Donald R.F. Harleman Honorary Lecture in Environmental Fluid Mechanics

Each year, the Donald R.F. Harleman Honorary Lecture in Environmental Fluid Mechanics enriches the academic experience of faculty and students in the Penn State Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering's water resources program by connecting them with distinguished researchers and industry leaders from outside of the University.  

2026 Lecture

Tuesday, September 29
4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
301 ECoRE

Witold F. Krajewski, University of Iowa
Title: How Well Cen We Forecast Streamflow in Real Time?

Abstract
The presenter will overview the key components of a generic streamflow forecasting system motivated by operational needs.  He will start by defining the scope, the goals, and the key terms of the involved elements.  These include a rainfall-runoff model, radar-based quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE), numerical weather model based quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPF), and streamflow data assimilation.  The author will provide brief background on each of these elements focused on operationally available products (in the U.S.) and their characteristics.  The discussion of these models and products will be rooted in the basic hydrologic and meteorologic research and the existing challenges.  The talk will be illustrated with analyses of the nation-wide streamflow forecasting data as well as hydrologic modeling results using tools developed at the Iowa Flood Center.  If you are interested in the answer to the question posed in the title, please join the lecture.

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