How engineers use terrestrial river modeling software to visualize water flow on Mars

This video explores computational hydraulic river modeling by applying HEC-RAS software to the Martian landscape. It demonstrates how engineers use these tools for tasks like floodplain mapping and dam breach analysis, using a model of the Kasei Valles to visualize fluid dynamics on another planet.

Computational hydraulic river modeling is a standard practice for water resources engineers in the United States. Software like HEC-RAS is widely utilized for professional applications, including reservoir simulations, fluvial geomorphology, and floodplain mapping. Because many of these essential engineering tools are available for free, they remain ubiquitous across the industry.

To illustrate the capabilities of these models, this video presents a rudimentary simulation of the Kasei Valles on Mars. While the model is not intended for rigorous scientific research, it serves as a practical demonstration of how hydraulic software visualizes water movement. The project relied on terrain data provided by the USGS Astrogeology Science Center.

Source: Rivers on Mars! (and other uses for hydraulic models)