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I am interested in the physical mechanisms governing basic and environmental fluid mechanics. My research activities cover a wide range of scales and phenomena, from geophysical flows down to vortex dynamics and particle-turbulence interactions, and relate to many different environments, e.g. the Utah desert and Alpine glaciers. As an experimentalist I plan to develop novel measuring techniques and statistical tools for data analysis, for both wind tunnel and field work. My research at SAFL is on the mutual interactions between the large scales of turbulence and the evolution of erodible sediment layers. Practical applications involve stream restoration projects, optimization of hydrokinetic devices and wind turbines for sustainable energy production.

Education

• Ph.D., 2003, Hydraulic Engineering, University of Padova
• Laurea, 1998, Environmental Engineering, University of Genova

Professional Background

• Postdoctoral Fellow (2008-2010) Graduate Aerospace Laboratories (GALCIT), Caltech
• Research Scientist (2007); Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, SLF Davos, CH
• Postdoctoral Fellow (2003-2006) Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, CH

Selected Publications

Musa, M., Ravanelli, G., Bertoldi, W. and Guala, M. "Hydrokinetic turbines in yawed conditions: Toward synergistic fluvial installations." Journal of Hydraulic Engineering. 146, 4, 04020019. (2020). doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001707

Heisel, M., De Silva, C. M., Hutchins, N., Marusic, I. and Guala, M. "On the mixing length eddies and logarithmic mean velocity profile in wall turbulence." Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 887, 1DUMMY. (2020). doi: 10.1017/jfm.2020.23

Liu, M. X., Pelosi, A. and Guala, M. A. "Statistical description of particle motion and rest regimes in open-channel flows under low bedload transport." Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 124, 11, p. 2666-2688. (2019). doi: 10.1029/2019JF005140

Wilkinson A., Hondzo M., and Guala M. "Investigating abiotic drivers for vertical and temporal heterogeneities of cyanobacteria concentrations in lakes using a seasonal in situ monitoring station." Water Resources Research, 55 (2), 954-972, (2019).

Dou B., Guala M., Lei L., and Zeng P. "Wake model for horizontal-axis wind and hydrokinetic turbines in yawed conditions." Applied Energy. 242, 1383-1395, (2019).

Musa M., Hill C., Sotiropoulos F., and Guala M. "Performance and resilience of hydrokinetic turbine arrays under large migrating fluvial bedforms." Nature Energy, (2018).

Heisel M., Dasari T., Liu Y., Hong J., Coletti F., and Guala M. "The spatial structure of the logarithmic region in very-high-Reynolds-number rough wall turbulent boundary layers." Journal of Fluid Mechanics 857, 704-747 (2018).

Howard K., Singh A., Sotiropoulos F., and Guala M. “On the statistics of wind turbine wake meandering: an experimental investigation." Physics of Fluids 27 (7), 075103, (2015).

Hong J., Toloui M., Chamorro L.P., Guala M., Howard K., Riley S., Tucker J., and Sotiropoulos F. “Natural snowfall reveals large-scale flow structures in the wake of a 2.5-MW wind turbine.” Nature Communications 5, (2014).

Guala M., Metzger M., and McKeon B.J., “Scale interactions in high Reynolds number turbulent boundary layers.” J. Fluid Mech 666, ,573-604, (2011).

Gromke C., Manes C., Walter B., Lehning M., and Guala, M. "Aerodynamic roughness length of fresh snow." Boundary-Layer Meteorology 141 (1), 21-34 (2011)

Guala M., Hommema S.E., and Adrian R.J. “Large-scale and very-large-scale motions in turbulent pipe flow.” J. Fluid Mech. 554, 521-542 (2006).

Guala M., Luethi B., Liberzon A., Kinzelbach W., and Tsinober A. “On the evolution of vorticity and material lines in homogeneous turbulence.” J. Fluid Mech 533, 339-359, (2005).