Deep-time Digital Earth is a consortium of international organizations, geological surveys, research institutes and industry. It’s the first “Big Science Program” of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). The group hopes to transform Earth science by “harmonizing global, Deep-time Digital Earth data, and sharing global geoscience knowledge.
After Harvey, the Kingwood Diversion Ditch was blocked by this giant 12 foot high, quarter mile long sand bar. A Chinese member of the Deep-time Digital Earth team studied this bar as part of his doctoral dissertation. See below.
Massive Data Integration Effort
Think of this as a massive data integration effort. The end result: linked, interoperable databases that make information available across protocols, platforms, and scientific disciplines. They will use Big Data analytics, cloud computing, data mining, machine learning and artificial intelligence to link all earth-science data and encourage collaboration among experts. The experts could be in the various branches of the geosciences (i.e., geology, geography, meteorology, geomorphology, paleontology, sedimentology, etc.) as well as engineers, social scientists, and economists.
Data brought together in new ways may provide novel glimpses into the Earth’s geological past and its future.
Research will focus on:
Life – global biodiversity patterns
Materials – investigation of spatial and temporal distribution
Geography – paleogeographic reconstructions
Climate adaptation – geoscience solutions.
What is Deep Time?
Deep time means going back to the beginning of Earth’s history. John McPhee introduced the term to describe the concept of geologic time in his Basin and Range(1981), parts of which originally appeared in the New Yorker magazine.
Deep-time data is data relating to the changing processes that the Earth has experienced through the billions of years of geological time. It includes data on the evolution of life and climate, tectonic plate movement and the evolution of the planet’s geography.
Wedding Structured, Unstructured Data
Imagine trying to integrate all the studies of Earth, a subject approximately 4.5 billion years old. The studies include both structured and unstructured data. Think of structured data as information rigidly formatted in tables and databases – like what you found at a given depth while drilling an oil well. Unstructured data, on the other hand, includes the learning found in books, where the authors structured thoughts in unique ways.
Now imagine you’re able to relate everything.
Imagine the Problems You Might Solve
Imagine relating all this data to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. For instance:
Population growth will greatly impact the Earth’s finite resources. It will put increasing pressure on water availability, both for drinking and agriculture.
The availability of fertile land is limited, a situation that is exacerbated by the degradation of natural ecosystems.
There will be increasing demand on finite sources of energy, with fossil fuels having to be extracted from previously unexploited locations.
Other rare materials are also being used at rates that are unsustainable, for example, demand for gallium for use in emerging technologies, such as thin layer photovoltaics.
Geological scarcity is a critical issue, complicated by the geographical distribution of resources.
Or perhaps you want to:
Reduce vulnerability to natural hazards, such as floods
Mitigate the effects of waste and pollution
Understand human influence on global change
Understand the geological processes involved in soil science
Manage resources and sustain the environment
Understand the relationship between geological factors and health.
The Sudden Bi-sociation of Two Previously Unrelated Planes of Thought
Imagine what collaborating with a million other scientists could lead to!
Arthur Koestler, in his landmark book, The Act of Creation, defines the creative process as “the sudden bi-sociation of two previously unrelated planes of thought.” Suddenly, while reading about one thing, you see a solution to an unrelated problem in something else.
Koestler gives hundreds of examples from the history of science, such as Newton getting dinged on the head with an apple and discovering gravity.
Who knows where Deep-time Digital Earth could lead? But I’m eager to follow it.
The San Jacinto River Connection to Deep-Time Digital Earth
Ironically, I first learned about this program from someone I corresponded with after Harvey. A Chinese student named Haipeng Li from the Colorado School of Mines working on his PhD dissertation visited this area to study erosion and deposition on the San Jacinto River. In one flood, you could see changes that might otherwise take several lifetimes. Haipeng used ReduceFlooding.com to study the aerial photos and review other scientific research archived on the site about the San Jacinto river system. Dr. Li later returned to China where he now works on the Deep-time Digital Earth Project.
You just never know where a chance encounter might lead!
Posted by Bob Rehak on April 11, 2022
1686 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/6.BlockedDrainageDitchRiverGrove1.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333&ssl=113332000adminadmin2022-04-11 20:34:002022-04-11 20:36:05Deep-Time Digital Earth Program Could Revolutionize Sustainable Development
The media-savvy think tank that owns the Laurel Springs RV Resort has finally figured out a way to cover up permit violations from neighbors who complain to the City of Houston, Harris County and the State of Texas. They’ve simply put up signs prohibiting photography that threaten prosecution. And they’ve installed slats in their chain-link fence to reduce visibility of their construction practices.
Controversial new sign at the Laurel Springs RV Resort at 1355 LAUREL SPRINGS LANE.Also note the new black-out slats inserted last week in the fence.
So what do the owners do? It’s pure marketing genius. They put out a “Not Welcome” sign, erect a veil of secrecy, and threaten to sue anyone who complains.
But prohibiting photography of permit violations just makes people look harder. What are they trying to cover up?
Perhaps it never occurred to the owners that they should just stop violating permits and invite people to see how they are complying with the law. But no! That would be too simple.
Their new “no photography” marketing ploy will surely make this a “destination vacation.” Except who wants to go to a glamour resort next to the railroad tracks and not take a camera?
I hope they invite me to cover their Grand Closing. But any ceremony will, no doubt, happen under the cloak of darkness, like much associated with their “See Nothing, Say Nothing” operation.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/10/2022
1685 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20220409-IMG_1961.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=17971200adminadmin2022-04-10 14:52:462022-04-10 15:06:32Laurel Springs RV Park Prohibits Photography of Permit Violations
The Bayou Land Conservancy has added its voice to those raising concerns about the SJRA’s sand trap proposal for the San Jacinto River watershed. The pilot project began out of a desire to reduce sediment buildup in the mouth bar of the West Fork. But it has morphed into something very different – a trench through a sand bar more than 12 miles upstream.
Sand bar on West Fork San Jacinto that would be used for pilot project outside Hallett mine. Note that the height of the freshly deposited sand is engulfing several medium sized trees. This location is downstream from several other large mines.Picture taken shortly after Harvey.
The study did not address what should be the main goal of sediment removal: excessive deposition in the area of the mouth bar downstream of US 59.
Managing mouth bar sediment deposition, and related flooding, should be kept at the forefront as this project moves forward.
Sand mining in the floodplain of the San Jacinto West Fork between 1995 and 2017 virtually quadrupled. More than 30% of the river’s flood plain is now being mined. That’s a huge problem that requires other types of solutions to reduce sedimentation from mines, such as improved Best Management Practices.
The group also suggested a need for greater oversight of sand mining by state regulators. It feels an inconsistency exists between in-stream mining via sand traps and the TCEQ’s newly adopted BMPs for sand mining.
BLC’s Specific Concerns re: Recommendation
BLC then went on to discuss the specific recommendation – rock-lined trenches through sand bars outside of sand mines. They listed three concerns:
“River migration and erosion: Changes in river course, including erosion and deposition of sediment, are naturally occurring processes. Installation of hardscape or mechanical features within the flowing part of the river will have an impact on this natural process and could lead to increased erosion in the area surrounding the facility, increased sediment transport downstream, and destabilization of the stream to the detriment of the surrounding and downstream communities.”
“Water quality: 85% of the drinking water needs of the Houston metropolitan region are met by Lake Houston, at the receiving end of the San Jacinto River. Instead of occasional turbidity increase during dredging of the mouth bar, sand trapping could create a long-term elevation in turbidity leading to increased water treatment costs for the entire region, transferring the cost to the public from private interests. Additionally, the riverbed contains chemical components that may need to be addressed in water treatment at additional public expense.”
“Accountability: the governing legislation created by HB1824 does not address the question of accountability should the private interest in the sediment trap fail to protect the public’s interest or go out of business without remediating the in-stream mining facility.”
More Study Recommended Before Implementation
BLC also recommended that two of the study’s recommendations deserve to be prioritized and expanded to provide as much accurate data as possible before sand-traps get further consideration:
“Evaluate total annual sediment load transported to Lake Houston, including the area downstream of proposed sediment traps, and compare to anticipated trapped sediment loads.”
“Perform further geomorphic assessment to address potential downstream instabilities due to removing sediment and to determine appropriate sediment removal volumes.”
BLC went on to encourage SJRA to extensively study the holistic sediment story of the upper San Jacinto River watershed. Previous studies point to Spring and Cypress Creeks as major contributors of sediment. BLC wants the sediment loads in those creeks studied as well as the areas downstream of the proposed sand traps.
The group continued, “A science-based, peer-reviewed, methodology of assessing the sediment budget of the watershed is imperativebefore assuming that removing sediment from any single location on the river will have a positive impact on mouth bar deposition. … Without a basis for understanding the sediment budget for the West Fork, it’s impossible to evaluate (or approve) this project.”
Rivers in Texas Are Public Property
BLC also pointed out that even though HB1824 exempted SJRA and Harris County Flood Control District from any requirement to obtain a permit, pay a fee, or purchase the material taken, in Texas the contents of a river belong to the citizens of the state. “Therefore we all have an interest in the results of this in-stream mining proposal,” said the group’s letter.
The letter concluded, “BLC recommends that extensive further study be undertaken to determine if in-stream mining, i.e. sand traps, will accomplish the stated goal of providing a long-term solution for managing the mouth bar deposition, without creating further instability to the river system and negative impacts to the surrounding and downstream communities.“
The Bayou Land Conservancy, one of the leading environmental groups in the Lake Houston watershed, preserves land along streams for flood control, clean water, and wildlife.
How Taking Sediment Out of a River Can Increase Erosion
Non-technical people may have trouble understanding how taking sediment out of a river can increase erosion. Basically, if you take too much out (more than the natural baseline of dissolved sediment), it can create a “hungry water” effect. Many academics have documented the hungry water effect. It’s especially noticeable downstream of dams, which are notorious for trapping sediment. Rivers with excess sediment transport capacity tend to erode their banks and streamed to compensate.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/9/2022based on a Bayou Land Conservancy letter to SJRA
1684 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2.WestForkAndSandMines.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333&ssl=113332000adminadmin2022-04-09 18:18:552022-04-09 18:57:06Bayou Land Conservancy Raises Concerns About SJRA Sand Trap Proposal
Deep-Time Digital Earth Program Could Revolutionize Sustainable Development
Deep-time Digital Earth is a consortium of international organizations, geological surveys, research institutes and industry. It’s the first “Big Science Program” of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). The group hopes to transform Earth science by “harmonizing global, Deep-time Digital Earth data, and sharing global geoscience knowledge.
Massive Data Integration Effort
Think of this as a massive data integration effort. The end result: linked, interoperable databases that make information available across protocols, platforms, and scientific disciplines. They will use Big Data analytics, cloud computing, data mining, machine learning and artificial intelligence to link all earth-science data and encourage collaboration among experts. The experts could be in the various branches of the geosciences (i.e., geology, geography, meteorology, geomorphology, paleontology, sedimentology, etc.) as well as engineers, social scientists, and economists.
Data brought together in new ways may provide novel glimpses into the Earth’s geological past and its future.
Research will focus on:
What is Deep Time?
Deep time means going back to the beginning of Earth’s history. John McPhee introduced the term to describe the concept of geologic time in his Basin and Range(1981), parts of which originally appeared in the New Yorker magazine.
Deep-time data is data relating to the changing processes that the Earth has experienced through the billions of years of geological time. It includes data on the evolution of life and climate, tectonic plate movement and the evolution of the planet’s geography.
Wedding Structured, Unstructured Data
Imagine trying to integrate all the studies of Earth, a subject approximately 4.5 billion years old. The studies include both structured and unstructured data. Think of structured data as information rigidly formatted in tables and databases – like what you found at a given depth while drilling an oil well. Unstructured data, on the other hand, includes the learning found in books, where the authors structured thoughts in unique ways.
Now imagine you’re able to relate everything.
Imagine the Problems You Might Solve
Imagine relating all this data to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. For instance:
Or perhaps you want to:
The Sudden Bi-sociation of Two Previously Unrelated Planes of Thought
Imagine what collaborating with a million other scientists could lead to!
Arthur Koestler, in his landmark book, The Act of Creation, defines the creative process as “the sudden bi-sociation of two previously unrelated planes of thought.” Suddenly, while reading about one thing, you see a solution to an unrelated problem in something else.
Koestler gives hundreds of examples from the history of science, such as Newton getting dinged on the head with an apple and discovering gravity.
Who knows where Deep-time Digital Earth could lead? But I’m eager to follow it.
The San Jacinto River Connection to Deep-Time Digital Earth
Ironically, I first learned about this program from someone I corresponded with after Harvey. A Chinese student named Haipeng Li from the Colorado School of Mines working on his PhD dissertation visited this area to study erosion and deposition on the San Jacinto River. In one flood, you could see changes that might otherwise take several lifetimes. Haipeng used ReduceFlooding.com to study the aerial photos and review other scientific research archived on the site about the San Jacinto river system. Dr. Li later returned to China where he now works on the Deep-time Digital Earth Project.
You just never know where a chance encounter might lead!
Posted by Bob Rehak on April 11, 2022
1686 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Laurel Springs RV Park Prohibits Photography of Permit Violations
The media-savvy think tank that owns the Laurel Springs RV Resort has finally figured out a way to cover up permit violations from neighbors who complain to the City of Houston, Harris County and the State of Texas. They’ve simply put up signs prohibiting photography that threaten prosecution. And they’ve installed slats in their chain-link fence to reduce visibility of their construction practices.
Losing Through Intimidation
It’s a classic case study in Losing Through Intimidation.
“If You See Something, Say Something.”
In the two decades since 9/11, we’ve been taught by authorities to “say something if you see something.” But the owners of the Laurel Springs RV Park take the opposite approach. They threaten prosecution of anyone photographing permit violations. So far, there have been four investigations of the property by the City of Houston (2), Harris County, and the State of Texas – all triggered by citizen-supplied photos. Harris County even threatened a lawsuit. And the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued a 64-page Notice of Enforcement.
So what do the owners do? It’s pure marketing genius. They put out a “Not Welcome” sign, erect a veil of secrecy, and threaten to sue anyone who complains.
But prohibiting photography of permit violations just makes people look harder. What are they trying to cover up?
Perhaps it never occurred to the owners that they should just stop violating permits and invite people to see how they are complying with the law. But no! That would be too simple.
Questionable Practices Documented to Date
So far they have been caught:
Their new “no photography” marketing ploy will surely make this a “destination vacation.” Except who wants to go to a glamour resort next to the railroad tracks and not take a camera?
I hope they invite me to cover their Grand Closing. But any ceremony will, no doubt, happen under the cloak of darkness, like much associated with their “See Nothing, Say Nothing” operation.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/10/2022
1685 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
Bayou Land Conservancy Raises Concerns About SJRA Sand Trap Proposal
The Bayou Land Conservancy has added its voice to those raising concerns about the SJRA’s sand trap proposal for the San Jacinto River watershed. The pilot project began out of a desire to reduce sediment buildup in the mouth bar of the West Fork. But it has morphed into something very different – a trench through a sand bar more than 12 miles upstream.
In March 2022, the SJRA published its long-awaited proposal on sediment removal and sand trap development along with a brief summary. It now seeks public comment through April 29, 2022.
BLC’s General Concerns with Study
I posted my concerns on 3/27/22. Yesterday, the Bayou Land Conservancy (BLC) sent me a copy of its letter. It reflected some of the same concerns I had.
The group also suggested a need for greater oversight of sand mining by state regulators. It feels an inconsistency exists between in-stream mining via sand traps and the TCEQ’s newly adopted BMPs for sand mining.
BLC’s Specific Concerns re: Recommendation
BLC then went on to discuss the specific recommendation – rock-lined trenches through sand bars outside of sand mines. They listed three concerns:
More Study Recommended Before Implementation
BLC also recommended that two of the study’s recommendations deserve to be prioritized and expanded to provide as much accurate data as possible before sand-traps get further consideration:
BLC went on to encourage SJRA to extensively study the holistic sediment story of the upper San Jacinto River watershed. Previous studies point to Spring and Cypress Creeks as major contributors of sediment. BLC wants the sediment loads in those creeks studied as well as the areas downstream of the proposed sand traps.
The group continued, “A science-based, peer-reviewed, methodology of assessing the sediment budget of the watershed is imperative before assuming that removing sediment from any single location on the river will have a positive impact on mouth bar deposition. … Without a basis for understanding the sediment budget for the West Fork, it’s impossible to evaluate (or approve) this project.”
Rivers in Texas Are Public Property
BLC also pointed out that even though HB1824 exempted SJRA and Harris County Flood Control District from any requirement to obtain a permit, pay a fee, or purchase the material taken, in Texas the contents of a river belong to the citizens of the state. “Therefore we all have an interest in the results of this in-stream mining proposal,” said the group’s letter.
The letter concluded, “BLC recommends that extensive further study be undertaken to determine if in-stream mining, i.e. sand traps, will accomplish the stated goal of providing a long-term solution for managing the mouth bar deposition, without creating further instability to the river system and negative impacts to the surrounding and downstream communities.“
Here is their full letter.
The Bayou Land Conservancy, one of the leading environmental groups in the Lake Houston watershed, preserves land along streams for flood control, clean water, and wildlife.
How Taking Sediment Out of a River Can Increase Erosion
Non-technical people may have trouble understanding how taking sediment out of a river can increase erosion. Basically, if you take too much out (more than the natural baseline of dissolved sediment), it can create a “hungry water” effect. Many academics have documented the hungry water effect. It’s especially noticeable downstream of dams, which are notorious for trapping sediment. Rivers with excess sediment transport capacity tend to erode their banks and streamed to compensate.
To Register Your Opinion
To register your opinions, pro or con, with the SJRA, email floodmanagementdivision@sjra.net no later than April 29, 2022.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/9/2022 based on a Bayou Land Conservancy letter to SJRA
1684 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.