Modeling Mass Transport in Turbulent Environmental Flows: From Scalars to Bedload

Abstract: Predicting mass transport in turbulent environmental flows remains a challenging problem, with implications for water resource management, ecosystem preservation, and environmental sustainability. These flows are often highly non-uniform, characterized by flow separation, recirculation, and strong shear layers, and the mechanisms governing turbulent mixing and transport are not yet fully understood.

Dr. Barros will present results from my Ph.D. research using large-eddy simulations (LES) and transport models for two cases: (1) the transport of a passive scalar in a lateral cavity from Eulerian and Lagrangian perspectives, and (2) bedload transport over a rough bed with an array of boulders. Dr. Barros will highlight the role of small-scale turbulent processes and discuss strategies to upscale them to improve large-scale transport models.

Bio: Dr. Magdalena Barros is a Postdoctoral Fellow at CTR. She holds a Bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the Catholic University of Chile. Her research focuses on numerical modeling of turbulent transport in complex flows, including scalar and sediment dynamics, and she is currently exploring similar processes in stratified flows.