Modeling and Simulation of Stratified Currents with Rotation Effects

Abstract

Stratified currents are generated by action of gravity (or other volumetric force) on changes in fluid density. When they appear in turbulent regime, stratified currents are of a non-linear nature and have a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. In these systems there is a strong coupling between turbulence and stratification effects, with important consequences in the exchange of mass, momentum and energy. When these type of flows happen in geophysical scale, the analysis is further complicated by the influence of rotation effects, as is the case for example of volcanic plumes influenced by Coriolis forces originated by earth’s rotation. In this work we study stratified currents in a channel with rotation effects by direct numerical simulations. We compare different conditions of rotation, and report on the maximum length of the leading edge of the successive outward propagating fronts, the pulse frequency, and the different phases of spreading.