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Observations of the cell structure of salt fingers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 March 2006

T. G. L. Shirtcliffe  and
J. S. Turner
T. G. L. Shirtcliffe
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Cambridge University
J. S. Turner
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Cambridge University
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Abstract

The phenomenon of salt fingers has been investigated optically to determine the geometry of the cells as seen from above. When the fingers are short, the flow appears to be highly turbulent, though a dominant scale is evident. When the fingers are longer, a cellular structure is clear. This structure changes only slowly, apparently in response to disturbances in the convecting layers which bound the fingers above and below, and becomes more nearly stationary as the fingers grow. Cell boundaries show a strong tendency to intersect at right angles, which favours the emergence of cells with a square horizontal section. As the fingers get longer the cell width increases, but more slowly than the length.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 41 , Issue 4 , 15 May 1970 , pp. 707 - 719
Copyright
© 1970 Cambridge University Press

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