Press Release from Kentucky Geological Survey:
The Surface Processes & Modelling Laboratory (SP&M) at the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) is making significant strides in research and collaboration, including welcoming an esteemed international scholar, publishing research, and securing new funding. The SP&M Lab is funded by the NSF EPSCoR ‘Climate Resilience through Multidisciplinary Big Data Learning, Prediction & Building Response Systems (CLIMBS)’ award, which aims to advance Kentucky’s climate resiliency through hazard assessment based on Kentucky-specific scientific research.
SP&M secured its first major grant, receiving approximately $183,000 in funding from the U.S. Geological Survey. Led by Sarah Johnson and Jason Dortch (KGS), Dylan Ward (UC), Yichuan Zhu (Temple University), and Dan Strummer, this two-year project will focus on landslide movement analysis, inventory development, and advanced Monte-Carlo modelling in the Greater Covington-Cincinnati region.
Sarah Arpin and Bailee Hodelka (KGS) were also awarded $24,997 from the National Cave and Karst Research Institute to instrument and monitor a small catchment in Mammoth Cave National Park. The title of the project is ‘Sediment transport dynamics in a complex fluviokarst system, south-central Kentucky’ and data analysis and modelling will be undertaken in the SP&M Lab.
The SP&M Lab celebrated the release of its first associated publication in February:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10346-024-02384-9
Some types of vegetation cover, such as trees, can aid in stabilizing slopes and reduce the likelihood of landslide occurrence due to strong roots anchoring soils in place. However, root strength is not commonly used in landslide susceptibility models because trees species classification over large regions is prohibitively time intensive. Our study demonstrates that lidar-derived vegetation data can be processed through a GIS workflow to create regional maps of generalized tree root strength. When these new maps are incorporated into existing landslide models, they notably improved accuracy.
In addition, Meredith Swallom (KGS primary author above) is leading efforts on revisions for a second paper on flooding in eastern Kentucky, a key component of her Ph.D. research.
In a commitment to enhancing research opportunities, Jason Dortch and Meredith Swallom (KGS), Luciano Cardone (University of Kentucky), and Amy Collick (Morehead State) recently completed training on the SP&M’s new TUFLOW FV flood simulation software. This software enables advanced 3D flood and sediment transport modelling.
These accomplishments highlight the SP&M Lab’s dedication to advancing landslide and flood modelling research and fostering collaboration in geoscience. Stay tuned for further updates as the team continues to make significant contributions to the field and pursue other research and funding opportunities.
