Advanced Technologies and Modeling

Flood events on rivers can cause erosion of the soil around a bridge foundation. This process is frequently referred to as bridge scour. Over time, scour can lead to bridge failure. To manage the risk from bridge scour, countermeasures are now used on bridge foundations. USGS scientists will be evaluating these bridge scour countermeasures at bridges across the country on rivers of various sizes.

Significant flood events on the Wabash River between 3 mi downstream of Mt. Carmel, IL to 10 mi downstream from New Harmony, IN caused the collapse of the railroad pier, bridge, and trusses which crossed the river. Scientists are using two models to evaluate how future flooding may impact the current I-64 bridge and the river channel. One model will focus on river meander migration. The second...

In June 2008, heavy rainfall occurred in the upstream reaches of Haw Creek, a small stream that flows through the center of Columbus, Ind. A sudden flash flood occurred through the middle of Columbus which took the town by surprise since the rain was upstream. Many homes and more than 70 businesses were damaged in Columbus, including $125 million in damage to the Columbus Regional Hospital and...

USGS scientists can perform numerical simulations with the FLOW-3D application. FLOW-3D is a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software package with multi-physics modules. It solves the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes and continuity equations in a structured, rectangular grid. USGS scientists use CFD models to design equipment (such as the USGS DH-84 sediment sampler), assess hydraulic conditions...

Bathymetric surveys allow us to measure the depth of a water body as well as map the underwater features of a water body. Multiple methods can be used for bathymetric surveys including multi-beam and single-beam surveys, ADCPs, sub-bottom profilers, and the Ecomapper Autonomous Underwater Vehicle. We use bathymetric surveys for many different types of research including flood inundation, contour...

Scientists are using the Ecomapper Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to collect imagery, bathymetry, and basic water-quality parameters. The Ecomapper provides a innovative visualization of data.

Davis Branch, a stream within the boundaries of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, is a designated Warm Water Aquatic Habitat, Primary Contact Recreation, and Outstanding State Resource Water. Historically, the stream has provided a critical habitat to the federally-threatened Blackside Dace, a small cyprinid fish endemic to the upper Cumberland River basin. In recent decades, the...

USGS is developing new and innovative ways to map the world around us.

The USGS Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center has become a regional leader in using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as drones, for mapping and hazards analysis.