ross palomaki
Developing the first river ice mapping tool for the Yellowstone River
Seasonal river ice has a profound hydrologic impact on river dynamics and downstream social and ecological systems. The economic impacts of river ice in North America are estimated at $250 million annually, primarily as a result of flooding and infrastructure damage. Despite this environmental and economic importance, river ice dynamics are poorly understood and ice-jam flooding is difficult to model and forecast.
Ross Palomaki, a Ph.D. student at Montana State University, is working to develop the first river ice mapping and monitoring tool for the Yellowstone River. Ross uses computer algorithms to detect river ice from satellite images, then validates those results by capturing aerial photos of the ice with unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). The combination of drone and satellite imagery allows for tracking of river ice during the winter and spring and works toward integrating ice-jam flooding into local flood forecasts.