Quantification of velocity and pressure fields over streambeds is important for predicting sediment mobility, benthic and hyporheic habitat qualities, and hyporheic exchange. Here, we conduct the first experimental investigation of reconstructed water surface elevations and three-dimensional time-averaged velocity and pressure fields quantified with non-invasive image techniques for a three-dimensional free surface flow around a barely submerged vertical cylinder over a plane bed of coarse granular sediment in a full-scale flume experiment.  

Raw PIV image of open channel flow over a artificial stalk embedded in course granular sediment.
Raw PIV image of open channel flow over a artificial stalk embedded in course granular sediment.
Velocity field of flow around an artificial stalk embedded in course granular sediment. The vertical stalk is located at x = -40 mm.
Velocity field of flow around an artificial stalk embedded in course granular sediment. The vertical stalk is located at x = -40 mm.

Volumetric PIV velocity field results for flow over a stalk.  The vertical stalk is located at x = -40 mm. 

Publication

Jose Roberto Moreto, William Jeff Reeder, Ralph Budwig, Daniele Tonina, & Xiaofeng Liu. 2022. Experimentally mapping water surface elevation, velocity, and pressure fields of an open channel flow around a stalk. Geophysical Review Letters, doi: 10.1029/2021GL096835