<body><div>University of Dayton geologist Umesh Haritashya will study the potential hazard risk of suspended sediment in glacier-fed lakes and rivers in South America’s Andes mountain range under a $339,812 award from NASA.Haritashya’s proposal was one of 12 nationally to be funded by the space science agency in an effort to enhance the capabilities of its GMELT (Glacier and Snow Melt) toolbox. The two-year grant runs through June 2026 and brings his team’s total NASA funding to more than $4.1 million since 2011.Haritashya, professor in the UD Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences and director of the Sustainability program, analyzes satellite images and field data to understand geologic events such as landslides and flooding related to glacial retreat and other climate changes in mountainous regions.Much of his work has focused on the Himalaya and Karakoram mountains of southeast Asia. This project marks his first funded research in the Andean region, which he visited in 2013 through UD’s Global Education Seminar, an initiative that immersed faculty in international locales for three weeks of intensive study.“That experience sparked my interest and revealed the parallels between my work in other mountain regions and the South American topography and earth system science,” Haritashya said.Haritashya will collaborate with Jeffrey Kargel, senior scientist at the Arizona Planetary Science Institute, to analyze NASA hyperspectral and multispectral satellite imagery of Andean glacial waters to study their sediment properties and how they absorb radiation, which can warm the water and melt adjacent glaciers.“It is well established that water heats more rapidly than ice due to the different properties of each,” Haritashya said. “Ice reflects a significant portion of solar radiation, while liquid water absorbs this radiation and rapidly increases water temperature. Now, if you throw a lot of sediment in it, the water is going to warm differently. How does that impact the ice?”Sediment also can present a hazard if a glacial lake — generally held back by loose, unstable rocks and silt — bursts and floods population centers below.“When flood water recedes, it often leaves behind a significant amount of sediment and debris,” he said. “We aim to understand these elements of the hazard in a glacial lake in the Andes. Specifically, we want to investigate how and if we can use this information in our models to better understand the associated risks.”Haritashya’s team developed an open-source software tool called GLAM BioLith-RT (Glacier Lakes Assisted Biological Radiative Transfer) for modeling radiative transfer in high mountain Asia lakes containing suspended stone and sand particles. Now, they will add other types of satellite imagery and data to the tool, which is part of GMELT, to establish a four-decade multispectral-based time series of relative changes in the sediment properties of glacial waters in Peru, Chile and Argentina.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3begJb_0wPsbr0s00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3begJb_0wPsbr0s00" width="725" height="500" ></figure>Their goals include determining trends based on climate change and developing an early warning of geophysical hazards to support disaster planning in the region.Haritashya’s expertise was cited in a 2021 New York Times article about a flash flood and landslide in India that year related to the shrinking and thinning of glaciers in the Himalayas. He also was part of a 2020 NASA-funded study that found glacial lake volume has increased by about 50% worldwide since 1990 as glaciers melt and retreat due to climate change.“Umesh is one of the most brilliant scholars in his field,” said Shuang-Ye Wu, professor and UD Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences chair. “His research not only investigates some of the most challenging scientific questions, but also has direct impacts on vulnerable communities in the mountainous regions. He is also an outstanding mentor for student research, with very impressive results. This grant would lead to more opportunities for our students to engage in impactful research that benefits the common good.”Haritashya plans to hire a postdoctoral researcher to help with his satellite data analysis and modeling work, which will be done on UD’s campus. He also plans to involve undergraduate students in the project. In addition, Kargel and several collaborators in Chile will collect water and sediment samples in the field.Haritashya said the environmental science work related to his research project could enhance Sustainability program study abroad experiences, such as one offered in past years in Peru. It also will benefit sustainability majors, particularly those in the watershed concentration.“The knowledge we gain from this project will improve our teaching, helping students stay updated on the latest discoveries and developments in the field, rather than just focusing on textbook information,” he said. “It opens up the opportunity for future study abroad programs to also look into some of the things that we are working on through our research program.”</div></body>

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NASA awards UD geologist $340K to study sediment hazards in Andes glacial lakes

University of Dayton geologist Umesh Haritashya will study the potential hazard risk of suspended sediment in glacier-fed lakes and rivers in South America’s Andes mountain range under a $339,812 award from NASA. Haritashya’s proposal was one of 12 nationally to be funded by the space science agency in an...