Our
Experimental
Basins
Morphodynamics Lab. Pickle Research campus
STEP
basin
Sediment Transport and Earth-
surface Processes
Sediment, Water, and Deposit:
The UT STEP basin has a size of 4 m width, 5 m length, and 1.5 m height. This experimental flume is designed to physically model morphodynamic and stratigraphic evolution of the fluviodeltaic system. Both 1D and 3D delta experiments can be conducted in the basin.
The unique subsidence mechanism in the STEP basin allows us to investigate deltaic sedimentation under the conditions of 1) fore-hinge (passive margin), 2) back-hinge (foreland basin), and 3) lateral tilting subsidence patterns. This facility is one of the three experimental tanks in the world that provides a computer-controlled basement motion.
Time variations of sediment supply and sea level can be simulated during experiments along with the subsidence control. These three basinal controls are independently set by a computer and precisely monitored in the facility.
Eddy
Basin
Experimental Delta Dynamics
The UT EDDy basin has a dimension of 2.5 m length, 2 m width, and 0.5 m height. The experimental basin was built for quick testings of hypothesis on delta dynamics. This facility can physically model morphodynamic and stratigraphic evolution of the fluviodeltaic system with controls of sediment and water discharge rates and sea-level changes.
Quantitative Stratigraphy Lab. Downtown Austin Campus
Salt Fan
& Caria
Salt Tectonics and Sedimentation
Salt Fan is a tank that models the coevolution of a fan or a delta that progrades over a mobile substrate (120 cm x 60 cm x 32 cm)
Meandering Rivers
Caria is where the term "meander" originated from. The basin is 2.44 m long and 61 cm wide, and equipped with a white-light topographic scanner and an automatic sediment feeder.
Total E&P Flumes
Teaching and Research Flumes
The UT Total E&P Flumes were built by the generous support from the TOTAL E&P Company. The flumes are 88 cm long, 60 cm tall, and 4 cm wide. Sea level is easy to control in these flumes. Students in the Morphodynamics course use these flumes to collect data for in-class projects.
