Predicting Hydrological Impacts on Remote Infrastructure Using Satellite Imagery and Machine Learning

After 17 months of closure due to flooding and washouts, Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) took over operation of Hudson Bay Railroad (HBR) in September 2018 and reopened 29 washouts in 54 days. Servicing northern First Nations communities and the Port of Churchill, one of the most important aspects of the HBR is safety. As a result, water monitoring and management remains a critical priority for the company. In particular, the section of rail line known as the ‘Herchimer’ remains an isolated and difficult portion of the track to monitor. The University of Winnipeg and Arctic Gateway Group endeavor to use drone and satellite technology to monitor water near rail lines in order to mitigate impacts on northern and remote infrastructure which is increasingly impacted by the melt of permafrost, a situation expected to increase with climate changes. The introduction of technology and processes that can mitigate impacts of water on northern and remote infrastructure stands to increase the economy in Canada’s northern and arctic regions by providing reliable infrastructure that has become impacted by global warming.

Faculty Supervisor:

Christopher Henry;Joni Storie;Christopher D Storie

Student:

Mikhail Sokolov;Nathan Gullacher

Partner:

Arctic Gateway

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Transportation and warehousing

University:

University of Winnipeg