Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS15 Biomechanics: Making the Connection Between Physics and Biology at the Organismal Level (Disciplinary Connections)

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2001, Time: 2:00:00 PM

Location: Mesilla

Ackerman, J, D, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada, ackerman@unbc.ca

FLUID DYNAMIC MEASUREMENTS AT THE ORGANISM SCALE: LOCAL WALL SHEAR STRESS

Wall shear stress is a fluid dynamic parameter of importance in determining the physical and biological characteristics of most benthic environments. This is especially true in lotic environments where shear stress is invaluable in the study of bedload transport (e.g., Shield's curve) and benthic ecology (e.g., zonation). A number of techniques exist for estimating local and average shear stress in the laboratory (e.g., force balance, velocity gradient, mass/liquid transfer, hot film, and electrochemical film methods), but these are often difficult to use in the field, particularly in the case of local shear stress. A number of these techniques will be discussed along with a novel application of an older technique --- the Preston tube, which is essentially a surface mounted Pitot tube. A Preston-static tube has been used in the laboratory and field to measure local shear stress accurately, quickly, and inexpensively at high spatial resolution. It allows for detailed in situ studies of local shear stress at scales relevant to benthic organisms and other hydraulically-relevant phenomenon in the near bottom of aquatic ecosystems.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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