PressBanner, a publication in Santa Cruz County featured as a cover story on January 11 2021, PhD student Parker Blunts and his ongoing research on the monitoring of wildfire affected areas in Santa Cruz County.

The research, funded by NASA, with the collaboration of USGS, involves repeated deployments of UAVs and with the assistance of Prof. Kayen, Lidar sensors, to create 3D models of the study site in Santa Cruz throughout the first wet season after the wildfires. The first season after the wildfires is always the most critical for the occurrence of debris flows. The surface data is also complemented by subsurface characterization data, and the research project leverages the truly valuable data collected by a precipitation and subsurface monitoring station deployed by USGS researcher and alumnus of our program, Dr. Brian Collins. Parker, his research advisor Prof. Zekkos, and students have already deployed more than five times in the study area and plan to continue doing so throughout the wet season.

See the article here: https://pressbanner.com/research-group-helping-locals-understand-debris-flows/