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Gravity currents descending a ramp in a stratified tank

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 1999

J. J. MONAGHAN ,
R. A. F. CAS ,
A. M. KOS  and
M. HALLWORTH
J. J. MONAGHAN
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, Monash University, Clayton Victoria 3168, Australia
R. A. F. CAS
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, Monash University, Clayton Victoria 3168, Australia
A. M. KOS
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, Monash University, Clayton Victoria 3168, Australia
M. HALLWORTH
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Silver Street, Cambridge CB3 9EW, UK
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Abstract

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This paper describes experiments and numerical simulations of a gravity current flowing down a ramp in a tank stratified in two layers. We study the dynamics of the configuration for different densities of the gravity current and different ramp angles. The experiments show that waves of large amplitude can be generated easily and that, depending on the density of the gravity current, the initial gravity current splits into a gravity current along the interface of the stratified layers, and a gravity current along the bottom of the tank. We also describe numerical simulations which give results in agreement with the results of the experiments and enable us to study three-fluid configurations with wider ranges of density than is possible in the laboratory.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 379 , 25 January 1999 , pp. 39 - 69
Copyright
© 1999 Cambridge University Press