I was award an NSF RAPID grant to study the impacts of Hurricane Harvey on the Galveston Bay area. Harvey released a massive amount of freshwater into the region, which flooded Galveston Bay and created extremely fresh conditions. With my co-PI Scott Socolofsky in Civil Engineering, I am measuring the velocities and density structure both within and outside of Galveston Bay to understand the impact and subsequent return to normal conditions in the region.
We've had some media about the project, along with other RAPIDs in the department:
Oceanographers Kick into High Gear to Study Harvey's Effects
Sep 25, 2017 TAMU oceanographers research the effects of Harvey to learn about severe environmental changes. The first major hurricane to make landfall on the United States mainland since 2005, Hurricane Harvey was a disaster: killing tens, displacing millions and causing billions of dollars in property damage.
Civil Engineering also received some RAPID grants:
Civil engineering faculty awarded NSF RAPID grants for Hurricane Harvey research | Texas A&M University Engineering
Deeply concerned for the people and institutions affected by Hurricane Harvey, the National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a call for research addressing new science and engineering challenges related to Harvey, including preparedness for future catastrophic events.
After one of our cruises:
Civil engineering professor, team seek to understand Hurricane Harvey's impact on Texas coastal waterways
Heavy rainfall during Hurricane Harvey flushed most of the salt water out of Galveston Bay, making the bay extremely fresh. Now, researchers from Texas A&M University are working to collect vital information on how the storm impacted the waterways of coastal Texas.