This talk is part of the ALLways Learning Series, which invites ALL members and members of our local community to join us for a free, casual lecture each Friday during the academic year (formerly Lunchtime Learning Series).

Abstract: Nova Scotia has seen its share of climate impacts lately. From hurricanes setting records for the most damage and highest intensity recorded to flash floods where residents’ lives have been lost to raging wildfires that cost people their homes and burned large swaths of forest. Although Geomatics, the science of mapping and surveying, cannot stop these events, advanced technologies can be used to improve preparedness, adaptation and mitigation of such events in the future. This presentation will highlight how this technology was used to both predict the impacts of Hurricane Fiona and measure the actual damage caused. As well it will show how important surveys are after significant climate events such as the July flooding near Windsor. Lastly, it will show how a local indigenous company is working with AGRG-NSCC to improve their software to predict how wildfires will behave.

Biography: Dr. Tim Webster is a research scientist with the Applied Geomatics Research Group, part of Applied Research at Nova Scotia Community College in Nova Scotia, Canada. His research focus is mapping and modeling earth’s surface processes and uses a topo-bathymetric lidar and other geomatics data to support his research. He obtained his PhD from Dalhousie University in 2006, MSc from Acadia University in 1996, an Advanced Diploma in Remote Sensing in 1988, and a BSc (Geology-Physics) in 1987. In 2002 he was co-awarded the Government of Canada “Science Awards to Leaders in Sustainable Development” for coastal flood risk and climate change in Prince Edward Island. In 2010 he received the Gulf of “Maine Council Visionary Award”. In 2017 he was presented with the Geomatics Association of Nova Scotia “Award of Distinction”. In 2022 he was awarded the Discovery Centre “Public Impact Award”. He has also consulted for the Government Dominica on their lidar and orthophoto acquisition. He has consulted for Natural Resources Canada on their Flood Mapping Guidelines, writing the Topo-bathymetric lidar appendix and the Detecting Coastal Change (erosion) guideline. He has conducted several major projects and authored papers on coastal and fluvial flood risk mapping utilizing lidar and other geomatics tools. He has been with the college for over 30 years, with over 20 as a research scientist and as a consultant for over 20 years and published over 30 peer reviewed papers.