Grant: Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants

Mapping the near shore of the coastal zone and rivers and estuaries has been a challenge in the field of Geomatics. Recently the NSCC was awarded an infrastructure grant to acquire a new topo-bathymetric lidar sensor, a boat and mounted mobile laser scanner. This airborne lidar will provide bathymetry and sea-bed cover information for clear water areas along the coast and river channels. These type of data can support improved hydrodynamic models for applications such as flushing rates for aquaculture operations, flood risk mapping, and risk assessment from storm surge flooding and wave runup. Additional equipment requested in this grant will supplement and improve our ability to conduct research in these areas. The requested equipment is for a multi-beam mapping system to be deployed on our boat. This equipment will allow us to construct seamless elevation models from the land, through the coastal zone and into the deeper water. These data will improve the results of hydrodynamic models and validate the results of depth measurements from the lidar sensor. We also conduct research for communities located along estuaries that are vulnerable to both river runoff flooding and storm surge flooding or a combination of the two. We utilize a combined watershed runoff and hydrodynamic tidal-surge model to simulate flooding. Both approaches require accurate bathymetry and river channel geometry for the modelling. The models are calibrated and validated by deploying water level sensors and measuring the flow at different water levels. Field crews cross the river to measure the cross-section and flow, which can be dangerous during high flow events. In this proposal we are requesting funding to acquire the RiverRay Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) which can be pulled across the river to measure the cross-sectional area and flow or towed beside our boat in coastal areas to measure current speed. This will improve our ability to measure river discharge and channel cross-sections and improve our runoff models as well be towed with the boat in the coastal zone to measure currents to validate hydrodynamic models. This new equipment will enhance our research into flood risk and coastal dynamics studies.