Transition of two-layer stratified flow from the slope of bottom topography to a horizontal channel

• Published in: Atmosphere-ocean 2008-12, Vol.46 (4), p.391-404
• Main Authors: Fouli, Hesham, Zhu, David Z.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Geophysics. Techniques, methods, instrumentation and models; Meteorology; Other topics; Other topics in atmospheric geophysics; Physics of the oceans
• ISSN: 0705-5900; 1480-9214
• DOI: 10.3137/ao.460401

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the transition of two-layer stratified flow from the slope of bottom topography to a horizontal channel. Three experiments, with a reduced gravity of g' = 1.64, 6.47 and 18.0 cm s −2 , were performed. Particle image velocimetry and planar laser-induced fluorescence were used to obtain the measurements of velocity and concentration fields. The flow rate, obtained from the measured velocity field, increases significantly toward the toe of the topography by almost 40% from that at the sill crest due to the interfacial wave activities. In the horizontal channel, however, the flow rate only increases marginally. Estimates of the composite Froude number indicate that the supercritical flow on the slope of the topography goes through the transition to the subcritical flow in the horizontal channel. The transition is mainly due to the increase in the lower-layer thickness because of increasing interfacial friction caused by the breaking of interfacial waves, and no internal hydraulic jumps are observed. The measured mean concentration field showed the formation of an intermediate layer of medium density, which increased its thickness with g' and helped to suppress turbulence. Spectral analysis of the density interfacial fluctuations indicated that the interfacial waves that developed on the slope of the topography broke up downstream of the toe into smaller amplitude waves at larger frequencies. The waves at several channel cross-sections were also examined.