Geology topics

Carlos M. Garcia

Publications and source records attributed to Carlos M. Garcia.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2023

Improvements to estimate ADCP uncertainty sources for discharge measurements

The use of moving boat ADCPs (Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers) for discharge measurements requires identification of the sources and magnitude of uncertainty to ensure accurate measurements. Recently, a tool known as QUant was developed to estimate the contribution to the uncertainty estimates for each transect of moving-boat ADCP discharge measurements, by varying different sampling configurations parameters through the use of Monte Carlo simulations. QUant is not only useful for estimating ADCP discharge measurement uncertainty, but also for identifying contributions of the various sources of uncertainty. However, the software requires long computational times, and the method to estimate the uncertainty of multiple-transect measurements does not consider the correlation of the variables between transects. Therefore, improvements in QUant are needed to optimize its application for practical purposes by hydrographers immediately after discharge measurements. This work presents four approaches for optimizing the performance of QUant to estimate the contribution to the uncertainty of different selected variables on ADCP discharge measurements and describes a new method of estimating multi-transect uncertainty with the QUant model that considers the correlation of errors in selected variables between transects. The approaches for optimization and the new multi-transect uncertainty method are evaluated using a dataset of 38 field measurements from a variety of riverine settings.

Flow Measurement and Instrumentation↗

USGS2021

Dynamic selection of exposure time for turbulent flow measurements

The selection of optimum sampling configurations to measure the aspects of turbulent flow of water depends on the variable being measured, the applied measurement technique, the degree of environmental noise, and flow characteristics in and near the sampling location. This work presents a method to dynamically select the exposure time (SET) during the flow-velocity measurement at each sampling location on the basis of the moving block bootstrap (MBB) technique. The MBB enables near real-time estimation of the confidence intervals and, subsequently, the COV for turbulence parameters. The dynamic SET method has been tested in this work using time series of synthetic turbulent flow-velocity signals. This method was implemented using actual flow-velocity signals recorded with acoustic Doppler velocity (ADVs) instruments and acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs). The results obtained from the implementation of the dynamic SET method show that the sampling time to achieve a defined uncertainty threshold is not the same for different turbulence parameters. Consequently, using the dynamic SET method, the exposure time can be optimized to obtain the turbulence parameters with the required uncertainty level. The dynamic SET method can be implemented in the instrument’s data logger to dynamically select the exposure time during flow measurements for a given uncertainty of the required turbulence parameter.

Journal of Hydraulic Engineering↗

USGS2019

Global ecological predictors of the soil priming effect

Identifying the global drivers of soil priming is essential to understanding C cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. We conducted a survey of soils across 86 globally-distributed locations, spanning a wide range of climates, biotic communities, and soil conditions, and evaluated the apparent soil priming effect using 13 C-glucose labeling. Here we show that the magnitude of the positive apparent priming effect (increase in CO 2 release through accelerated microbial biomass turnover) was negatively associated with SOC content and microbial respiration rates. Our statistical modeling suggests that apparent priming effects tend to be negative in more mesic sites associated with higher SOC contents. In contrast, a single-input of labile C causes positive apparent priming effects in more arid locations with low SOC contents. Our results provide solid evidence that SOC content plays a critical role in regulating apparent priming effects, with important implications for the improvement of C cycling models under global change scenarios.

Nature Communications↗

USGS2012

Role of turbulence fluctuations on uncertainties of acoutic Doppler current profiler discharge measurements

This work presents a systematic analysis quantifying the role of the presence of turbulence fluctuations on uncertainties (random errors) of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) discharge measurements from moving platforms. Data sets of three-dimensional flow velocities with high temporal and spatial resolution were generated from direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulent open channel flow. Dimensionless functions relating parameters quantifying the uncertainty in discharge measurements due to flow turbulence (relative variance and relative maximum random error) to sampling configuration were developed from the DNS simulations and then validated with field-scale discharge measurements. The validated functions were used to evaluate the role of the presence of flow turbulence fluctuations on uncertainties in ADCP discharge measurements. The results of this work indicate that random errors due to the flow turbulence are significant when: (a) a low number of transects is used for a discharge measurement, and (b) measurements are made in shallow rivers using high boat velocity (short time for the boat to cross a flow turbulence structure).

Water Resources Research↗

USGS2012

Variance of discharge estimates sampled using acoustic Doppler current profilers from moving boats

This paper presents a model for quantifying the random errors (i.e., variance) of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) discharge measurements from moving boats for different sampling times. The model focuses on the random processes in the sampled flow field and has been developed using statistical methods currently available for uncertainty analysis of velocity time series. Analysis of field data collected using ADCP from moving boats from three natural rivers of varying sizes and flow conditions shows that, even though the estimate of the integral time scale of the actual turbulent flow field is larger than the sampling interval, the integral time scale of the sampled flow field is on the order of the sampling interval. Thus, an equation for computing the variance error in discharge measurements associated with different sampling times, assuming uncorrelated flow fields is appropriate. The approach is used to help define optimal sampling strategies by choosing the exposure time required for ADCPs to accurately measure flow discharge.

Journal of Hydraulic Engineering↗

USGS2008

Density currents in the Chicago River: Characterization, effects on water quality, and potential sources

Bidirectional flows in a river system can occur under stratified flow conditions and in addition to creating significant errors in discharge estimates, the upstream propagating currents are capable of transporting contaminants and affecting water quality. Detailed field observations of bidirectional flows were made in the Chicago River in Chicago, Illinois in the winter of 2005-06. Using multiple acoustic Doppler current profilers simultaneously with a water-quality profiler, the formation of upstream propagating density currents within the Chicago River both as an underflow and an overflow was observed on three occasions. Density differences driving the flow primarily arise from salinity differences between intersecting branches of the Chicago River, whereas water temperature is secondary in the creation of these currents. Deicing salts appear to be the primary source of salinity in the North Branch of the Chicago River, entering the waterway through direct runoff and effluent from a wastewater-treatment plant in a large metropolitan area primarily served by combined sewers. Water-quality assessments of the Chicago River may underestimate (or overestimate) the impairment of the river because standard water-quality monitoring practices do not account for density-driven underflows (or overflows). Chloride concentrations near the riverbed can significantly exceed concentrations at the river surface during underflows indicating that full-depth parameter profiles are necessary for accurate water-quality assessments in urban environments where application of deicing salt is common.

Illinois↗