Researcher helps watch for floods in Alaska

May 12, 2015

These images compare the Yukon River near the village of Eagle on May 3 (left) and May 5, 2015 (right). White areas show ice and the brown areas, open water. International Arctic Research Center researcher Jessica Cherry created this image by taking high definition photos from an airplane and merging them together by using a 3-D image-processing program. The background image is from Google Earth.

University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher Jessica Cherry has been flying over Alaska rivers and taking photographs for the National Weather Service’s Riverwatch program, which monitors rivers with a risk of flooding.

Her images capture more details than products derived from satellites.

Cherry, a hydrologist at the UAF International Arctic Research Center, takes high-definition photos of the rivers with a camera, shooting through a port in a plane. She then merges them together by using a 3-D image-processing software program.

Cherry shares these images with the National Weather Service, which enhances the agency’s real-time monitoring. The images also provide its River Forecast Center with a detailed record of the breakup process, which can be used to improve future forecasts.

Scientists’ research is not limited to publications in scientific journals, Cherry noted. “We also do very hands-on work that can be used in near-real time to help our agencies make better decisions for communities.”

The circled area in this image indicates the village of Fort Yukon on May 7, 2015. International Arctic Research Center researcher Jessica Cherry created this image by taking high definition photos from an airplane and merging them together by using a 3-D image-processing program. The background image is from Google Earth.

ON THE WEB: Channel 13’s interview with Jessica Cherry (click on 5-6-2015, at 3:53).

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Jessica Cherry, International Arctic Research Center, 907-474-5730, jessica.cherry@alaska.edu.

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