This image shows bottom profile and sub-bottom sediment densities at
the subsurface weir located just below the confluence of the Emory and
Clinch rivers. The subsurface weir was installed to divert more cold
deep water up the Emory River for use by the Kingston steam plant. The
weir itself is the obvious feature in the middle of the image; river
flow is from left to right. The darker colors represent heavier, more
dense sediments. Notice the collection of soft material just to the
right of the weir structure.
This image was created by a side-scanning SONAR, and shows the same
area around the subsuface weir. The soft sediments behind the weir
appear as the dark area to the left of the linear weir. We have used
the GIS to ``drape'' this sonar image over a 3-dimensional representation of the
weir.
Click on this 3D image of the weir to see an animated movie of an
imaginary trip up the Clinch River and over the weir. The elevation
surface was interpolated from known depths at sounding points, in
concert with other data sources. The interpolated elevation surface is
draped with colors representing the output from a spatial filter which
estimates the potential erosion or deposition which could occur at each
spot on the bottom. Red and yellow colors represent locations which
are higher than the local surroundings, and are therefore potential
erosion sites. Green and blue colors are found at points that are
lower than their immediate surroundings; such areas are potential
deposition sites. Flat areas are colored white and are neither
potentially erosional or depositional.
We are flying at a fixed elevation of 720 feet above mean sea level,
and, because the top of the weir is about 725 ft, the viewpoint passes
right through the solid weir!
The viewpoint is fixed on the weir itself, so that we pivot around as
we pass through, and then recede backwards up the Clinch.
ORNL Clinch
River Environmental Restoration Program /
The Visualization Group
