PLT - Sensitivity analysis of input parameters to flood characteristics for historical dam failures using DSS-WISE Lite web-based system

Predicting flood characteristics such as flow depth, arrival time and inundation extent is crucial in studies of dam failures. These flow characteristics resulting from the dam failure depend on several factors including the geometry of the breach, the formation time of the breach and the simulation cell size. Sensitivity analysis studies can provide valuable insights into the importance of these input parameters to downstream flow characteristics; however, historical studies often consider laboratory experiments. In this study, we use the DSS-WISE Lite web-based system to perform sensitivity analysis of average breach width, breach formation time, and simulation cell size to the flood characteristics for two historical events: the 2005 Taum Sauk Upper Dam failure and the 2020 Edenville Dam and Sanford Dam failure. The average breach widths, the breach formation times, and the simulation cell sizes are varied within a specific range. The simulated results (breach and downstream hydrographs, peak discharge, arrival time, depth, and inundation extent) are compared among the scenarios and with the observations. The results from this sensitivity analysis can assist modelers in the parameter evaluation for dam failure prediction where the values are unknown.