On Imagining Global Water Cycle in Urbanism

(Collaborated with rad Office)

This research delves into the global water cycle in the Anthropocene era, with a particular focus on the impact of urbanism on climate change. Water is a naturally circulating resource that is constantly recharged. Climate change is expected to accelerate water cycles. The water cycle is a chaotic system that exhibits complex, unpredictable behavior even though they are governed by deterministic rules. We developed a basic System Dynamic Model(SDM) to study the dynamic behavior of water over time. These models break down a system into elements such as stocks, flows, feedback loops, time delays, and relationships. By emphasizing simulation, system dynamics allows us to explore how changes in one part of the system impact the entire system. The water sources and other surfaces from the context form the stocks. This is a collaborative development with Mr.Radhakrishnan, an alumnus of Harvard.

This discrete model evaluates all the stocks and their flow with changes with time steps. The model was initiated by having the water evaporate from its sources and flow to the troposphere, forming clouds. These clouds are then moved toward the high-pressure zone. The suspended particles coagulate and flow down as rain when turbulence affects them. When the rain particles move back to their sources at different rates as they interact with surfaces below. The model evaluates the pressure change and temperature change with dynamical change equations at each time step. The model is used to study the changes in the cycle with the changes in the context. Arrays of pixels can store higher dimensional data and particles moving over them can adapt to the values below.

Computational Framework

We have implemented a simulation model based on the Navier-Stokes equation to capture the flow velocity of fluids in a specified urban setting. In this model, the urban area is represented as colored pixel clouds, with water sources contributing pixel clouds that ascend as they undergo evaporation at defined rates. The velocity and trajectory of these pixel clouds are influenced by air turbulence. Suspended in the air until they reach a predetermined storage value, the particles undergo transportation at a specified flux following pressure and temperature calculations. Upon reaching storage areas, the particles come to a halt. Pervious surfaces facilitate the flow, while impervious ones obstruct it. The model provides the flexibility to introduce interventions and adapt the flow in response to changing conditions. Flow rates for all elements are derived from the research paper “Global Hydrological Cycles and World Water Resources” by Taikan Oki and Shinjiro Kanae. This comprehensive approach allows us to simulate and analyze the dynamic behavior of fluid flow within an urban context, enabling effective interventions and adjustments based on the modeled outcomes. For annual simulations, the rates were calculated for a day. In the future image translation models along with time stamps can be used to render simulations at much more complexity.

Test 1 - Velachery, Chennai

Velachery section - 1980's

Test 2 - Velachery, Chennai

Velachery section - Current

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