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The effects of drag on turbulent gravity currents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 August 2000

LYNNE HATCHER ,
ANDREW J. HOGG  and
ANDREW W. WOODS
LYNNE HATCHER
Affiliation:
Centre for Environmental and Geophysical Flows, School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TW UK
ANDREW J. HOGG
Affiliation:
Centre for Environmental and Geophysical Flows, School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TW UK
ANDREW W. WOODS
Affiliation:
BP Institute, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0EZ, UK
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Abstract

We model the propagation of turbulent gravity currents through an array of obstacles which exert a drag force on the flow proportional to the square of the flow speed. A new class of similarity solutions is constructed to describe the flows that develop from a source of strength q0tγ. An analytical solution exists for a finite release, γ = 0, while power series solutions are developed for sources with γ > 0. These are shown to provide an accurate approximation to the numerically calculated similarity solutions. The model is successfully tested against a series of new laboratory experiments which investigate the motion of a turbulent gravity current through a large flume containing an array of obstacles. The model is extended to account for the effects of a sloping boundary. Finally, a series of geophysical and environmental applications of the model are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 416 , 10 August 2000 , pp. 297 - 314
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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