Author(s): A. C. Lunsford

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Keywords: No Keywords

Abstract: River ice jams which form during break-up have been responsible for the largest flood at many Alaska villages. Since ice jams can occur at any location along a river, ice reconnaissance flights are a major source of river ice and ice jam flooding information during break-up. The flights are expensive, can be delayed by weather, and are generally restricted to the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers; an additional method of monitoring these and other rivers is very desirable. To determine the usefulness of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery for break-up monitoring and forecasting and for flood monitoring, the Alaska River Forecast Center received nearreal-time SAR images during the 1997 break-up season and duri. ng a flood in August 1997. Initial analysis indicates that SAR imagery is useful for break-up monitoring and forecasting on larger rivers.

DOI:

Year: 1998