Geology topics

Robert R. Holmes

Publications and source records attributed to Robert R. Holmes.

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

USGS1997

Floods of July 18-20, 1996, in northern Illinois

Record flooding occurred on many streams in northern Ilinois during July 18-20, 1996. Over 16 inches of rain fell at some locations during and just prior to this period. Peak of record discharges were recorded at 19 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations. The USGS, in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Water Resources (IDNROWR), has compiled the available hydrologic data from the July 1996 flood in northern Illinois, and the data are presented in this report.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1996

Sediment transport in the lower Missouri and the central Mississippi rivers, June 26 through September 14, 1993

Sediment data were collected for five sediment stations on the lower Missouri and the central Mississippi rivers during the 1993 flood. During the period of June 26 to September 14, 1993, 55 million metric tons was transported past St. Louis, Missouri by the Mississippi River. Sediment was stored in the Missouri River floodplain above the Mississippi River as more than 22,000 hectares of floodplain had newly deposited sediments from the receding floodwater.

Circular↗

USGS1996

Hydraulic, geotechnical, geomorphic, and biologic data for the Cache River/Heron Pond area in southern Illinois

Heron Pond, located in extreme southern Illinois, lies immediately adjacent to the upper Cache River. The upper Cache River is encroaching on Heron Pond, which has raised the issue of the possibility of a failure of the Heron Pond wall, the area between Heron Pond and the upper Cache River. Hydraulic, geotechnical, geomorphic, and biologic data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Water Resources (IDNR/OWR) for use in designing a mitigation plan by the IDNR/OWR to prevent the failure of the Heron Pond wall. The river is sluggish during floods with velocities generally 1-2 feet per second. Biologic activity in the area have increased bank instability, which already is a problem because of saturated soils in the Heron Pond wall. In the area adjacent to the Heron Pond, the right descending bank of the upper Cache River receded 0.5 foot between September 21, 1995 and June 25, 1996. Comparisons between two surveys, 1958 and 1995, indicate that the channel near the discontinued USGS streamflow-gaging station near the Burlington Northern Railroad crossing has widened by more than 10 feet with less than 0.5 foot of incision.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1996

Development, verification, and application of a simplified method to estimate total-streambed scour at bridge sites in Illinois

A simplified method to estimate total-streambed scour was developed for application to bridges in the State of Illinois. Scour envelope curves, developed as empirical relations between calculated total scour and bridge-site chracteristics for 213 State highway bridges in Illinois, are used in the method to estimate the 500-year flood scour. These 213 bridges, geographically distributed throughout Illinois, had been previously evaluated for streambed scour with the application of conventional hydraulic and scour-analysis methods recommended by the Federal Highway Administration. The bridge characteristics necessary for application of the simplified bridge scour-analysis method can be obtained from an office review of bridge plans, examination of topographic maps, and reconnaissance-level site inspection. The estimates computed with the simplified method generally resulted in a larger value of 500-year flood total-streambed scour than with the more detailed conventional method. The simplified method was successfully verified with a separate data set of 106 State highway bridges, which are geographically distributed throughout Illinois, and 15 county highway bridges.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1995

Simplified method for estimating total streambed scour at bridges in Illinois

A simplified method to estimate total streambed scour was developed for application to approximately 10,000 Local Agency bridges (bridges owned by local governments and not by the State of Illinois). This method consists of using total scour-envelope curves, developed as empirical relations between calculated total scour and bridge characteristics for 303 State Highway Bridges, to estimate the 500-year flood scour. These 303 bridges have been previously evaluated for streambed scour with the application of conventional hydraulic and scour-analyses methods. The bridge characteristics necessary for application of the simplified bridge scour-analyses method are those that can be obtained from an office review of bridge plans, examination of topographic maps and reconnaissance-level site inspection. In comparison with the conventional methods to estimate streambed scour, the simplified method mostly estimates a larger value of 500-year flood total streambed scour.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1994

Simulation of rainfall-runoff for basins in the Rolla, Missouri, area

Important rainfall-runoff characteristics for basins in the Rolla, Missouri, area were determined to be overland flow, interception storage, interception losses, evaporation, and infiltration. Using these characteristics, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) was configured for basins in the study area. The data network for the model calibration consisted of four continuous rainfall gages and three continuous streamflow gages. The model was calibrated, using observed data from three runoff events, by minimizing objective functions representing peak discharge, volume of runoff, and time to peak discharge from the beginning of simulation. The absolute mean percentage difference between the simulated and observed data for peak discharge, volume of runoff, and time to peak discharge are 9.47, 10.8, and 19.6 percent. A sensitivity analysis of SWMM parameters was performed on a simplified drainage basin. The output of runoff (volume, peak, and timing) in SWMM was determined to be most sensitive to subarea width, percentage impervious area, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and initial moisture deficit. The volume of runoff was affected by percentage impervious area, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and initial moisture deficit. The peak flow rate was affected by subcatchment width and percentage impervious area, whereas the time to peak was affected by subcatchment width. The model also was determined to be sensitive to the time step in the streamflow routing part.

Missouri↗

USGS1993

Laboratory procedures and data reduction techniques to determine rheologic properties of mass flows

Determining the rheologic properties of coarse- grained mass flows is an important step to mathematically simulate potential inundation zones. Using the vertically rotating flume designed and built by the U.S. Geological Survey, laboratory procedures and subsequent data reduction have been developed to estimate shear stresses and strain rates of various flow materials. Although direct measurement of shear stress and strain rate currently (1992) are not possible in the vertically rotating flume, methods were derived to estimate these values from measurements of flow geometry, surface velocity, and flume velocity.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1990

Mudflow rheology in a vertically rotating flume

Joint research by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Missouri-Rolla currently (1990) is being conducted on a 3.05 meters in diameter vertically rotating flume used to simulate mudflows under steady-state conditions. Observed mudflow simulations indicate flow patterns in the flume are similar to those occurring in natural mudflows. Variables such as mean and surface velocity, depth, and average boundary shear stress can be measured in this flume more easily than in the field or in a traditional tilting flume. Sensitive variables such as sediment concentration, grain-size distribution, and Atterberg limits also can be precisely and easily controlled. A known Newtonian fluid, SAE 30 motor oil, was tested in the flume and the computed value for viscosity was within 12.5 percent of the stated viscosity. This provided support that the data from the flume can be used to determine the rheological properties of fluids such as mud. Measurements on mud slurries indicate that flows with sediment concentrations ranging from 81 to 87 percent sediment by weight can be approximated as Bingham plastic for strain rates greater than 1 per second. In this approximation, the yield stress and Bingham viscosity were extremely sensitive to sediment concentration. Generally, the magnitude of the yield stress was large relative to the change in shear stress with increasing mudflow velocity.

Conference Paper↗