Geology topics

John A. Koschik

Publications and source records attributed to John A. Koschik.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2004

Hydrodynamic simulation and particle-tracking techniques for identification of source areas to public-water intakes on the St. Clair-Detroit River waterway in the Great Lakes Basin

Source areas to public water intakes on the St. Clair-Detroit River Waterway were identified by use of hydrodynamic simulation and particle-tracking analyses to help protect public supplies from contaminant spills and discharges. This report describes techniques used to identify these areas and illustrates typical results using selected points on St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair. Parameterization of an existing two-dimensional hydrodynamic model (RMA2) of the St. Clair-Detroit River Waterway was enhanced to improve estimation of local flow velocities. Improvements in simulation accuracy were achieved by computing channel roughness coefficients as a function of flow depth, and determining eddy viscosity coefficients on the basis of velocity data. The enhanced parameterization was combined with refinements in the model mesh near 13 public water intakes on the St. Clair-Detroit River Waterway to improve the resolution of flow velocities while maintaining consistency with flow and water-level data. Scenarios representing a range of likely flow and wind conditions were developed for hydrodynamic simulation. Particle-tracking analyses combined advective movements described by hydrodynamic scenarios with random components associated with sub-grid-scale movement and turbulent mixing to identify source areas to public water intakes.

Michigan, Ontario↗

USGS2003

An acoustic doppler current profiler survey of flow velocities in St. Clair River, a connecting channel of the Great Lakes

Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP) were used to measure flow velocities in St. Clair River during a survey in May and June of 2002, as part of a study to assess the susceptibility of public water intakes to contaminants on the St. Clair-Detroit River Waterway. The survey provides 2.7 million point velocity measurements at 104 cross sections. Sections are spaced about 1,630 ft apart along the river from Port Huron to Algonac, Michigan, a distance of 28.6 miles. Two transects were obtained at each cross section, one in each direction across the river. Along each transect, velocity profiles were obtained 2-4 ft apart. At each velocity profile, average water velocity data were obtained at 1.64 ft intervals of depth. The raw position and velocity data from the ADCP field survey were adjusted for local magnetic anomalies using global positioning system (GPS) measurements at the end points of the transects. The adjusted velocity and ancillary data can be retrieved through the internet and extracted to column-oriented data files.

St. Clair River↗

USGS2002

Flow distribution in selected branches of St. Clair and Detroit rivers

St. Clair and Detroit rivers, which are connecting channels between Lake Huron and Lake Erie in the Great Lakes basin, form part of the boundary between the state of Michigan and the province of Ontario. In 13 reaches, this flow divides locally around islands and dikes to form 31 branches. This study develops a set of simple linear regression equations for computing expected flow proportions in branches, generally as a function of the total flow within the reach. The equations are based on 533 acoustic Doppler current profiler measurements of flow obtained between 1996 and 2000. Root-mean-square errors of these regressions range from 0.00323 to 0.0895. In seven upstream reaches where flow is known because of flow specifications at the boundaries of the waterway and continuity constraints, the uncertainties of the flow proportions can be used to directly infer the uncertainties of the corresponding flows. In six downstream reaches, the uncertainties of flows are determined by both the uncertainties of the flow proportions and the uncertainties of the total flow in the reach. For these reaches, Monte Carlo simulations quantify the ratios of total uncertainty to flow proportion uncertainty, which range from 1.0026 to 13.984. To facilitate routine calculation, polynomial regression equations are developed to approximate these ratios as a function of flow. Results provide a mechanism for computing the magnitudes and uncertainties of steady-state flows within selected branches of the connecting channels by specifying inflows at the headwaters of St. Clair River, seven intervening tributaries, and Lake St. Clair.

Michigan, Ontario↗

USGS2002

A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model of the St. Clair-Detroit River waterway in the Great Lakes basin

The St. Clair-Detroit River waterway connects Lake Huron with Lake Erie in the Great Lakes basin to form part of the international boundary between the United States and Canada. A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model is developed to compute flow velocities and water levels as part of a source water assessment of public water intakes. The model, which uses the generalized finite-element code RMA2, discretizes the waterway into a mesh formed by 13,783 quadratic elements defined by 42,936 nodes. Seven steady-state scenarios are used to calibrate the model by adjusting parameters associated with channel roughness in 25 material zones. An inverse modeling code is used to systematically adjust model parameters and to determine their associated uncertainty by use of nonlinear regression. Calibration results show close agreement between simulated and expected flows in major channels and water levels at gaging stations. Sensitivity analyses describe the amount of information available to estimate individual model parameters, and quantify the utility of flow measurements at selected cross sections and water-level measurements at gaging stations. Further data collection, model calibration analysis, and grid refinements are planned to assess and enhance two-dimensional flow simulation capabilities describing the horizontal flow distributions in St. Clair and Detroit Rivers and circulation patterns in Lake St. Clair.

St. Clair-Detroit River waterway↗