IDALIA A. MACHUCA

The Salish Sea

Landsat_SOG

Storm Surge Prediction in the Salish Sea

  • Duration: July 2014 - April 2015
  • Role: Research assistant
  • Research Group: Mesoscale Ocean and Atmospheric Dynamics group at the University of British Columbia with Dr. Nancy Soontiens (supervisor) and Dr. Susan Allen (project director).
  • Project Objective: To develop an ocean model for the Salish Sea (Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Strait of Georgia) and forecast storm surge predictions for coastal communities in the region.
  • Contribution to Project:
    • Evaluated model performance through comparisons of model simulations and corresponding observational data for real-world oceanographic conditions.
    • Produced figures and animations showcasing the evolution of circulation patterns and water properties in regions of interest in the Salish Sea. Select visualizations were displayed on the UBC Storm Surge Forecast webpage.
    • Designed a brochure distributed to the project's stakeholders featuring progress summaries regarding the various components of the model.
    • Contributed to documentation of model development, participated in weekly project meetings, and assisted collaborators in understanding and using the model and group's software tools.

Products

text

Skills

Data analysis and visualization. Programming and debugging. Computer model evaluation. Oral and written communication of scientific findings. Proofreading and editing of research documents. Collaboration with industry professionals and academic leaders. Workshop facilitation. Public speaking and scientific presentations. Graphic design. Critical thinking. Problem solving.

Software

Programming in Python and MATLAB. Version control using Mercurial with repositories on Bitbucket. Ocean modelling with NEMO (Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean). Particle tracking and streamlines with Ariane using General Circulation Model output. Documentation using reStructuredText rendered with Sphinx and hosted on Read the Docs. Graphic design with Inkscape.