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Title: Overview of erosion processes within NWS-BREACH and WinDAM

Author
item Tejral, Ronald
item Hanson, Gregory
item TEMPLE, DARREL - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: Joint Federal Interagency Sedimentation and Hydrologic Modeling
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2010
Publication Date: 6/29/2010
Citation: Tejral, R.D., Hanson, G.J., Temple, D.M. 2010. Overview of erosion processes within NWS-BREACH and WinDAM [abstract]. Proceedings of the Joint Federal Interagency Sedimentation and Hydrologic Modeling Conference, June 27 - July 1, 2010, Las Vegas, Nevada. CD-ROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Our ability to predict the rate of failure and resulting flood hydrograph of earthen embankments is crucial to evaluating risk to life and property. Prediction is dependent on our understanding of the erosion failure processes and our ability to model them. This presentation provides a description of the processes modeled within two process based models, the NWS-Breach model and SIMBA/WinDAM model. Processes discussed are 1) destruction or removal of surface protection, 2) initiating mechanism, 3) erosion, and 4) shape of volume eroded. While some similarities exist between the two models, very different processes are modeled; the erosion processes stand in starkest contrast. In the case of vegetal protection, similar processes are modeled, though our understanding and thus treatment of the process has become more sophisticated. The presentation also discusses the algorithms used, the implications, and the relevance of each for embankment breach modeling.