Stage Frequency Analysis from Snowmelt Runoff near Utqiagvik, Alaska
Abstract
For the village of Utqiavik, located at the North Slope of Alaska, a stone-armored revetment along the coastline is proposed to reduce coastal erosion. The inner drainage capacity of the revetment must be sufficient to handle seasonal runoff from snowmelt. For this effort, we investigated the snowmelt runoff and the hydraulic impact at the watershed outlet using numerical snow and hydraulic modeling of the study area. We validated the snow model results by comparing simulated snow water equivalent (SWE) values to field measurements. Additionally, the snow model was validated using satellite-based Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow-covered area (SCA) products and time-lapse camera imagery during snowmelt. Our results indicate that the simulated SWE and snowmelt dates agree closely with measured values. The timing of modeled runoff onset was less accurate due to natural processes that delay snowmelt runoff such as snow dams and refreeze. The effect of the uncertainty from both runoff timing and volume was addressed with a Monte Carlo simulation of stage-frequency curves for the lagoons that receive snowmelt runoff. These stage-frequency curves can be used directly in the design of outlet, drainage or discharge structures for the proposed revetment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 31, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1214098
Entities
People
- A. M. Wagner
- B. F. Morriss
- Chandler S. Engel
- David T. Ho
- Elias J. Deeb
- Jeremy Giovando
Organizations
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory