Obeysekera, Jayantha
- Research Professor, Sea Level Solutions Center , College of Arts, Sciences & Education

Overview
overview
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Jayantha Obeysekera is the Director and Research Professor in the Sea Level Solutions Center. Obeysekera previously served as the chief modeler at the South Florida Water Management District, where he had a leading role in the modeling of the Everglades and Kissimmee River restoration projects. He was the co-author of the sea level rise projections report published by NOAA for the National Climate Assessment and a lead author for the Southeast Chapter of the National Climate Assessment. He served on the federal advisory committee which directed the development of the National Climate Assessment in 2014. Obeysekera was a member of multiple National Research Council panels dealing with water resources issues, focusing on the Edwards Aquifer system in Texas, Klamath River in California and Oregon, and the California Bay-Delta. He also served on the Coastal Assessment Regional Scenario Working Group associated with the Department of Defense and co-authored a report on regional sea level projections for Department of Defense facilities across the globe.
He previously worked as an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Colorado State University and a research affiliate professor at Florida Atlantic University. He also has taught courses in the water resources area at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Obeysekera is the 2015 recipient of the Norman Medal of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
research interests
- Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, Hydrologic Modeling, Adaptation and Resilience Water Management.
Scholarly & Creative Works
selected publications
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Article
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2022Compound flood modeling framework for surface-subsurface water interactionsFull Text via DOI: 10.5194/nhess-22-775-2022 Web of Science: 000768717300001
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2021Assessing geomorphic floodplain models for large scale coarse resolution 2D flood modelling in data scarce regionsFull Text via DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.107841 Web of Science: 000685523100004
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2021Climate Change and Changes in Compound Coastal-Riverine Flooding Hazard Along the US CoastsFull Text via DOI: 10.1029/2021EF002055 Web of Science: 000656968900011
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2020A Regional Frequency Analysis of Tide Gauges to Assess Pacific Coast Flood RiskFull Text via DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2020.581769 Web of Science: 000581898700001
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2020Multivariate statistical modelling of the drivers of compound flood events in south FloridaFull Text via DOI: 10.5194/nhess-20-2681-2020 Web of Science: 000580580300001
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2020Chronic and Acute Coastal Flood Risks to Assets and Communities in Southeast FloridaFull Text via DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0001245 Web of Science: 000536068400008
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2020Evaluating the performance of climate models in reproducing the hydrological characteristics of rainfall eventsFull Text via DOI: 10.1080/02626667.2020.1750616 Web of Science: 000532083100001
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2019Probability Distribution and Risk of the First Occurrence of k Extreme Hydrologic EventsFull Text via DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001809 Web of Science: 000481578800003
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2019Shifting Ground: Landscape-Scale Modeling of Biogeochemical Processes under Climate Change in the Florida EvergladesFull Text via DOI: 10.1007/s00267-019-01200-8 Web of Science: 000491940800003
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2019Flood Resilience of Critical Infrastructure: Approach and Method Applied to Fort Lauderdale, FloridaFull Text via DOI: 10.3390/w11030517 Web of Science: 000464527500001
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2019Rising Sea Levels: Helping Decision-Makers Confront the InevitableFull Text via DOI: 10.1080/08920753.2019.1551012 Web of Science: 000461666300001
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2019A Coherent Statistical Model for Coastal Flood Frequency Analysis Under Nonstationary Sea Level ConditionsFull Text via DOI: 10.1029/2018EF001089 Web of Science: 000461279800009
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2018Five Decadal Trends in Averages and Extremes of Rainfall and Temperature in Sri LankaFull Text via DOI: 10.1155/2018/4217917 Web of Science: 000455600500001
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20166. In tide's way: Southeast Florida's September 2015 sunny-day floodFull Text via DOI: 10.1175/BAMS-D-16-0117.1
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2016Frequency of recurrent extremes under nonstationarityFull Text via DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001339
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2015Potential Effects of Climate Change on Florida’s EvergladesFull Text via DOI: 10.1007/s00267-014-0417-5
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2013Probabilistic projection of mean sea level and coastal extremesFull Text via DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)WW.1943-5460.0000154
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2013Scenario-based projection of extreme sea levelsFull Text via DOI: 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-12-00127.1
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2011Pan evaporation and potential evapotranspiration trends in South FloridaFull Text via DOI: 10.1002/hyp.7887
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2011Use of hydrologic and hydrodynamic modeling for ecosystem restorationFull Text via DOI: 10.1080/10643389.2010.531226
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2006Impacts of the 2004 tsunami on groundwater resources in Sri LankaFull Text via DOI: 10.1029/2006WR004876
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1999A science-based strategy for ecological restoration in South FloridaFull Text via DOI: 10.1023/a:1009500516378
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1999The natural South Florida system I: Climate, geology, and hydrologyFull Text via DOI: 10.1023/a:1009552500448
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1998A wetland simulation module for the MODFLOW ground water modelFull Text via DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1998.tb02193.x
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1993Flow regulation and restoration of Florida's Kissimmee riverFull Text via DOI: 10.1002/rrr.3450080118
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1993SPATIAL ANALYSIS FOR MONTHLY RAINFALL IN SOUTH FLORIDAFull Text via DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.1993.tb03199.x
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1992Conceptual basis of seasonal streamflow time series modelsFull Text via DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1992)118:8(1186)
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1991Flood-Frequency derivation from kinematic waveFull Text via DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1991)117:4(489)
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1990Physically based flood features and frequenciesFull Text via DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1990)116:4(494)
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1987Relationships among water storage variablesFull Text via DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9496(1987)113:3(353)
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1985A Note on Simulation of Samples of Gamma‐Autoregressive VariablesFull Text via DOI: 10.1029/WR021i010p01569
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1983Aggregation and estimation for low‐order periodic ARMA modelsFull Text via DOI: 10.1029/WR019i005p01297
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Book Chapter
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2017Implications of Climate Change on Florida's Water ResourcesFull Text via DOI: 10.17125/fci2017.ch03
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2009Impacts of The 2004 Tsunami and Subsequent Water Restorations Actions in Sri Lanka. 3-28.Full Text via DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-2713-9_1
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2006Application of climate outlooks for water management in South Florida. 65-85.Full Text via DOI: 10.1061/9780784408247.ch05
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Conference
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2022Statewide Extreme Rainfall Projections for Florida Using Downscaled Climate Data. 1279-1292.Full Text via DOI: 10.1061/9780784484258.118
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2016Assessment of CMIP5 Multi-Model Dataset to Evaluate Impacts on the Future Regional Water Resources of South Florida. 586-596.Full Text via DOI: 10.1061/9780784479872.060
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2013Return period and risk for nonstationary hydrologic extreme events. 1213-1223.Full Text via DOI: 10.1061/9780784412947.119
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2007A new plan for managing Lake Okeechobee water shortagesFull Text via DOI: 10.1061/40927(243)544
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2007Validation of climate-based lake okeechobee net inflow outlooksFull Text via DOI: 10.1061/40927(243)72
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2006A spreadsheet-based screening model for evaluating alternative water management strategies for Lake Okeechobee, Florida. 354-363.Full Text via DOI: 10.1061/40875(212)35
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2006Lake Okeechobee operations by means of the Water Supply and Environment (WSE) regulation schedule. 166-175.Full Text via DOI: 10.1061/40875(212)17
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2006New rainfall-based management plan for more natural water deliveries to the Everglades Shark River Slough. 234-243.Full Text via DOI: 10.1061/40875(212)24
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2003Evapotranspiration Estimation for South Florida. 3573-3581.
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2003Evapotranspiration Estimation for South Florida. 1-9.Full Text via DOI: 10.1061/40685(2003)235
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2001South Florida water management model: Regional-scale water management tool. 221-230.Full Text via DOI: 10.1061/40562(267)24
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2001Use of regional simulation models in operational hydrology in South Florida. 211-220.Full Text via DOI: 10.1061/40562(267)23
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1993
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1992
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1988
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1986Aggregation and Disaggregation Processes in Hydrology. 1309-1309.Full Text via DOI: 10.1029/EO067i045p01309-01
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Letter
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1989Reply [to “Comment on ‘On parameter estimation of temporal rainfall models’ by J. T. B. Obeysekera et al.”]. 765-765.Full Text via DOI: 10.1029/WR025i004p00765
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Other Scholarly Work
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1989Correction to “Multivariate periodic ARMA (1, 1) processes” by P. Bartolini, J. D. Salas, and J. T. B. Obeysekera. 581-581.Full Text via DOI: 10.1029/WR025i003p00581
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Preprint
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2021Compound flood modelling framework for rainfall-groundwater interactionsFull Text via DOI: 10.5194/nhess-2021-259
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Review
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2021A review on water governance in Sri Lanka: The lessons learnt for future water policy formulation. 255-273.Full Text via DOI: 10.2166/wp.2021.152
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2021Drought in South Asia: A Review of Drought Assessment and Prediction in South Asian CountriesFull Text via DOI: 10.3390/atmos12030369 Web of Science: 000633308400001
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2019South Asian perspective on temperature and rainfall extremes: A review. 110-120.Full Text via DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2019.03.021 Web of Science: 000470049300010
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2016Review of challenges of and practices for sustainable management of mountain flood hazards. 1763-1797.Full Text via DOI: 10.1007/s11069-016-2400-3
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Research
principal investigator on
- Incorporation of Climatic and Hydrologic Nonstationarity into FDOT Planning and Design Guidelines & Processes awarded by Florida Department of Transportation 2021 - 2022
- TELECONNECTION ANALYSIS AND CMIP6 DOWNSCALED DATA UPDATE awarded by South Florida Water Management District 2022
- CoPe: Workshop for identifying interoperability and the data needs of the interdisciplinary models for understanding vulnerability of coastal systems to stresses and shocks associated with climate change and sea level rise awarded by National Science Foundation 2020 - 2022
- IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE ON SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AGENCY MISSION awarded by South Florida Water Management District 2020 - 2022
- METRIC DEVELOPMENT FOR FUTURE CLIMATE SCENARIOS AND PROJECT COLLABORATION awarded by South Florida Water Management District 2020 - 2021
- Incorporating the cascading impacts of critical infrastructure damages in economic flood risk analysis awarded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin 2019 - 2021
- Miami-Dade County Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study Scope of Work for Hydrodynamic Modeling and Initial Water Quality Evaluations Supporting the Federal Feasibility Study and NEPA Documentation. awarded by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2020 - 2021
- METRIC DEVELOPMENT FOR FUTURE CLIMATE SCENARIOS AND PROJECT COLLABORATION, Part 2 awarded by South Florida Water Management District 2021
- Updating the Statewide Extreme Rainfall Projections awarded by FL Dept of Business & Profess Regulation 2020 - 2021
- Advancing Best Practices for the Analysis of the Vulnerability of Military Installations in the Pacific Basin to Coastal Flooding under a Changing Climate - DOD/SERDP RC-2644 awarded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin 2019 - 2021
- Independent Scientific Review to Inform Development of the new Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule awarded by University of Florida 2019
- Development of Unified Climate Scenarios for Florida - Workshop awarded by South Florida Water Management District 2018 - 2019
- Potential Implications of sea-level rise and changing rainfall In Florida Building Code for communities in Florida using Miami-Dade County as a Case Study awarded by FL Dept of Business & Profess Regulation 2018 - 2019
co-principal investigator on
- Integrated coastal flood observation network for citizen engagement and improved data, modeling and projections awarded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin 2021 - 2024
- CC* Compute: RAPTOR - Reconfigurable Advanced Platform for Transdisciplinary Open Research awarded by National Science Foundation 2021 - 2023
- The Resilient305 Collaborative: Advancing Hyperlocal, Replicable, Impact-driven Adaptation Science through Resilience Learning awarded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin 2021 - 2023
- Development of BBSEER performance measures through linkage of RSM and BISECT models awarded by South Florida Water Management District 2021 - 2023
- Collier County Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study for Hydrodynamic Modeling and Initial Water Quality Evaluations awarded by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2020 - 2021
Contact
full name
- Jayantha Obeysekera
visualizations
publication subject areas
Citation index-derived subject areas the researcher has published in