scholarly journals A topographic index explaining hydrological similarity by accounting for the joint controls of runoff formation

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 3807-3821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralf Loritz ◽  
Axel Kleidon ◽  
Conrad Jackisch ◽  
Martijn Westhoff ◽  
Uwe Ehret ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Potential Energy ◽  
Unit Length ◽  
Second Law Of Thermodynamics ◽  
Reference Level ◽  
Gravitational Potential Energy ◽  
Good Resolution ◽  
Runoff Generation ◽  
Topographic Wetness Index ◽  
Topographic Index ◽  
Driving Potential

Abstract. Surface topography is an important source of information about the functioning and form of a hydrological landscape. Because of its key role in explaining hydrological processes and structures, and also because of its wide availability at good resolution in the form of digital elevation models (DEMs), it is frequently used to inform hydrological analyses. Not surprisingly, several hydrological indices and models have been proposed for linking geomorphic properties of a landscape with its hydrological functioning; a widely used example is the “height above the nearest drainage” (HAND) index. From an energy-centered perspective HAND reflects the gravitational potential energy of a given unit mass of water located on a hillslope, with the reference level set to the elevation of the nearest corresponding river. Given that potential energy differences are the main drivers for runoff generation, HAND distributions provide important proxies to explain runoff generation in catchments. However, as expressed by the second law of thermodynamics, the driver of a flux explains only one aspect of the runoff generation mechanism, with the driving potential of every flux being depleted via entropy production and dissipative energy loss. In fact, such losses dominate when rainfall becomes runoff, and only a tiny portion of the driving potential energy is actually transformed into the kinetic energy of streamflow. In recognition of this, we derive a topographic index called reduced dissipation per unit length index (rDUNE) by reinterpreting and enhancing HAND following a straightforward thermodynamic argumentation. We compare rDUNE with HAND, and with the frequently used topographic wetness index (TWI), and show that rDUNE provides stronger discrimination of catchments into groups that are similar with respect to their dominant runoff processes. Our analysis indicates that accounting for both the driver and resistance aspects of flux generation provides a promising approach for linking the architecture of a system with its functioning and is hence an appropriate basis for developing similarity indices in hydrology.

scholarly journals A topographic index explaining hydrological similarity by accounting for the joint controls of runoff formation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralf Loritz ◽  
Axel Kleidon ◽  
Conrad Jackisch ◽  
Martijn Westhoff ◽  
Uwe Ehret ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Potential Energy ◽  
Unit Length ◽  
Second Law Of Thermodynamics ◽  
Reference Level ◽  
Gravitational Potential Energy ◽  
Good Resolution ◽  
Runoff Generation ◽  
Topographic Wetness Index ◽  
Topographic Index ◽  
Driving Potential

Abstract. Surface topography is an important source of information about the functioning and form of a hydrological landscape. Because of its key role in explaining hydrological processes and structures, and also because of its wide availability at good resolution in the form of digital elevation models (DEM), it is frequently used to inform hydrological analyses. Not surprisingly, several hydrological indices and models have been proposed to link geomorphic properties of a landscape with its hydrological functioning; a widely used example is the Height Above the Nearest Drainage (HAND) index. From an energy-centered perspective HAND reflects the gravitational potential energy of a given unit mass of water located on a hillslope, with the reference level set to the elevation of the nearest corresponding river. Given that potential energy differences are the main drivers for runoff generation, HAND distributions provide important proxies to explain runoff generation in catchments. However, as expressed by the second law of thermodynamics, the driver of a flux explains only one aspect of the runoff generation mechanism, with the driving potential of every flux being depleted via entropy production and dissipative energy loss. In fact, such losses dominate runoff generation in a catchment, and only a tiny portion of the driving potential energy is actually transformed into the kinetic energy of streamflow. In recognition of this, we derive a new topographic index named dissipation per unit length (DUNE) by re-interpreting and enhancing the HAND index. We compare DUNE with HAND, and with the topographic wetness index (TWI), and show that DUNE provides stronger discrimination of catchments into groups that are similar with respect to runoff generation. Our analysis indicates that accounting for both the driver and resistance aspects of flux generation provides a promising approach to linking the architecture of a system with its functioning.

Tracker-assisted modelling: simultaneous validation of the conservation law of energy and the work-energy theorem

2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 015012
Author(s):  
Unofre B Pili ◽  
Renante R Violanda
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Potential Energy ◽  
Gravitational Potential ◽  
Conservation Law ◽  
Gravitational Potential Energy ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Basic Physics ◽  
Free Falling ◽  
Work Done

Abstract The video of a free-falling object was analysed in Tracker in order to extract the position and time data. On the basis of these data, the velocity, gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, and the work done by gravity were obtained. These led to a rather simultaneous validation of the conservation law of energy and the work–energy theorem. The superimposed plots of the kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy, and the total energy as respective functions of time and position demonstrate energy conservation quite well. The same results were observed from the plots of the potential energy against the kinetic energy. On the other hand, the work–energy theorem has emerged from the plot of the total work-done against the change in kinetic energy. Because of the accessibility of the setup, the current work is seen as suitable for a home-based activity, during these times of the pandemic in particular in which online learning has remained to be the format in some countries. With the guidance of a teacher, online or face-to-face, students in their junior or senior high school—as well as for those who are enrolled in basic physics in college—will be able to benefit from this work.

scholarly journals Walking in simulated reduced gravity: mechanical energy fluctuations and exchange

1999 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 383-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy M. Griffin ◽  
Neil A. Tolani ◽  
Rodger Kram
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Potential Energy ◽  
Gravitational Potential ◽  
Inverted Pendulum ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Center Of Mass ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Metabolic Energy ◽  
Gravitational Potential Energy ◽  
Reduced Gravity

Walking humans conserve mechanical and, presumably, metabolic energy with an inverted pendulum-like exchange of gravitational potential energy and horizontal kinetic energy. Walking in simulated reduced gravity involves a relatively high metabolic cost, suggesting that the inverted-pendulum mechanism is disrupted because of a mismatch of potential and kinetic energy. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the fluctuations and exchange of mechanical energy of the center of mass at different combinations of velocity and simulated reduced gravity. Subjects walked with smaller fluctuations in horizontal velocity in lower gravity, such that the ratio of horizontal kinetic to gravitational potential energy fluctuations remained constant over a fourfold change in gravity. The amount of exchange, or percent recovery, at 1.00 m/s was not significantly different at 1.00, 0.75, and 0.50 G (average 64.4%), although it decreased to 48% at 0.25 G. As a result, the amount of work performed on the center of mass does not explain the relatively high metabolic cost of walking in simulated reduced gravity.

scholarly journals Identification of Surface Water Storing Sites Using Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 91-100
Author(s):  
Belete Berhanu ◽  
Ethiopia Bisrat
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Resource ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Sample Volume ◽  
Runoff Generation ◽  
Topographic Wetness Index ◽  
Wetness Index

Ethiopia is endowed with water and has a high runoff generation area compared to many countries, but the total stored water only goes up to approximately 36BCM. The problem of water shortage in Ethiopia emanates from the seasonality of rainfall and the lack of infrastructure for storage to capture excess runoff during flood seasons. Based on this premise, a method for a syndicate use of topography, land use and vegetation was applied to locate potential surface water storing sites. The steady-state Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) was used to represent the spatial distribution of water flow and water stagnating across the study area and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to detect surface water through multispectral analysis. With this approach, a number of water storing sites were identified in three categories: primary sources (water bodies based), secondary sources (Swampy/wetland based) and tertiary sources (the land based). A sample volume analysis for the 120354 water storing sites in category two, gives a 44.92BCM potential storing capacity with average depth of 4 m that improves the annual storage capacity of the country to 81BCM (8.6 % of annual renewable water sources). Finally, the research confirmed the TWI and NDVI based approach for water storing sites works without huge and complicated earth work; it is cost effective and has the potential of solving complex water resource challenges through spatial representation of water resource systems. Furthermore, the application of remote sensing captures temporal diversity and includes repetitive archives of data, enabling the monitoring of areas, even those that are inaccessible, at regular intervals.

scholarly journals Feedback of outflows in the Taurus Molecular Cloud

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S292) ◽  
pp. 47-47
Author(s):  
Huixian Li ◽  
Di Li ◽  
Rendong Nan
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Potential Energy ◽  
Gravitational Potential ◽  
Molecular Cloud ◽  
Feedback Effect ◽  
Total Kinetic Energy ◽  
Gravitational Potential Energy ◽  
Taurus Molecular Cloud

AbstractWe collected 27 outflows from the literature and found 8 new ones in the FCRAO CO maps of the Taurus molecular cloud. The total kinetic energy of the 35 outflows is found to be about 3% of the gravitational potential energy from the whole cloud. The feedback effect due to the outflows is minor in Taurus.

Accretion onto a Black Hole

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles D. Bailyn
Keyword(s):  
Black Holes ◽  
Black Hole ◽  
Potential Energy ◽  
Gravitational Potential ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Gravitational Potential Energy ◽  
Spherically Symmetric ◽  
Potential Well ◽  
Accretion Flows ◽  
Flow Geometry

This chapter explores the ways that accretion onto a black hole produces energy and radiation. As material falls into a gravitational potential well, energy is transformed from gravitational potential energy into other forms of energy, so that total energy is conserved. Observing such accretion energy is one of the primary ways that astrophysicists pinpoint the locations of potential black holes. The spectrum and intensity of this radiation is governed by the geometry of the gas flow, the mass infall rate, and the mass of the accretor. The simplest flow geometry is that of a stationary object accreting mass equally from all directions. Such spherically symmetric accretion is referred to as Bondi-Hoyle accretion. However, accretion flows onto black holes are not thought to be spherically symmetric—the infall is much more frequently in the form of a flattened disk.

Towards pluvial flooding hazard assessment in an urban environment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Seleem ◽  
Maik Heistermann ◽  
Axel Bronstert
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Extreme Rainfall ◽  
Likelihood Method ◽  
Runoff Generation ◽  
Topographic Wetness Index ◽  
Extreme Rainfall Events ◽  
Flooding Hazard ◽  
Pluvial Flooding ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Spatial Window

<p>Urban pluvial floods are considered as a ubiquitous hazard. The increase in intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall events, combined with high population density makes urban areas vulnerable to pluvial flooding. Pluvial floods could occur anywhere depending on the existence of minimal areas for surface runoff generation and concentration. Detailed hydrologic and hydrodynamic simulations are computationally expensive and resource-intensive. This study applies two computationally inexpensive approaches to identify risk areas for pluvial flooding. One approach uses common GIS operations to detect flood-prone depressions from a high-resolution 1m x 1m Digital Elevation Model (DEM), to identify contributing catchments, and to represent runoff concentration by a fill-spill-merge approach. The second approach employs GIS to identify pluvial flood-prone hotspots in terms of the topographic wetness index (TWI).  Based on the exceedance of a TWI threshold, flood-prone areas are identified using a maximum likelihood method. The threshold is estimated by comparing the TWI to inundation profiles from a two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic model (TELEMAC 2D), calculated for various rainfall depths within a given spatial window. The two approaches are applied to two flooding hotspots in Berlin, which have been repeatedly subject to pluvial flooding in the last decades and the outputs are compared against the detailed output from TELEMAC 2D. </p>

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document