Using the Latest Research to Understand the Impacts of Flooding

Originally published April 22, 2019

One thing that makes SASSA such a valuable community resource is our collection of learning modules which we use in SASSA in the Classroom. Each module, designed by an expert in that subject area, takes anywhere from 30-40 hours to develop. Like any good scientist, when we learn new information or obtain new data, we update our modules to reflect our improved understanding of the topic.

Recently, SASSA has been working with Ph.D. student, Vinicius Taguchi, and other researchers in the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL) at the University of Minnesota to update our Erosion, Sedimentation, and Transport module. SAFL’s primary research examines “the intersection of fluid dynamics and major societal challenges in energy, environment and health.” Their emphasis on combining science and societal impacts reflects SASSA’s values and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them.

St. Anthony’s Falls Laboratory researchers in action! Photo courtesy of Vinicius Taguchi.

The EST module explores flooding, an important topic for the home state of the mighty Mississippi River. Students must calculate things like the velocity of a river and the amount of sediment transported under different conditions. Based on their observations, they must determine if houses near a river would be affected and if so, what actions should be taken to protect homes in possible flood zones.

Students working through the flooding module in the classroom!

We love how the updated module is coming together and are grateful for the contributions from the research team at SAFL!