Papers by Karsten A Sedmera
United States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Infrastructure Research and Development, Mar 1, 2007
2007Duwadi, SheilaDistribution number: HRDI-07/03-07(WEB)EPDFTech ReportFHWA-HRT-07-036DTFH-04-C-... more 2007Duwadi, SheilaDistribution number: HRDI-07/03-07(WEB)EPDFTech ReportFHWA-HRT-07-036DTFH-04-C-00037Storm sewersEnergy levelsUnited StatesUnited States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Infrastructure Research and DevelopmentKerenyi, KornelJones, J. SterlingStein, StuartGKY & AssociatesUnited States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Infrastructure Research and DevelopmentTurner-Fairbank Highway Research CenterDuwadi, Sheila RimalSedmera, KarstenDauster, HolgerPoehler, MatthiasTarakemeh, AmonFederal Highway AdministrationThe current study has two objectives. The first is to evaluate Roger Kilgore's proposed procedure, which requires conducting some of the same types of tests that were run in the previous study. The new tests conducted include a wider range of parameters, such as greater plunge-height ratios and steeper pipe slopes. Previous research was limited in that it was applicable to storm drain systems located only in relatively flat areas; the research would not hold up for systems in hilly and mountainous regions of the country where steep pipe slopes are the norm.The second and more challenging objective is to characterize the energy level in an access hole. If that can be accomplished, then the familiar culvert hydraulics analyses can be applied to the access hole that serves as the tailbox where inflow pipes enter and to the headbox for outflow pipes where the water exits. Researchers have attempted numerous analyses of particle image velocimetry (PIV) data and three-dimensional (3\u2013D) numerical model data, with uneven results. Characterizing energy in the access hole is highly problematic because the flow is so chaotic, and arbitrary assumptions had to be made to obtain results that fall between intuitive limits. Researchers at the FHWA lab now have investigated the more organized flow in the contracted area of the outflow pipe, using the contraction ratio as an indirect measure of the contraction loss in the flow from the access hole to the outflow pipe to backcalculate the energy loss in the access hole.73
AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts, May 1, 2001
The US currently has over 60,000 bridges over water with unknown foundations. This report present... more The US currently has over 60,000 bridges over water with unknown foundations. This report presents a risk-based approach to managing these bridges in the absence of foundation information. The general framework in this report, which is primarily applied to scour failure, can easily be applied to other hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis. The guidelines illustrate how to collect appropriate data, estimate risk of failure from an estimated failure probability and associated economic losses, and use risk in a structured approach to select an appropriate management plan. Risk analysis is specifically used to select appropriate performance standards for various bridge classifications and justify the costs of nondestructive testing of foundations, monitoring activities, and countermeasures. The scour guidelines were applied to sixty case studies in the US to validate the management plan that was selected for bridges with known foundations, and to illustrate the specific application of the guidelines in a variety of settings.
This research focuses on large scale (10,000-100,000 km2) simulation of regional water budgets us... more This research focuses on large scale (10,000-100,000 km2) simulation of regional water budgets using digital data sets and a fully-coupled integrated (surface/subsurface) hydrologic model for the Susquehanna River basin (SRB). The main objectives in this effort are to develop an appropriate and consistent data model for the SRB, delineate groundwater basins, assess the dominant modes and spatial scales affecting the SRB, and estimate the dominant hydrologic response of relatively un-gaged sub-basins. The data model primarily consists of 1) a 99-year climate and vegetation history from PRISM and VEMAP, 2) land surface parameters from various EPA, NRCS, and USGS reports and data sets, and 3) hydrogeology from various state geologic surveys and reports. MODHMS (MODFLOW Hydrologic Modeling System) is a fully-coupled integrated hydrologic model that simulates 3-D variably saturated subsurface flow (Richard’s equation), 1-D channel flow and 2-D surface runoff (diffusion wave approximation), canopy interception and evapotranspiration, and offers robust solutions to the governing equations for coupled surface/subsurface flow. The first step in this approach uses a steady-state simulation to estimate regional recharge, to delineate groundwater basins within each river basin, and to assess the validity of the hydrologic landscape concept. The long term climate history is then used to drive a transient simulation that will be used to study the effect of seasonal, inter-annual, and decadal climate patterns and land use on the persistence of wet and dry cycles in soil moisture, on recharge, and on the regional water budget as a whole.
This abstract only covers my 1990/91 research-Many area residents believe that the sinkholes in A... more This abstract only covers my 1990/91 research-Many area residents believe that the sinkholes in Alligator Lake leak year-round. This is of concern because it is believed that this leakage pollutes the groundwater. The bottom of the lake contains at least five sinkholes. I have looked at three of them. Very early observations indicated leakage in two. One of those sinkholes was leaking very rapidly because a stream, which was feeding it was not filling the hole. Heavy rains began shortly after I began measurements. Since that time, my measurements indicate that all three sinkholes serve to fill Alligator Lake. I have been unsuccessful in finding anyone who has previously measured sinkhole leakage in a lake. I believe that my procedures can be used by future scientists to make such measurements. My procedure basically consists of inserting a pipe into the sinkhole area in such a way that lake water cannot refill the pipe as water leaks into the sinkhole. Leakage from this pipe is assumed to be representative of leakage from some portion of the sinkhole.
The Huntington District Corps of Engineers together with GKY & Associates, Inc. has developed a m... more The Huntington District Corps of Engineers together with GKY & Associates, Inc. has developed a modeling tool to evaluate the effect of various changes in reservoir operations in the Muskingum River Basin. This modeling tool helps the Corps evaluate the trade-off between potentially conflicting interests, such as structural safety, flood control, water supply, recreation, and ecology. This paper briefly describes the logic in the Muskingum River Basin Model, and shows the potential effect of two changes in reservoir operation.
The Huntington District Corps of Engineers together with GKY & Associates, Inc. has developed a m... more The Huntington District Corps of Engineers together with GKY & Associates, Inc. has developed a modeling tool to evaluate the effect of various changes in reservoir operations in the Muskingum River Basin. This modeling tool helps the Corps evaluate the trade-off between potentially conflicting interests, such as structural safety, flood control, water supply, recreation, and ecology. This paper briefly describes
The Huntington District Corps of Engineers together with GKY & Associates, Inc. has developed a m... more The Huntington District Corps of Engineers together with GKY & Associates, Inc. has developed a modeling tool to evaluate the effect of various changes in reservoir operations in the Muskingum River Basin. This modeling tool helps the Corps evaluate the trade-off between potentially conflicting interests, such as structural safety, flood control, water supply, recreation, and ecology. This paper briefly describes
In this research singular spectrum analysis (SSA) is used to study the spatio-temporal patterns i... more In this research singular spectrum analysis (SSA) is used to study the spatio-temporal patterns in historical records of precipitation (P), temperature (T), and runoff (Q) in the San Juan and the San Pedro river basins. These two sub-basins of the Colorado River are considered to be representative of the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range physiographic provinces, respectively. SSA is a diagnostic signal-processing tool used in our research to identify important changes in the climate and runoff within a regional watershed, such as the two mentioned. Our goals are to better understand the relative importance of land use and climate change on the runoff from these two landforms (using SSA) and to begin developing a multi-scale dynamical model that reflects the characteristic processes and scales of the regional hydrology and hydrogeology. The main theme of this poster is a general discussion of how the climatic forcing of the San Pedro and San Juan watersheds relate to the regional runoff pattern.
In general, the analysis shows that the climate and runoff records for these watersheds are primarily dominated by the annual/seasonal cycle and relatively weak interannual (ENSO) oscillations. The ENSO signal in P and T appears to be stronger at higher elevations than at lower elevations. Runoff results show that these two basins (and even a few sub-basins in the San Juan region) respond differently to these low-frequency inputs. Both basins appear to act as a low-pass filter on the P and T inputs (likely due to surface and groundwater storage effects), causing the low-frequency content to become more dominant downstream. The trends in some of the runoff records are easily attributed to the installation of reservoirs and land use changes (irrigation). Phase-plane plots of the “noise-free” P-T-Q records for each physiographic region are given to compare the low-frequency response within and between basins. These results suggest that there are only a few unique hydrologic sub-regions within each basin. This has direct implications on how we can model the stream-aquifer system in these basins because it suggests that a low-dimensional or discrete-distributed dynamical modeling approach is better suited to forecasting the long-term runoff patterns in these regions.
This abstract only covers my 1990/91 research-Many area residents believe that the sinkholes in A... more This abstract only covers my 1990/91 research-Many area residents believe that the sinkholes in Alligator Lake leak year-round. This is of concern because it is believed that this leakage pollutes the groundwater. The bottom of the lake contains at least five sinkholes. I have looked at three of them.
Very early observations indicated leakage in two. One of those sinkholes was leaking very rapidly because a stream, which was feeding it was not filling the hole.
Heavy rains began shortly after I began measurements. Since that time, my measurements indicate that all three sinkholes serve to fill Alligator Lake.
I have been unsuccessful in finding anyone who has previously measured sinkhole leakage in a lake. I believe that my procedures can be used by future scientists to make such measurements.
My procedure basically consists of inserting a pipe into the sinkhole area in such a way that lake water cannot refill the pipe as water leaks into the sinkhole. Leakage from this pipe is assumed to be representative of leakage from some portion of the sinkhole.
The current study has two objectives. The first is to evaluate Roger Kilgore’s proposed procedure... more The current study has two objectives. The first is to evaluate Roger Kilgore’s proposed procedure, which requires conducting some of the same types of tests that were run in the previous study. The new tests conducted include a wider range of parameters, such as greater plunge-height ratios and steeper pipe slopes. Previous research was limited in that it was applicable to storm drain systems located only in relatively flat areas; the research would not hold up for systems in hilly and mountainous regions of the country where steep pipe slopes are the norm.
The second and more challenging objective is to characterize the energy level in an access hole. If that can be accomplished, then the familiar culvert hydraulics analyses can be applied to the access hole that serves as the tailbox where inflow pipes enter and to the headbox for outflow pipes where the water exits. Researchers have attempted numerous analyses of particle image velocimetry (PIV) data and threedimensional
(3–D) numerical model data, with uneven results. Characterizing energy in the access hole is highly problematic because the flow is so chaotic, and arbitrary assumptions had to be made to obtain results that fall between intuitive limits. Researchers at the FHWA lab now have investigated the more
organized flow in the contracted area of the outflow pipe, using the contraction ratio as an indirect measure of the contraction loss in the flow from the access hole to the outflow pipe to backcalculate the energy loss in the access hole.
The US currently has over 60,000 bridges over water with unknown foundations. This report present... more The US currently has over 60,000 bridges over water with unknown foundations. This report presents a risk-based approach to managing these bridges in the absence of
foundation information. The general framework in this report, which is primarily applied to scour failure, can easily be applied to other hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis. The
guidelines illustrate how to collect appropriate data, estimate risk of failure from an estimated failure probability and associated economic losses, and use risk in a structured
approach to select an appropriate management plan. Risk analysis is specifically used to select appropriate performance standards for various bridge classifications and justify the
costs of nondestructive testing of foundations, monitoring activities, and countermeasures. The scour guidelines were then applied to sixty case studies in the US to validate the
management plan that it selected for bridges with known foundations, and to illustrate its specific application in a variety of settings.
Our ability to forecast regional flooding and drought is limited not only by our ability to forec... more Our ability to forecast regional flooding and drought is limited not only by our ability to forecast short-term weather, but also by our ability to identify long-term trends in climate and watershed storage. In many cases, long-term patterns in watershed hydrology (climate and/or watershed storage) have a profound influence on the length and severity of regional flooding and drought. The El Niño / La Niña phenomenon is one of the most recent discoveries of long-term influences on regional climate in certain parts of the US. Another long-term pattern, however, is the gradual impact of dams/reservoirs and land-use changes.
The goal of this poster is to show the application of two methods of time series analysis on some common hydrologic records for the southwestern US. The primary tool used is singular spectrum analysis (SSA), which is a tool similar to Fourier analysis that is particularly efficient at extracting dominant trends and recurrent patterns from “noisy” hydrologic datasets. The second tool is a simple monthly averaging procedure. The combination of these tools will be shown to be particularly useful in identifying an El Niño / La Niña impact, as well as some dam/reservoir impacts.
This research focuses on large scale (10,000-100,000 km2) simulation of regional water budgets us... more This research focuses on large scale (10,000-100,000 km2) simulation of regional water budgets using digital data sets and a fully-coupled integrated (surface/subsurface) hydrologic model for the Susquehanna River basin (SRB). The main objectives in this effort are to develop an appropriate and consistent data model for the SRB, delineate groundwater basins, assess the dominant modes and spatial scales affecting the SRB, and estimate the dominant hydrologic response of relatively un-gaged sub-basins. The data model primarily consists of 1) a 99-year climate and vegetation history from PRISM and VEMAP, 2) land surface parameters from various EPA, NRCS, and USGS reports and data sets, and 3) hydrogeology from various state geologic surveys and reports. MODHMS (MODFLOW Hydrologic Modeling System) is a fully-coupled integrated hydrologic model that simulates 3-D variably saturated subsurface flow (Richard’s equation), 1-D channel flow and 2-D surface runoff (diffusion wave approximation), canopy interception and evapotranspiration, and offers robust solutions to the governing equations for coupled surface/subsurface flow. The first step in this approach uses a steady-state simulation to estimate regional recharge, to delineate groundwater basins within each river basin, and to assess the validity of the hydrologic landscape concept. The long term climate history is then used to drive a transient simulation that will be used to study the effect of seasonal, inter-annual, and decadal climate patterns and land use on the persistence of wet and dry cycles in soil moisture, on recharge, and on the regional water budget as a whole.
Teaching Documents by Karsten A Sedmera
hmr52.py is an alternative to the USACE hmr52.exe, an old FORTRAN code, that I wrote that helps p... more hmr52.py is an alternative to the USACE hmr52.exe, an old FORTRAN code, that I wrote that helps professionals calculate the probable maximum precipitation (PMP) for a given eastern US watershed boundary and other storm options. Both codes are designed to help the professional apply the techniques and data described in the HMR-51 and 52 publications.
Key hmr52.py Benefits:
- It has fewer input-accuracy constraints than the older FORTRAN code.
- It does not require the user to visually-estimate values from any of the HMR-51/52 figures.
- It natively supports GIS shapefiles and other easier-to-generate input files
- It queries the user for input in a more dynamic fashion using wizard-like dialogues.
- The wizard-like dialogues are arguably more consistent with the fact the HMR-51,52 methodology demands very careful professional review to ensure situational appropriateness and accuracy.
- It is also designed to more easily support the use of up-to-date local meteorologic statistics rather than the older "All-season PMP" statistical-estimates contained in HMR-51.
In all other respects, hmr52.py enables the user to do everything that the original USACE hmr52.exe code does. However, it also allows the user to search the user-selected neighborhood around the basin-centroid for the storm-center that produces both the maximum peak-rainfall and total storm volume.
Spread the word, and let me know if you or someone you know is interested in this software, or want me to perform a HMR-51/52 analysis for you.
https://sway.com/19ZxWmeOIWmCFEg9
Uploads
Papers by Karsten A Sedmera
In general, the analysis shows that the climate and runoff records for these watersheds are primarily dominated by the annual/seasonal cycle and relatively weak interannual (ENSO) oscillations. The ENSO signal in P and T appears to be stronger at higher elevations than at lower elevations. Runoff results show that these two basins (and even a few sub-basins in the San Juan region) respond differently to these low-frequency inputs. Both basins appear to act as a low-pass filter on the P and T inputs (likely due to surface and groundwater storage effects), causing the low-frequency content to become more dominant downstream. The trends in some of the runoff records are easily attributed to the installation of reservoirs and land use changes (irrigation). Phase-plane plots of the “noise-free” P-T-Q records for each physiographic region are given to compare the low-frequency response within and between basins. These results suggest that there are only a few unique hydrologic sub-regions within each basin. This has direct implications on how we can model the stream-aquifer system in these basins because it suggests that a low-dimensional or discrete-distributed dynamical modeling approach is better suited to forecasting the long-term runoff patterns in these regions.
Very early observations indicated leakage in two. One of those sinkholes was leaking very rapidly because a stream, which was feeding it was not filling the hole.
Heavy rains began shortly after I began measurements. Since that time, my measurements indicate that all three sinkholes serve to fill Alligator Lake.
I have been unsuccessful in finding anyone who has previously measured sinkhole leakage in a lake. I believe that my procedures can be used by future scientists to make such measurements.
My procedure basically consists of inserting a pipe into the sinkhole area in such a way that lake water cannot refill the pipe as water leaks into the sinkhole. Leakage from this pipe is assumed to be representative of leakage from some portion of the sinkhole.
The second and more challenging objective is to characterize the energy level in an access hole. If that can be accomplished, then the familiar culvert hydraulics analyses can be applied to the access hole that serves as the tailbox where inflow pipes enter and to the headbox for outflow pipes where the water exits. Researchers have attempted numerous analyses of particle image velocimetry (PIV) data and threedimensional
(3–D) numerical model data, with uneven results. Characterizing energy in the access hole is highly problematic because the flow is so chaotic, and arbitrary assumptions had to be made to obtain results that fall between intuitive limits. Researchers at the FHWA lab now have investigated the more
organized flow in the contracted area of the outflow pipe, using the contraction ratio as an indirect measure of the contraction loss in the flow from the access hole to the outflow pipe to backcalculate the energy loss in the access hole.
foundation information. The general framework in this report, which is primarily applied to scour failure, can easily be applied to other hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis. The
guidelines illustrate how to collect appropriate data, estimate risk of failure from an estimated failure probability and associated economic losses, and use risk in a structured
approach to select an appropriate management plan. Risk analysis is specifically used to select appropriate performance standards for various bridge classifications and justify the
costs of nondestructive testing of foundations, monitoring activities, and countermeasures. The scour guidelines were then applied to sixty case studies in the US to validate the
management plan that it selected for bridges with known foundations, and to illustrate its specific application in a variety of settings.
The goal of this poster is to show the application of two methods of time series analysis on some common hydrologic records for the southwestern US. The primary tool used is singular spectrum analysis (SSA), which is a tool similar to Fourier analysis that is particularly efficient at extracting dominant trends and recurrent patterns from “noisy” hydrologic datasets. The second tool is a simple monthly averaging procedure. The combination of these tools will be shown to be particularly useful in identifying an El Niño / La Niña impact, as well as some dam/reservoir impacts.
Teaching Documents by Karsten A Sedmera
Key hmr52.py Benefits:
- It has fewer input-accuracy constraints than the older FORTRAN code.
- It does not require the user to visually-estimate values from any of the HMR-51/52 figures.
- It natively supports GIS shapefiles and other easier-to-generate input files
- It queries the user for input in a more dynamic fashion using wizard-like dialogues.
- The wizard-like dialogues are arguably more consistent with the fact the HMR-51,52 methodology demands very careful professional review to ensure situational appropriateness and accuracy.
- It is also designed to more easily support the use of up-to-date local meteorologic statistics rather than the older "All-season PMP" statistical-estimates contained in HMR-51.
In all other respects, hmr52.py enables the user to do everything that the original USACE hmr52.exe code does. However, it also allows the user to search the user-selected neighborhood around the basin-centroid for the storm-center that produces both the maximum peak-rainfall and total storm volume.
Spread the word, and let me know if you or someone you know is interested in this software, or want me to perform a HMR-51/52 analysis for you.
https://sway.com/19ZxWmeOIWmCFEg9
In general, the analysis shows that the climate and runoff records for these watersheds are primarily dominated by the annual/seasonal cycle and relatively weak interannual (ENSO) oscillations. The ENSO signal in P and T appears to be stronger at higher elevations than at lower elevations. Runoff results show that these two basins (and even a few sub-basins in the San Juan region) respond differently to these low-frequency inputs. Both basins appear to act as a low-pass filter on the P and T inputs (likely due to surface and groundwater storage effects), causing the low-frequency content to become more dominant downstream. The trends in some of the runoff records are easily attributed to the installation of reservoirs and land use changes (irrigation). Phase-plane plots of the “noise-free” P-T-Q records for each physiographic region are given to compare the low-frequency response within and between basins. These results suggest that there are only a few unique hydrologic sub-regions within each basin. This has direct implications on how we can model the stream-aquifer system in these basins because it suggests that a low-dimensional or discrete-distributed dynamical modeling approach is better suited to forecasting the long-term runoff patterns in these regions.
Very early observations indicated leakage in two. One of those sinkholes was leaking very rapidly because a stream, which was feeding it was not filling the hole.
Heavy rains began shortly after I began measurements. Since that time, my measurements indicate that all three sinkholes serve to fill Alligator Lake.
I have been unsuccessful in finding anyone who has previously measured sinkhole leakage in a lake. I believe that my procedures can be used by future scientists to make such measurements.
My procedure basically consists of inserting a pipe into the sinkhole area in such a way that lake water cannot refill the pipe as water leaks into the sinkhole. Leakage from this pipe is assumed to be representative of leakage from some portion of the sinkhole.
The second and more challenging objective is to characterize the energy level in an access hole. If that can be accomplished, then the familiar culvert hydraulics analyses can be applied to the access hole that serves as the tailbox where inflow pipes enter and to the headbox for outflow pipes where the water exits. Researchers have attempted numerous analyses of particle image velocimetry (PIV) data and threedimensional
(3–D) numerical model data, with uneven results. Characterizing energy in the access hole is highly problematic because the flow is so chaotic, and arbitrary assumptions had to be made to obtain results that fall between intuitive limits. Researchers at the FHWA lab now have investigated the more
organized flow in the contracted area of the outflow pipe, using the contraction ratio as an indirect measure of the contraction loss in the flow from the access hole to the outflow pipe to backcalculate the energy loss in the access hole.
foundation information. The general framework in this report, which is primarily applied to scour failure, can easily be applied to other hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis. The
guidelines illustrate how to collect appropriate data, estimate risk of failure from an estimated failure probability and associated economic losses, and use risk in a structured
approach to select an appropriate management plan. Risk analysis is specifically used to select appropriate performance standards for various bridge classifications and justify the
costs of nondestructive testing of foundations, monitoring activities, and countermeasures. The scour guidelines were then applied to sixty case studies in the US to validate the
management plan that it selected for bridges with known foundations, and to illustrate its specific application in a variety of settings.
The goal of this poster is to show the application of two methods of time series analysis on some common hydrologic records for the southwestern US. The primary tool used is singular spectrum analysis (SSA), which is a tool similar to Fourier analysis that is particularly efficient at extracting dominant trends and recurrent patterns from “noisy” hydrologic datasets. The second tool is a simple monthly averaging procedure. The combination of these tools will be shown to be particularly useful in identifying an El Niño / La Niña impact, as well as some dam/reservoir impacts.
Key hmr52.py Benefits:
- It has fewer input-accuracy constraints than the older FORTRAN code.
- It does not require the user to visually-estimate values from any of the HMR-51/52 figures.
- It natively supports GIS shapefiles and other easier-to-generate input files
- It queries the user for input in a more dynamic fashion using wizard-like dialogues.
- The wizard-like dialogues are arguably more consistent with the fact the HMR-51,52 methodology demands very careful professional review to ensure situational appropriateness and accuracy.
- It is also designed to more easily support the use of up-to-date local meteorologic statistics rather than the older "All-season PMP" statistical-estimates contained in HMR-51.
In all other respects, hmr52.py enables the user to do everything that the original USACE hmr52.exe code does. However, it also allows the user to search the user-selected neighborhood around the basin-centroid for the storm-center that produces both the maximum peak-rainfall and total storm volume.
Spread the word, and let me know if you or someone you know is interested in this software, or want me to perform a HMR-51/52 analysis for you.
https://sway.com/19ZxWmeOIWmCFEg9