ASSESSMENT OF RIVER FLOW WITH SIGNIFICANT LATERAL INFLOW THROUGH REVERSE ROUTING MODELING
The discharge hydrograph estimation in rivers based on reverse routing modeling and using only water level data at two gauged sections is here extended to the most general case of significant lateral flow contribution, without needing to deploy rainfall-runoff procedures. The proposed methodology solves the Saint-Venant equations in diffusive form also involving the lateral contribution using an ‘head driven’ modeling approach where lateral inflow is assumed to be function of the water level at the tributary junction. The procedure allows to assess the discharge hydrograph at ends of a selected river reach with significant lateral inflow, starting from the stage recorded there and without n…
Flooding in the Digital Twin Earth: The Case Study of the Enza River Levee Breach in December 2017
The accurate delineation of flood hazard maps is a key element of flood risk management policy. Flood inundation models are fundamental for reproducing the boundaries of flood-prone areas, but their calibration is limited to the information available on the areas affected by inundation during observed flood events (typically fragmentary photo, video or partial surveys). In recent years, Earth Observation data have supported flood monitoring and emergency response (e.g., the Copernicus Emergency Service) thanks to the proliferation of available satellite sensors, also at high spatial resolution. Under this umbrella, the study investigates a levee breach that occurred in December 2017 along t…
Estimating the hydrodynamic and morphodynamic characteristics using Entropy theory at the confluence of Negro and Solimões Rivers
When two mega rivers merge the mixing of two flows results in a highly complex threedimensional flow structure in an area known as the confluence hydrodynamic zone.
A Self-Contained and Automated Method for Flood Hazard Maps Prediction in Urban Areas
Water depths and velocities predicted inside urban areas during severe storms are traditionally the final result of a chain of hydrologic and hydraulic models. The use of a single model embedding all the components of the rainfall&ndash
Non-Contact Measurement of River Surface Velocity and Discharge Estimation with a Low-Cost Doppler Radar Sensor
River discharge is an important variable to measure in order to predict droughts and flood occurrences. Once the cross-sectional geometry of the river is known, discharge can be inferred from water level and surface flow velocity measurements. Since river discharges are of particular interest during extreme weather events, when river sites cannot be safely accessed, noncontact sensing technologies are particularly appealing. To this purpose, this work proposes a prototype of a low-cost continuous wave (CW) Doppler radar sensor, which is able to monitor the surface flow velocity of rivers. The prototype is tested at two gauged sites in central Italy, along the Tiber River. The surface flow v…
Prediction of river discharges at confluences based on Entropy theory and surface-velocity measurements
Hydrodynamic features of the confluence zone of large rivers are complicated because of their three-dimensional flow structure. The confluence between the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimões, characterised by black and white waters, respectively, ranks among the largest river junctions on Earth. An Entropy-based investigation was carried out to assess the discharge and analyse the 2D structure of velocity distribution for large river flows relying on monitoring of near-surface velocity only. The estimated flow data where compared with in-situ ADCP data gathered across some transects of the Negro and Solimões rivers during both low and relatively high flow conditions. Results are illustrated thro…