The Science of Flooding:

Hydrology

Hydrology is the scientific study of water, its movement, distribution, and quality on Earth and other planets. Hydrologists utilize the sciences of, geography, geology, engineering, and sociology to better understand and predict how natural water patterns impact our lives.

There are three types of hydrology:

Geographical Hydrology – Understanding the natural water cycle.
Hydrological Engineering – Designing structures that attempt to control or analyze natural hydrological patterns.
Socio-hydrology – Understanding the interactions between water and people.

What Information do Hydrologists Use?

Aerial photography and topographical maps show past and present flooding, offering clues about floodwater paths in the future.
Soil maps can illustrate historical flooding events and offer insight into where the river channel used to be, and could go again.
Soil saturation and the height of the water table show us how much water soils will be capable of holding. Dry soils and lower water tables can hold more rain than saturated ground.

Conservation

What Does a Conservationist Do?

A conservationist’s job is to protect all things found in nature and to educate the public on how our human actions can impact the world around us.

Water – Conservationists monitor natural water supplies to ensure its availability and safety for humans and animals. A safe and abundant water supply supports all life.
Soil/Minerals – Conservationists sample and test soil and minerals, and monitor their changes over time. The soil contains important nutrients and minerals that support plant life and other kinds of life.
Wildlife – Protecting wildlife in its various species is important to our local ecology and food chain. Even one species extinction can greatly impact all other species that may have relied on it as a food source. Species extinction can create a chain reaction that ultimately impacts human food and water supply.
Forests – As humans, we use wood for various purposes from building structures to heating our homes. But it’s important to balance human need with global needs by conserving forests. Living and growing trees absorb harmful carbon dioxide from our atmosphere, they store and purify water, and they serve as a habitat and food source for wildlife of all kinds.

Here’s how YOU can practice conservation:

Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, and look for other ways to conserve water in your home
Dispose of chemicals and trash only in approved areas
Pick-up litter in your neighborhood
Follow rules when hiking, camping or fishing
Leave plants and animals in their natural habitats
Plant a tree in your yard or neighborhood (with permission of course!)

Conservation means understanding nature’s balance and not taking more than our fair share. We must practice stewardship of natural and community resources and understand how our actions impact not only our friends and neighbors, but also future generations.

There’s always someone downstream who is impacted by our actions.

Meteorology

Meteorology is the scientific study of the atmosphere, commonly used to forecast weather patterns. Meteorologists use physics, chemistry, algebra, calculus, and computer science to analyze the weather and keep communities safe.

We often look to meteorologists when we want to know, “Should I bring a jacket or umbrella?” or “Should my weekend plans be indoors or outdoors?”

But meteorologists also serve a much bigger role in predicting severe weather and conditions as they approach our region. Knowing weather conditions in advance not only helps certain industries such as agriculture and forestry, but it also helps keep people safe by giving them a chance to prepare for severe weather.

A Day in the Life of a Meteorologist

Some meteorologists, like KQ2 Chief Meteorologist Mike Bracciano, share their weather research with the community on a daily news program. Television weather forecasts require a lot of behind-the-scenes work.

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For Mike, it all starts in the KQTV weather center, where he analyzes various computer models and reviews the satellite and radar. These real time systems show him how the weather patterns are moving and shifting.

This data, along with Mike’s years of meteorological training and experience, enable him to predict the weather for local communities. These forecasts might include predictions of rain, snow, hail, and even flooding.

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If the conditions indicate severe weather, Mike uses state-of-the-art computer software to view inside the storm cells, looking for evidence of rotation that might indicate dangerous storms or a tornado. In the event of a tornado or other severe weather, Mike will cut into regularly scheduled programming to inform the viewers of the threat and the direction the storm is moving. His primary concern is for the safety of those individuals in the KQTV viewing area.

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After Mike has developed his forecast he uses the information to prepare the weather segments for the 5:00, 6:00, and 10:00 p.m. newscasts. The key to this process is a special meteorological computer system developed by The Weather Company (WSI) called “Max Storm”. Mike uses “Max Storm” to create animated graphics that best explain his forecasts and inform the viewers of the weather they can expect.

If your goal is to be a television meteorologist like Mike Bracciano you should study math, science, communications, geography, and technology in school. Also pay attention to the weather in your area and how systems form and move, ultimately affecting how we live.