Mixing in gravity currents
Abstract
We study entrainment in lock-release gravity currents using highly spatially resolved optical transmission experiments and quantitative analysis of the available potential energy of the flow. The principal results provide a resolution to the debate regarding the mechanism and degree of mixing in the head of a gravity current during the slumping phase. The nature of the complex internal mixing structure changes as a bore propagates from the tail to the head of the current during the slumping phase and overtakes its leading edge. We use quantitative methods to identify the connection between dynamics and entrainment and show that its manifestation as examined using different methodologies is the cause of previous contradictory experimental findings. Therefore, we conclude that the two main perspectives previously considered at odds are in accord.
Additional Information
© 2013 Cambridge University Press. Received 10 July 2013; revised 6 September 2013; accepted 9 September 2013; first published online 8 October 2013. A.T.F. acknowledges the Yale College Dean's Office, the K. L. Von Damm Research Fellowship, and Connecticut Space Grant Consortium for support of this research and J.S.W. thanks the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the Swedish Research Council and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award for support. J.S.W. is grateful to H. E. Huppert, J. A. Neufeld and M.-L. Timmermans for discussions and feedback at various stages of this work. Early versions of these experiments were the basis of the Yale B.S. theses of R. Berkowitz and R. Jackson. We appreciate having learned from attempts to refine their work.Attached Files
Published - S0022112013004758a.pdf
Supplemental Material - Movie1.mp4
Supplemental Material - Movie2.mp4
Supplemental Material - Movie3.mp4
Supplemental Material - Movie4.mp4
Supplemental Material - Movie5.mp4
Supplemental Material - Movie6.mp4
Supplemental Material - Movie7.mp4
Supplemental Material - Movie8.mp4
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 42614
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20131121-110501206
- Yale College Dean's Office
- K. L. Von Damm Research Fellowship
- Connecticut Space Grant Consortium
- John Simon Guggenheim Foundation
- Swedish Research Council
- Royal Society
- Created
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2013-11-21Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-10Created from EPrint's last_modified field