Subj : ES Picture of the Day 25  2022
To   : All
From : Dan Richter
Date : Mon Apr 25 2022 12:01:08

 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 Flood Hazard in the Desert

   April 25, 2022


    TomMc_.EPOD.CampCreekFloodAugust18.2021 (003)

    2022.EPOD.RadarCampCreekFloodAug18.2021

   Photographer:  Thomas McGuire (Author and Town Council Member)

   Summary Author:  Thomas McGuire (Author and Town Council Member)

   On August 18, 2021, a massive  flood swept through the remote
   settlement of  Camp Creek, north of Phoenix, Arizona. Damage to this
   creek-side community was greater than any flood recorded in the past 50
   years, or more. Even houses 20 feet (6 m) above the normal stream level
   were  destroyed. But far worse,  two tourists in a rental
   all-terrain vehicle (ATV) died because they were unaware of the
    danger of these rapid flood events. Regrettably, the death of
   people who try to drive through flooded stream crossings is an all-too
   common event in the Phoenix area.

   Camp Creek is a minor stream north of Phoenix that’s less than 15 miles
   (24 km) long. But a combination of moist  monsoon winds from the
    Gulf of California, sparse vegetation within the watershed, ash
   from recent brushfires acting as cloud-producing condensation nuclei
   and  adiabatic cooling caused by air rising into the highlands, led
   to a sudden flood event. Although no official measurements exist, the
   author estimates the brief, but maximum discharge of this small stream
   was on the order of 10,000 cubic feet per second; comparable to water
   flowing in the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

   The top image shows the damage to the  riparian environment after
   streamflow returned to its normal discharge level. The bottom photo is
   a radar image showing a monsoon wind carrying a narrow band of intense
   rainfall through the Camp Creek watershed. Note that Cave Creek wash,
   only 5 miles (8 km) to the west, had relatively modest flooding.
     * Camp Creek, Arizona Coordinates: 33.878, -111.803

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Hydrology Links

     *  Current Sea Surface Temperature
     *  NOAA Ocean Explorer Gallery
     *  Ocean Color
     *  What is hydrology?
     *  Tides and Currents
     *  Water Resources of the United States
     *  World Waterfall Database
     *  The USGS Water Science School
     *  World Water Database
     *  The World’s Water
     *  USGS Surface Water Information Pages

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   Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu
 
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