Future Projections of Precipitation for Alaska Infrastructure

The goals of this project were to use the best available climate change models and data to create more accurate projections of the severity and frequency of extreme precipitation events, and to present these projections in useful, accessible, site-specific formats for hydrologic and engineering applications. Ultimately, the goal was to provide crucial information to assist in safe, efficient, cost-effective engineering solutions. The project used the best available modeled climate data and associated methodologies to calculate and provide downscaled, bias corrected projections of future liquid precipitation from now until 2100 in formats and appropriate summary intervals for the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) direct use in planning and design efforts and associated calculations. To facilitate direct integration into the DOT&PF’s operations, the projected precipitation data products closely follow the format of the NOAA ATLAS 14 precipitation frequency estimates, providing outputs across the entire state of Alaska for a range of precipitations durations and probability-based return intervals. Data outputs show substantial increases in projected precipitation across regions, durations, return intervals, and future time periods. These changes have important ramifications for engineering and hydrological design in Alaska, now and in coming decades.

• Record URL:
  http://dot.alaska.gov/stwddes/research/assets/pdf/4000-188.pdf
• 

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  Alaska Division
  709 West 9th Street, Room 851
  Juneau, AK  United States  99802-1648
• Managing Organizations:

  Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities RD&T2

  3132 Channek Dr.
  Juneau, AK  United States  99801
• Project Managers:

  Moller, Shane

• Performing Organizations:

  Scenarios Network for Alaska+Arctic Planning

  POB 757340
  Fairbanks, AK  United States  99775
• Start Date: 20180101
• Expected Completion Date: 20210430
• Actual Completion Date: 20210430
• Subprogram: Research
• Source Data: http://ckan.snap.uaf.edu/dataset/annual-maximum-precipitation-projections-for-alaska

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Climate change; Flood damage; Infrastructure; Precipitation (Meteorology); Rainfall
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Hydraulics and Hydrology;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01682804
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Oct 5 2018 6:13PM