Geology topics

K. A. Oberg

Publications and source records attributed to K. A. Oberg.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2013

Velocity Mapping Toolbox (VMT): a processing and visualization suite for moving-vessel ADCP measurements

The use of acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP) for discharge measurements and three-dimensional flow mapping has increased rapidly in recent years and has been primarily driven by advances in acoustic technology and signal processing. Recent research has developed a variety of methods for processing data obtained from a range of ADCP deployments and this paper builds on this progress by describing new software for processing and visualizing ADCP data collected along transects in rivers or other bodies of water. The new utility, the Velocity Mapping Toolbox (VMT), allows rapid processing (vector rotation, projection, averaging and smoothing), visualization (planform and cross-section vector and contouring), and analysis of a range of ADCP-derived datasets. The paper documents the data processing routines in the toolbox and presents a set of diverse examples that demonstrate its capabilities. The toolbox is applicable to the analysis of ADCP data collected in a wide range of aquatic environments and is made available as open-source code along with this publication.

Earth Surface Processes and Landforms↗

USGS2012

Characterizing a December 2005 density current event in the Chicago River, Chicago, Illinois

During the winter months, the Chicago River in Chicago, Illinois is subject to bi-directional flows, and density currents are thought to be responsible for these flow variations. This paper presents detailed field measurements using three acoustic Doppler current profiler instruments and simultaneous water-quality measurements made during December 2005. Observations indicate that the formation of density currents within the Chicago River and density differences are mostly due to salinity differences between the North Branch and the main stem of the Chicago River, whereas temperature difference does not appreciably affect the creation of density currents. Sources of higher water temperature, conductivity, and salinity values should be addressed in future studies. ?? 2007 ASCE.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2011

Bed morphology, flow structure, and sediment transport at the outlet of Lake Huron and in the upper St. Clair River

An integrated multibeam echo sounder and acoustic Doppler current profiler field survey was conducted in July 2008 to investigate the morphodynamics of the St. Clair River at the outlet of Lake Huron. The principal morphological features of the upper St. Clair River included flow-transverse bedforms that appear weakly mobile, erosive bedforms in cohesive muds, thin non-cohesive veneers of weakly mobile sediment that cover an underlying cohesive (till or glacio-lacustrine) surface, and vegetation that covers the bed. The flow was characterized by acceleration as the banks constrict from Lake Huron into the St. Clair River, an approximately 1500-m long region of flow separation downstream from the Blue Water Bridge, and secondary flow connected to: i) channel curvature; ii) forcing of the flow by local bed topography, and iii) flow wakes in the lee side of ship wrecks. Nearshore, sand-sized, sediment from Lake Huron was capable of being transported into, and principally along, the banks of the upper St. Clair River by the measured flow. A comparison of bathymetric surveys conducted in 2007 and 2008 identifies that the gravel bed does undergo slow downstream movement, but that this movement does not appear to be generated by the mean flow, and could possibly be caused by ship-propeller-induced turbulence. The study results suggest that the measured mean flow and dredging within the channel have not produced major scour of the upper St. Clair River and that the recent fall in the level of Lake Huron is unlikely to have been caused by these mechanisms.

Michigan↗

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.

Science of the Total Environment↗

USGS2008

Measuring gravity currents in the Chicago River, Chicago, Illinois

Recent studies of the Chicago River have determined that gravity currents are responsible for persistent bidirectional flows that have been observed in the river. A gravity current is the flow of one fluid within another caused by a density difference between the fluids. These studies demonstrated how acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP) can be used to detect and characterize gravity currents in the field. In order to better understand the formation and evolution of these gravity currents, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has installed ADCPs and other instruments to continuously measure gravity currents in the Chicago River and the North Branch Chicago River. These instruments include stage sensors, thermistor strings, and both upward-looking and horizontal ADCPs. Data loggers and computers installed at gaging stations along the river are used to collect data from these instruments and transmit them to USGS offices. ?? 2008 IEEE.

Illinois↗

USGS2007

Evaluation of mean velocity and turbulence measurements with ADCPs

To test the ability of acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) to measure turbulence, profiles measured with two pulse-to-pulse coherent ADCPs in a laboratory flume were compared to profiles measured with an acoustic Doppler velocimeter, and time series measured in the acoustic beam of the ADCPs were examined. A four-beam ADCP was used at a downstream station, while a three-beam ADCP was used at a downstream station and an upstream station. At the downstream station, where the turbulence intensity was low, both ADCPs reproduced the mean velocity profile well away from the flume boundaries; errors near the boundaries were due to transducer ringing, flow disturbance, and sidelobe interference. At the upstream station, where the turbulence intensity was higher, errors in the mean velocity were large. The four-beam ADCP measured the Reynolds stress profile accurately away from the bottom boundary, and these measurements can be used to estimate shear velocity. Estimates of Reynolds stress with a three-beam ADCP and turbulent kinetic energy with both ADCPs cannot be computed without further assumptions, and they are affected by flow inhomogeneity. Neither ADCP measured integral time scales to within 60%. ?? 2007 ASCE.

Journal of Hydraulic Engineering↗

USGS2007

Errors in acoustic doppler profiler velocity measurements caused by flow disturbance

Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) are commonly used to measure streamflow and water velocities in rivers and streams. This paper presents laboratory, field, and numerical model evidence of errors in ADCP measurements caused by flow disturbance. A state-of-the-art three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic model is validated with and used to complement field and laboratory observations of flow disturbance and its effect on measured velocities. Results show that near the instrument, flow velocities measured by the ADCP are neither the undisturbed stream velocity nor the velocity of the flow field around the ADCP. The velocities measured by the ADCP are biased low due to the downward flow near the upstream face of the ADCP and upward recovering flow in the path of downstream transducer, which violate the flow homogeneity assumption used to transform beam velocities into Cartesian velocity components. The magnitude of the bias is dependent on the deployment configuration, the diameter of the instrument, and the approach velocity, and was observed to range from more than 25% at 5cm from the transducers to less than 1% at about 50cm from the transducers for the scenarios simulated. ?? 2007 ASCE.

Journal of Hydraulic Engineering↗

USGS2002

Measurement of Turbulence with Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers - Sources of Error and Laboratory Results

Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) provide a promising method for measuring surface-water turbulence because they can provide data from a large spatial range in a relatively short time with relative ease. Some potential sources of errors in turbulence measurements made with ADCPs include inaccuracy of Doppler-shift measurements, poor temporal and spatial measurement resolution, and inaccuracy of multi-dimensional velocities resolved from one-dimensional velocities measured at separate locations. Results from laboratory measurements of mean velocity and turbulence statistics made with two pulse-coherent ADCPs in 0.87 meters of water are used to illustrate several of inherent sources of error in ADCP turbulence measurements. Results show that processing algorithms and beam configurations have important effects on turbulence measurements. ADCPs can provide reasonable estimates of many turbulence parameters; however, the accuracy of turbulence measurements made with commercially available ADCPs is often poor in comparison to standard measurement techniques.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1994

Recent applications of acoustic Doppler current profilers

A Broadband acoustic Doppler current profiler (BB-ADCP) is a new instrument being used by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to measure stream discharge and velocities, and bathymetry. During the 1993 Mississippi River flood, more than 160 high-flow BB-ADCP measurements were made by the USGS at eight locations between Quincy and Cairo, Ill., from July 19 to August 20, 1993. A maximum discharge of 31,400 m3/s was measured at St. Louis, Mo., on August 2, 1993. A BB-ADCP also has been used to measure leakage through three control structures near Chicago, Ill. These measurements are unusual in that the average velocity for the measured section was as low as 0.03 m/s. BB-ADCP's are also used in support of studies of scour at bridges. During the recent Mississippi River flood, BB-ADCP's were used to measure water velocities and bathymetry upstream from, next to, and downstream from bridge piers at several bridges over the Mississippi River. Bathymetry data were collected by merging location data from Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, laser tracking systems, and depths measured by the BB-ADCP. These techniques for collecting bathymetry data were used for documenting the channel formation downstream from the Miller City levee break and scour near two bridges on the Mississippi River.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1994

Miller City levee break and incipient meander cutoff

On July 15, 1993, the flooding Mississippi River broke through a levee near Miller City, Ill., at the head of the Mississippi Embayment, approximately 55 km upstream from Cairo, Ill. Flow through the break crossed a high-amplitude meander bend and reentered the main channel approximately 24 km upstream from Cairo, bypassing 31 km of the river channel. The incipient meander cutoff is one of the more dramatic examples of geomorphic change accompanying the 1993 flood. Discharge and bathymetry data were collected in the incipient cutoff channel every other day during the 2 weeks before and after the flood peak. During the peak on August 7, as much as 8,100 m3/s, or approximately 25 percent of the Mississippi flood discharge, was bypassing the meander bend. The flow excavated an irregular channel in the flood plain up to 25 m deep. This irregular channel extends as far as 2 km downstream from the levee break. By August 25, as much as 2,900 m3/s was still flowing through the levee break; with recession of the flood, extensive sand deposits were exposed on the margins and downstream from the scoured areas. Preliminary data indicate that local relief, such as relict channels and preexisting county roads, affected the extent of new channel formation.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1993

Water-level, velocity, and dye measurements in the Chicago tunnels

On April 13, 1992, a section of a 100-year-old underground freight tunnel in downtown Chicago, Illinois was breached where the tunnel crosses under the Chicago River, about 15 meters below land surface. The breach allowed water from the Chicago River to flow into the freight tunnels and into buildings connected to the tunnels. As a result, utility services to more than 100 buildings in downtown Chicago were lost, several hundred thousand workers were sent home, and the entire subway system and a major expressway in the Loop were shut down. The breach in the tunnel was sealed and the tunnel dewatered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and its contractors. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assisted the Corps in their efforts to plug and dewater the freight tunnels and connected buildings. This assistance included the installation and operation of telemetered gages for monitoring water levels in the tunnel system and velocity measurements made in the vicinity of the tunnel breach. A fluorescent dye tracer was used to check for leaks in the plugs, which isolated the damaged portion of the Chicago freight tunnel from the remainder of the tunnel system.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1984

Cost effectiveness of the U.S. Geological Survey's stream-gaging program in Illinois

Data uses and funding sources were identified for 138 continuous-record discharge-gaging stations currently (1983) operated as part of the stream-gaging program in Illinois. Streamflow data from five of those stations are used only for regional hydrology studies. Most streamflow data are used for defining regional hydrology, defining rainfall-runoff relations, flood forecasting, regulating navigation systems, and water-quality sampling. Based on the evaluations of data use and of alternative methods for determining streamflow in place of stream gaging, no stations in the 1983 stream-gaging program should be deactivated. The current budget (in 1983 dollars) for operating the 138-station program is $768,000 per year. The average standard error of instantaneous discharge for the current practice for visiting the gaging stations is 36.5 percent. Missing stage record accounts for one-third of the 36.5 percent average standard error. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗