scholarly journals Longitudinal flow evolution and turbulence structure of dynamically similar, sustained, saline density and turbidity currents

Author(s):  
T. E. Gray ◽  
Jan Alexander ◽  
Mike R. Leeder
2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (11) ◽  
pp. 1127-1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viet Luan Ho ◽  
Robert M. Dorrell ◽  
Gareth M. Keevil ◽  
Robert E. Thomas ◽  
Alan D. Burns ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Previous studies on dilute, multi-pulsed, subaqueous saline flows have demonstrated that pulses will inevitably advect forwards to merge with the flow front. On the assumption that pulse merging occurs in natural-scale turbidity currents, it was suggested that multi-pulsed turbidites that display vertical cycles of coarsening and fining would transition laterally to single-pulsed, normally graded turbidites beyond the point of pulse merging. In this study, experiments of dilute, single- and multi-pulsed sediment-bearing flows (turbidity currents) are conducted to test the linkages between downstream flow evolution and associated deposit structure. Experimental data confirm that pulse merging occurs in laboratory-scale turbidity currents. However, only a weak correspondence was seen between longitudinal variations in the internal flow dynamics and the vertical structure of deposits; multi-pulsed deposits were documented, but transitioned to single-pulsed deposits before the pulse merging point. This early transition is attributed to rapid sedimentation-related depletion of the coarser-grained suspended fraction in the laboratory setting, whose absence may have prevented the distal development of multi-pulsed deposits; this factor complicates estimation of the transition point in natural-scale turbidite systems.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aashwin A. Mishra ◽  
Gianluca Iaccarino ◽  
Karthik Duraisamy

2014 ◽  
Vol 755 ◽  
pp. 251-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Snow ◽  
B. R. Sutherland

AbstractLock–release laboratory experiments are performed to examine saline and particle-laden flows down a slope into both constant-density and linearly stratified ambients. Both hypopycnal (surface-propagating) currents and hyperpycnal (turbidity) currents are examined, with the focus being upon the influence of ambient stratification on turbidity currents. Measurements are made of the along-slope front speed and the depth at which the turbidity current separates from the slope and intrudes into the ambient. These results are compared to the predictions of a theory that characterizes the flow evolution and separation depth in terms of the slope $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}s$, the entrainment parameter $E$ (the ratio of entrainment to flow speed), the relative stratification parameter $S$ (the ratio of the ambient density difference to the relative current density) and a new parameter $\gamma $ defined to be the ratio of the particle settling to entrainment speed. The implicit prediction for the separation depth, $H_s$, is made explicit by considering limits of small and large separation depth. In the former case of a ‘weak’ turbidity current, entrainment and particle settling are unimportant and separation occurs where the density of the ambient fluid equals the density of the fluid in the lock. In the latter case of a ‘strong’ turbidity current, entrainment and particle settling crucially affect the separation depth. Consistent with theory, we find that the separation depth indeed depends on $\gamma $ if the particle size (and hence settling rate) is sufficiently large and if the current propagates many lock lengths before separating from the slope. A composite prediction that combines the explicit formulae for the separation depth for weak and strong turbidity currents agrees well with experimental measurements over a wide parameter range.


2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-190
Author(s):  
M. O. Oyewola ◽  
M. S. Adaramola ◽  
A. O. Olaberinjo ◽  
O. A. Obiyemi

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