be

"With this tool, we can help them predict which roads will be available for evacuation, which would give the local transportation system real-time action plans that can save lives and property."

"In this method, we use nine predictors: seven weather parameters and the historical data from the two hydroelectric stations. The model ranks and re-sorts these parameters to create multiple combinations until it makes a digital selection of predictors. It is important to note that it does not necessarily use all the predictors or weigh them equally. It uses the ones that prove to be the most accurate," Ahmed explains.

One that predicts discharge 12 hours ahead will be different than one that predicts eight, nine or 10 hours ahead.

"As this technique matures, we think we will be able to run it in an operational kind of way, where people will be able to check river discharge estimates on their phones, just like they do a weather forecast," Li says.

This discovery could also help explain cosmic events like supernova explosions and gravitational waves, since binaries containing one or more of these compact dead stars are thought to be the origin of such phenomena.