NTL Record

Title Impacts of Climate Variability and Change on Flood Frequency Analysis for Transportation Design
Record ID 46189
Personal Name
Creator
Tidwell, Amy
Corporate Creator Alaska University Transportation Center
Corporate
Contributor
Alaska. Department of Transportation. Research, Development, and Technology Transfer; Alaska. Department of Transportation and Public Facilities; United States. Federal Highway Administration
Publisher Alaska. Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Publication Date 20100900
Language English
Abstract Planning for construction of roads and bridges over rivers or floodplains includes a hydrologic analysis of rainfall amount and intensity for a defined period. Infrastructure design must be based on accurate rainfall estimates — how much (intensity), how long (duration), and how often (frequency or probability). UAF and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are updating this important design tool with support from AUTC and ADOT&PF. Measuring precipitation in an environment like Alaska's is difficult. Challenges include poor gauge performance in windy environments, especially for solid precipitation (such as snow, sleet, and hail); and accessing and working in remote, sparsely populated, rough, and complex terrain. Another issue is the sparseness and distribution of the gauge stations. For example, the area north of the Brooks Range, known as the Arctic Slope of Alaska, is one of the least-understood climatic regions of the country. This region, with an area of over 230,000 square kilometers, has only a handful of long-term precipitation gauges, and many of the existing gauges are unattended. The quality of reported precipitation data varies due to gauge location, type, and whether or not a rain or snow gauge shield is present.
Rosap ID dot:25069
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/25069
TRT Terms Climate; Climate change; Floods; Environmental impacts
General Subjects Hydrology; Precipitation; Rainfall; Floods; Streamflow
Classification NTL - ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - Environment Impacts;
NTL - PLANNING AND POLICY - PLANNING AND POLICY
Geographical
Coverage
Alaska
TRIS Online
Accession No
1450867
Contract Number AUTC #207120; T2-08-17; DTRT06-G-0011
Report Number FHWA-AK-RD-10-09; INE/AUTC 11.02
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/46000/46100/46189/207120-A.Tidwell-FINAL-Report-9.13.10-ineautc1102.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository