This grant supports acquisition of a Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimeter (PIV), capable of resolving 2-D and 3-D vector fields of turbulent and laminar geophysical fluid flows. The requested PIV would have sample rates in excess of 500 Hz with a field of view over areas larger than 0.3 x 0.3 m and image analysis resolution at 1.3 Megapixel resolution for both clear-water and dilute sediment-laden flows. The requested PIV would support research on riverine, upland stream and estuarine fluid dynamics and sediment transport and bedform growth processes by faculty and students at SUNY at Buffalo. Studies of mass transport in open channel flows, the dynamics of headcut erosion in upland streams, the interactions between turbulent flows and bedform stability, sediment transport processes during flood events and analog studies of volcanic tephra dispersal processes will immediately benefit from the PIV. The instrument will foster hands-on student research experiences in laboratory investigations of geophysical fluid dynamics and the research facilitated by the instrument has implications for civil engineering and hazards mitigation.
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