Lab scientists awash in flood modeling

Mar. 19, 2010—Staff members in the Lab's Decision Application Division’s Energy and Infrastructure Analysis are working on a number of “fast response” efforts in support of the Department of Homeland Security as part of the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (NISAC). Recently, the staff provided rapid response analysis of potential tsunami impacts following the Chilean earthquake, correctly indicating that the impact on the United States would be minimal. Currently, Energy and Infrastructure Analysis is providing ongoing modeling, simulation, and analysis of flooding in the Midwest to assess the potential impacts to the infrastructure, economy, and population in the region.

“These two examples represent a very small slice of the total effort being put forth in support of NISAC—but indicate the important service that these LANL employees provide in support of the nation’s safety and security,” said Donald O’Sullivan, program manager for Resilient Global Infrastructure.

While infrastructure modeling, simulation and analysis capabilities development have been a key effort and strength of Energy and Infrastructure Analysis, with support from Computer, Computational, and Statistical Sciences (CCS), Systems Engineering & Integration (D-3), and others, increasing emphasis has been placed on operational and response scope. These efforts require rapid turnaround time and significant analysis to support planning and consequence management. These products often are used to brief multiple cabinet-level agencies and receive a tremendous amount of visibility. O’Sullivan noted, however, that the labs delivering these products, LANL and Sandia, are often anonymous in the background during the briefings.