Ninad Bhagwat
modeling Snowmelt Derived Runoff in the Upper Missouri River Basin
The quantification of the snowmelt derived runoff (SMR) to help estimate streamflow is a crucial step for water resource and disaster management in mountain watersheds. Development of the snowmelt runoff simulating models can precisely simulate and forecast the snowmelt runoff. In addition, advanced remote sensing techniques can enable researchers to acquire data required for snowmelt runoff modelling, with high spatial and temporal resolution. This research will model the snowmelt derived runoff in the Upper Missouri River Basin, with the goal of forecasting future streamflow in the watershed, as well as the hydroelectric generating capacity of a major dam on the Upper Missouri, the Morony Dam. This model and its forecasting capacity will be transferrable to existing and prospective run-of-river hydropower plants around the world.
Ninad Bhagwat earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from University of Mumbai, India, and earned his master’s degree in Geophysical Engineering from Montana Technological University. He is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Earth Science and Engineering at Montana Technological University. His research interests include remote sensing, snow hydrology, natural hazards, spectroscopy, and fluid mechanics. He has published a series of articles in a regional newspaper in India communicating important geological information.