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Hydraulic Modeling of Floods in an Open Conduit Cave

Albright, Lydia T.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1596647829960682

Abstract Details

2020, Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, Geological Sciences (Arts and Sciences).
Discharge and water surface profiles were continuously monitored to determine major sources of energy loss in a narrow bedrock stream. Instrumental data was collected and used to create a hydraulic model of an open conduit, high gradient, narrow, slot canyon-like cave. Data was collected by conducting a cave survey, monitoring stream depths using pressure transducers, and creating a stage-discharge relationship using two methods: A electromagnetic flowmeter and the salt dilution method. The stage-discharge relationship used to model stream flow was a result of measuring discharge at multiple stages. Five pressure transducers were deployed opportunistically along a 94-meter-long reach in Fuller's Cave, Greenbrier County, West Virginia and a sixth probe was placed in a karst window 100 meters upstream. Probe pressures were corrected for atmospheric pressure changes that affected submerged probes. The cave is highly susceptible to flooding due to its geometry and adequate rainfall. When water flows in an open channel, energy is lost through friction along the banks and bed of the channel and through turbulence. The data collected during this study yielded empirical roughness values, head losses, and energy gradients that were obtained from a constrained model to create an accurate representation of flooding in the open channel cave. Major energy losses were observed where channel geometry changed significantly, breakdown occluded the passage, and where the passage cross section was non-uniform. Such hydraulic modeling can be used to better visualize floods and simulate flow in similar environments. This allows for better study of sediment transport, shear forces, and factors that affect flow in open conduit caves. This study's findings confirmed and expanded the use of scallop and sediment measurements, discharge curves, and pressure transducers to create a hydraulic model but more work is needed to perfect the use of these variables when studying energy loss.
Greg Springer (Advisor)
Keith Milam (Committee Member)
Eung Seok Lee (Committee Member)
97 p.
Geological; Geology
Hydraulic Model; Roughness; Discharge; Stream Model; Cave

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Albright, L. T. (2020). Hydraulic Modeling of Floods in an Open Conduit Cave [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1596647829960682

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Albright, Lydia. Hydraulic Modeling of Floods in an Open Conduit Cave. 2020. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1596647829960682.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Albright, Lydia. "Hydraulic Modeling of Floods in an Open Conduit Cave." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1596647829960682

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1596647829960682
195
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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.