TRANSFORM
A new interdisciplinary approach to advance understanding of sediment and large wood TRANSport in FORested Mountain catchments
About
TRANSFORM explores the temporal variability of sediment and large wood in small mountain catchments, the role of streamflow sources in transporting these materials, the use of geophysical measurements for monitoring, and the development of mathematical models for hydraulic infrastructure impact.
Our Team
TRANSFORM is characterized by an integrated and highly interdisciplinary methodological approach at the intersection of different related disciplines and departments. This interdisciplinarity reflects the partners' specific expertise, making this project unique and essential to achieving the project results successfully.
Our Activities
DAGRI
We manage the instruments (weather station, water stage sensors, soil moisture sensors, turbidimeter) and time-lapse cameras installed in the Re della Pietra catchment, aiming to create a complete database containing updated and validated data. In addition, we conduct fieldwork for suspended and bedload sediment sampling.
DICEA
We study sediment and large wood transport along the Re della Pietra stream network through field observation, data analysis, and numerical modeling. Sediment transport is monitored using field sampling and turbidimeters, while large wood transport is monitored using visual observation and tracking. The collected data is used to develop numerical models for reproducing these transport phenomena in a mountain forested catchment.
DST
We deployed a seismo-acoustic network in the Re della Pietra stream basin to study and monitor the dynamics of small mountain creeks. The network consists of three seismic stations and an infrasonic array, equipped with Lennartz 5s triaxial seismometers. The signals are compared with video data, water-level measurements, and flow models to reconstruct and monitor creek dynamics.
DIMAI
We analyze infrasound and seismic pressure signals from fluid in the presence of obstacles and waterfalls, comparing their spectral content with the phenomenon's physical characteristics like mass and flow rate. The OpenFoam software simulates a liquid's dynamics in two dimensions: jumps and discontinuities. The collisional model is also developed to estimate noise produced by debris flow.