Computer models based on nature tend to be slightly off, especially with unpredictable water. But it looks like stream beds aren't going to be keeping their movements a secret for long.
An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Minnesota's St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, led by civil engineering professor Fotis Sotiropoulos, has created an advanced Virtual StreamLab. The new computer model, unveiled a few weeks ago, blows previous ones away. With help from supercomputers, it replicates the arbitrary complexity of a real stream, even showing how water moves around centimeter-sized rocks in high-res.
When a stream becomes eroded or polluted, understanding how water interacts with sediments and biota is crucial to bringing it to a more sustainable state, Sotiropoulos says. His team is using Virtual StreamLab to look for connections between the amount of turbulence in the water--say an eddy caused by a fallen tree--and fish habitat. "If we know exactly what kind of turbulence fish like, we can cleverly create local flow conditions that are ideal," he says.
Now, you might be thinking, "Why should I care where fish want to live? I'm not a fish. I have my own housing issues." Fair enough, but polluted and eroded waterways can have nasty human consequences down the road. Plus, stream restoration in America is a billion-dollar business, Sotiropoulos says. His team hopes their virtual model will give engineers a tool to understand stream physics in a detailed way they never could before.The scientists are using a real Outdoor StreamLab to validate the virtual model. Next, Sotiropoulos says that they will be using Virtual StreamLab to come up with useful guidelines for stream restorers. By this time next year, they plan to make virtual model available to the whole scientific community. That should make a lot more fish feel right at home.
Image: The Virtual StreamLab shows how water flows around individual rocks. Credit: Seokkoo Kang and Fotis Sotiropoulos.
Tags: Conservation, Green Science, Green Tech, Virtual Reality, Water
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