 3D measuring technique of cloud top heights and altitudes is necessary to improve hurricane forecasts by reducing the hPa error of current models (~7-11 hPa) down to just 3.5 hPa. This translates into an earlier forecast and more reliable storm track and intensity forecasts. From the article: "This remarkable and unique 3D view clearly reveals variations in the cloud-top altitudes, as well as the height difference between the high clouds above the eyewall of the storm and the low clouds inside the eye. The successful creation of the anaglyph 3D view is an important milestone because it demonstrates use of the parallax technique to measure the altitudes of a tropical cyclone’s eyewall clouds from space." https://lnkd.in/etR6CBH8

Floods are among the most devastating natural disasters, causing significant loss of life and property. Traditional flood forecasting methods often fall short in providing timely and accurate predictions, leading to inadequate disaster response. However, the advent of exascale computing models is revolutionizing this field. Our latest article delves into how these models are transforming flood forecasting and disaster response, highlighting their impact on stakeholders: https://bit.ly/3zSMAk2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #Tyrone #Netweb #ExascaleComputing #FloodForecasting #DisasterResponse #TechInnovation #PredictiveModels #ExascalePower #24HourLeadTime #AdvancedTech #ClimateTech #ResearchInnovation #NextGenComputing #HighPerformanceComputing #EnvironmentalTech #SmartDisasterManagement #TechForGood

Local rain series in DynamicFlood makes your flood modelling right as rain! 🌧️ We updated DynamicFlood, powered by TUFLOW, with local design rain events in Sweden and Norway. With this improvement, you can be sure that your simulation uses the best available input based on local rain statistics. To create the design rains, we followed national guidelines and used data from Norwegian Meteorological Institute | Meteorologisk institutt and SMHI in Sweden. And there's more! 💡 DynamicFlood now also features several climate scenarios that can be used for simulating future flood conditions. 🔮 Why is this so cool? ☔ Automatically receive rain events tailored to your project area. ☔ Consistency across your flood modelling projects with no effort. ☔ Perfect for modelling both current and future climate scenarios. ☔ The easiest way to get started with hydrodynamic modelling. To use the new design rain events, simply initiate a DynamicFlood simulation and select the return periods and climate scenarios you want to run in your Workspace. Read more about design rains in Norway: https://lnkd.in/dpevKq3P Or check out this blog post for more info about the Swedish setup: https://lnkd.in/dzxftJVQ

🌏 Analyzing Cyclone Asani: Precipitation Mapping and Insights from Google Earth Engine 🌏 In this project, I employed the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to analyze the precipitation patterns associated with Cyclone Asani over a 12-day period, from May 7 to May 19, 2022. This analysis focused on understanding the cyclone's rainfall impact, highlighting the significant variations in precipitation rates experienced during this severe weather event. During the mapping of Cyclone Asani, I observed precipitation values ranging from a minimum of 0.5 mm/hour to a maximum of 49.20 mm/hour. This wide range reflects the cyclone's intensity and its capacity to produce heavy rainfall, contributing to the overall flooding and damage experienced in affected areas. The insights gained from this analysis not only deepen our understanding of cyclonic precipitation dynamics but also assist in improving disaster preparedness and response strategies for future tropical cyclones. Leveraging GEE's capabilities allowed for comprehensive visualization and assessment of rainfall distribution, reinforcing the significance of remote sensing technologies in climate-related research. #CycloneAsani #GoogleEarthEngine #RemoteSensing #ClimateResearch #DisasterManagement #PrecipitationAnalysis #ClimateResilience #TropicalCyclones #DataScience #GeospatialAnalysis #EnvironmentalScience #ClimateChange #WeatherForecasting #FloodManagement #AravinthR App Link: https://geemap-geospatial https://lnkd.in/eeAdSvFf

Are you prepared for the weather week ahead? ❄️ 🌧️ Our meteorologists are monitoring significant conditions across the U.S. on a weekly basis. Here's your weekly snapshot: 1️⃣ Northeast US: 🌨️ Expect light snow in Western and Central NY, transitioning to freezing rain. Rain and snow showers continue mid-week, with dry conditions by Saturday and a possible return of rain/snow on Sunday. NYC/Long Island will see rain and showers, with dry conditions resuming Friday. 2️⃣ Upper Midwest/Great Lakes: ☔❄️ Mixed precipitation of rain, snow, and sleet is expected across the region. Northern Michigan could see up to 1" of snow by Tuesday evening. Rain is anticipated for midweek, with dry conditions into the weekend. 3️⃣ Southern US: ⚡🌧️ Active weather brings rain and thunderstorms, with possible severe weather in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The storm moves eastward by Friday, affecting Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas. 4️⃣ Northwest US: 🌦️ Unsettled weather with widespread rain showers in lower elevations and snow in the Cascades and Klamath Mountains. Expect another round of precipitation over the weekend. 5️⃣ Southwest US and Intermountain West: ☀️🌧️ Precipitation across Southern California, Arizona, and Southern Nevada, with isolated thunderstorms possible. Dry conditions are expected by the weekend as a strong ridge builds across the area. Stay ahead of the weather with Tomorrow.io pre-built operational templates: https://lnkd.in/g32mDiBM #weatherupdate #weeklyforecast #meteorology

Assessing natural disaster damage is crucial – but difficult. Especially if the disaster is very recent, or even still ongoing. You can’t easily compare “before” and “after”, you can’t see through the smoke of an ongoing wildfire… Or can you? With Very High Resolution satellite imagery, you can see every detail of your area of interest, and use it to analyse damage. See for yourself. 👇 The first picture shows a before and after comparison of Derna in Libya struck by floods last year. The second picture is a before and after view of a coast in Japan hit by a tsunami. The third picture demonstrates the use of multispectral 8-band satellite imagery to see through the smoke of fire. You can penetrate haze, clearly see the fires, and differentiate between the healthy and burnt vegetation. ⏳ Moreover, rapid delivery means you can get data as soon as 15 minutes after collection Satellite Imagery © 2024 Maxar Technologies Provided by European Space Imaging #emergencymanagement #crisismanagement #emergencyservices #disasterresponse #flooding

According to #NOAA, a strong geomagnetic storm hit Earth on May 10, 2024. The storm was caused by a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun and caused a variety of effects on Earth. This geomagnetic storm may induce electric currents in power grids, which can damage transformers and other equipment. This can lead to widespread power outages. The charged particles from the Sun can also damage #satellites, which can disrupt #communication signals. This can affect everything from cell phone service to #GPS navigation. The May 10 storm was classified as a G3 geomagnetic storm, which is the third-strongest class of geomagnetic storm. While no major infrastructure disruptions have been reported yet as a result of the storm, NOAA has issued a Geomagnetic Storm Watch for May 13, 2024. #geomagneticstorm #solarmstorm #communicationdisruptions #technologydisruptions #auroraborealis #NorthernLights https://lnkd.in/dT7WtbmQ

Satellite Images Show 'Firehose' Atmospheric River Aimed At California -- https://lnkd.in/ezuvgYmj <-- shared media article -- https://lnkd.in/eg4f5X5u <-- CIRA post on Twitter -- “A ‘firehose’ atmospheric river ripping through the state of California has been captured in space imagery. The satellite imagery released by the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, seen above, shows the massive band of moisture moving across California on Tuesday, February 20. "A firehose of moisture is aimed at Southern California this morning. Flooding risks remain as the atmospheric river continues to bring heavy rain," CIRA said on…Twitter [link above.] Parts of Southern California are under extreme rainfall and flood warnings as the weather phenomenon continues to make its way through the state. The atmospheric river is expected to cause extremely heavy rainfall, strong winds and heavy snow on the mountains. The extreme weather is expected to let up by Wednesday. Atmospheric rivers are corridors of tropical moisture that travel through the atmosphere. They transport this moisture from the equator toward the North and South poles, causing extreme weather like heavy rainfall and storms when they arrive….” #GIS #spatial #mapping #extremeweather #California #USA #climatechange #atmosphericriver #precipitation #rainfall #tropicalmoisture #climate #weather #remotesensing #imagery #satellite #animation #risk #hazard #naturalhazard #flood #flooding #extremerainfall Colorado State University | Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere