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Near-boundary velocity and turbulence in depth-varying stream flows

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Abstract

This research examined the temporal distribution of turbulent structure near a streambank toe through the progression of a flood wave in West Run (Morgantown, WV, USA). Three-dimensional velocities and water depths were measured through a 17-h flood event. Turbulence characteristics were examined: Reynolds stresses, turbulent kinetic energy, and turbulence intensities. On average, near-boundary velocity during the rising stage was less than the falling stage, likely due to the measurement location and local roughness. The velocity vectors shifted from towards bed before the flood wave to toward the streambank during progression of the flood wave. Turbulent kinetic energy increased with increasing water depth during the rising stage. Reynolds stress, τxz, increased with increasing water depth during the rising stage, but the majority of the stresses were negative through the storm event. Reynolds stress, τxy, was positive throughout the event and did not vary with depth. This work is among the first to evaluate turbulence during depth-varying flows in the field.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Will Ravenscroft and Karen Buzby.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil and Environmental Engineering, West Virginia University, PO Box 6103, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA

    L. C. Hopkinson & C. Z. Walburn

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  1. L. C. Hopkinson
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  2. C. Z. Walburn
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Correspondence to L. C. Hopkinson.

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Hopkinson, L.C., Walburn, C.Z. Near-boundary velocity and turbulence in depth-varying stream flows. Environ Fluid Mech 16, 559–574 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-015-9440-1

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