Development of a Framework for Rockfall Monitoring Value of Information Studies

PROJECT NUMBER: 59

AUTHOR: Hannah Haugen, Geophysics | MENTOR: Whitney Trainor-Guitton, Geophysics

MENTOR: Gabriel Walton, Geology and Geological Engineering

ABSTRACT

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This paper seeks to expand the functionality of value of information studies to the realm of rockfall hazard identification and mitigation, and hopes that frameworks like the one presented here will become useful tools for making management and research decisions regarding the value of remote sensing programs in the future. As technical knowledge and ability to predict rockfall hazards increases, it is important for managers and decision-makers to understand the benefits of funding data collection studies in regions with a high risk of rockfall. A review of the literature was conducted to identify case studies where remote sensing of slopes with potential rockfall hazards could lead to improved mitigation strategies. These case studies were then analyzed and organized into preliminary decision trees describing the process connecting data collection to rockfall mitigation, as well as the potential monetary benefit of these efforts. The result of this study is a generalized framework for a decision tree regarding the use of remote sensing technologies to quantify rockfall hazards and inform mitigation efforts. The use of this framework is demonstrated in the context of an ongoing data collection project using bi-weekly lidar survey data of rock slopes along the I-70 corridor in Colorado. While robust knowledge of the probability of different outcomes from using these databases is not yet available, this general framework is an important step toward assessing value of information, which can be updated with refined statistical information. While value of information studies have been used extensively in situations where there is a clear binary between success and failure, the application of this method for assessing the value of remote sensing programs for more ambiguous problems such as rockfall hazards has been limited.

VISUAL PRESENTATION

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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

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Hannah Haugen is a Junior majoring in Geophysics with a minor in Data Science. This year, she has worked closely with Gabriel Walton and Whitney Trainor-Guitton to study the potential economic value of the information provided by rockfall monitoring programs using remote sensing technology for the Mines Geology and Geological Engineering department. As she finishes her undergraduate degree, she is eager to work on other research projects combining cutting-edge science with practical management decisions, especially in the field of hydrology and water resources.

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