T. B. Moodie

Sediment Transport and Deposition from a Two‐layer Fluid Model of Gravity Currents on Sloping Bottoms

This article reports on a theoretical and numerical study of noneroding turbulent gravity currents moving down mildly inclined surfaces while depositing sediment. These flows are modeled by means of two-layer fluid systems appropriately modified to account for the presence of a sloping bottom and suspended sediment in the lower layer. A detailed scaling argument shows that when the density of the interstitial fluid is slightly greater than that of the ambient and the suspension is such that its volume fraction is of the order of the aspect ratio squared, for low aspect ratio flows a two-layer shallow-water theory is applicable. In this theory there is a decoupling of particle and flow dynamics. In contrast, however, when the densities of interstitial and ambient fluids are equal, so that it is the presence of the particles alone that drives the flow, we find that a consistent shallow-water theory is impossible no matter how small the aspect ratio or the initial volume fraction occupied by the particles. Our two-layer shallow-water formulation is employed to investigate the downstream evolution of flow and depositional characteristics for sloping bottoms. This investigation uncovers a new phenomenon in the formation of a rear compressive zone giving rise to shock formation in the post-end-wall-separation phase of the particle-bearing gravity flow. This separation of flow from the end wall in these fixed volume releases differs from what has been observed on horizontal surfaces where the flow always remains in contact with the end wall.

Nonhydraulic effects in particle-driven gravity currents in deep surroundings

In this article, we present an approach to modeling the flow of particle-driven gravity currents produced by the sudden release of well-mixed, fixed-volume suspensions into deep surroundings. Our model accounts for the initial turbulent energy of mixing in the release volume, characteristic of the classical lock-release experiments, as well as the spatiotemporal variability in the driving buoyancy forces attributable to particle settling. We show that, in contrast to compositionally driven flows, particle-driven flows cannot be described consistently in terms of shallow water theory. Specifically, we show that the presence of particles in the flow dynamics produces significant horizontal velocity shear, thereby changing the flow configuration in important ways from flows assumed to be governed by the shallow water equations. These new flow properties are calculated and contrasted with flow properties derived on the basis of the shallow water equations to show that the shallow water analysis misses dynamical features of the flow. We also show that our model provides significant improvement over the previous shallow water-based models in predicting the experimentally determined deposition patterns associated with the lock-release experiments.

Modeling Sediment Deposition Patterns Arising From Suddenly Released Fixed‐Volume Turbulent Suspensions

Models presented in several recent papers [1–3] dealing with particle transport by, and deposition from, bottom gravity currents produced by the sudden release of dilute, well-mixed fixed-volume suspensions have been relatively successful in duplicating the experimentally observed long-time, distal, areal density of the deposit on a rigid horizontal bottom. These models, however, fail in their ability to capture the experimentally observed proximal pattern of the areal density with its pronounced dip in the region initially occupied by the well-mixed suspension and its equally pronounced local maximum at roughly the one-third point of the total reach of the deposit. The central feature of the models employed in [1–3] is that the particles are always assumed to be vertically well-mixed by fluid turbulence and to settle out through the bottom viscous sublayer with the Stokes settling velocity for a fluid at rest with no re-entrainment of particles from the floor of the tank. Because this process is assumed from the outset in the models of [1–3], the numerical simulations for a fixed-volume release will not take into account the actual experimental conditions that prevail at the time of release of a well-mixed fixed-volume suspension. That is, owing to the vigorous stirring that produces the well-mixed suspension, the release volume will initially possess greater turbulent energy than does an unstirred release volume, which may only acquire turbulent energy as a result of its motion after release through various instability mechanisms. The eddy motion in the imposed fluid turbulence reduces the particle settling rates from the values that would be observed in an unstirred release volume possessing zero initial turbulent energy. We here develop a model for particle bearing gravity flows initiated by the sudden release of a fixed-volume suspension that takes into account the initial turbulent energy of mixing in the release volume by means of a modified settling velocity that, over a time scale characteristic of turbulent energy decay, approaches the full Stokes settling velocity. Thereafter, in the flow regime, we assume that the turbulence persists and, in accord with current understanding concerning the mechanics of dense underflows, that this turbulence is most intense in the wall region at the bottom of the flow and relatively coarse and on the verge of collapse (see [22]) at the top of the flow where the density contrast is compositionally maintained. We capture this behavior by specifying a “shape function” that is based upon experimental observations and provides for vertical structure in the volume fraction of particles present in the flow. The assumption of vertically well-mixed particle suspensions employed in [1–5] corresponds to a constant shape function equal to unity. Combining these two refinements concerning the settling velocity and vertical structure of the volume fraction of particles into the conservation law for particles and coupling this with the fluid equations for a two-layer system, we find that our results for areal density of deposits from sudden releases of fixed-volume suspensions are in excellent qualitative agreement with the experimentally determined areal densities of deposit as reported in [1, 3, 6]. In particular, our model does what none of the other models do in that it captures and explains the proximal depression in the areal density of deposit.

Two-layer Gravity Currents with Topography

Two-dimensional and time-dependent gravity currents involving the initial release of a fixed volume of heavy fluid over a gradually sloping bottom and underlying a layer of lighter fluid are considered. The equations which describe the resulting two-layer flow are derived from the Navier–Stokes equations for a constant density, inviscid, nonrotating fluid, neglecting kinematic viscosity, surface tension, and entrainment between the layers. A new addition to the theory is introduced in the form of a forcing term in the lower layer horizontal momentum equation which is incorporated to produce the characteristic structure typical of such gravity currents in the laboratory. This delaying term is restricted to the front of the gravity current, and as such is shown to be valid under conventional shallow-water scaling assumptions. The hyperbolic character of the equations of motion is shown, a simple numerical test for hyperbolicity is derived from theoretical considerations, and these results are related to the stability Froude number of the flow. Well-posedness of the initial boundary value problem is proven via localization of the equations, and the discussion is extended to a two-point boundary value problem with examples of steady-state and traveling wave solutions given for a bottom surface of constant slope. Numerical results are obtained by using a recently developed finite-difference relaxation scheme for conservation laws, sufficiently modified herein to include spatial variability and forcing terms, which approximates the material interface at the front of the lower fluid layer as a shock. The effects of slope and the delaying force are investigated numerically to determine their theoretical importance, and the range of expected values is compared to published experimental results. Some calculations for the temporal evolution of the flow are produced that display the phenomenon of rear wall separation for nonzero slopes.

Jump Conditions for Hyperbolic Systems of Forced Conservation Laws with an Application to Gravity Currents

Weak solutions to systems of nonlinear hyperbolic conservation laws admit discontinuities that result from either an initial value or as part of the temporally developing solution itself. The propagation of such shocks or jumps is affected by forcing terms for the nonlinear system in a way that has not been investigated fully in standard references. Jump conditions for systems of conservation laws with discontinuous forcing terms are derived herein, following the method used to derive the Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions, and the generalized results are illustrated for the one-dimensional inviscid Burgers equation with discontinuous forcing. The main application of this type of jump condition, and the primary motivation for its study, is its application to a shallow-water model of gravity currents previously described by the authors. Specifically, a new result relation between the front and height at a gravity current front is obtained by using the existing model. Front speeds for gravity currents resulting from instantaneous release are calculated numerically and used to determine the suitability of the jump conditions, which are then compared with existing theoretical expressions and experimental observations. New numerical results are portrayed for the gravity current model, suggesting that the standard method of modeling shallow-water gravity currents with a simple Froude number front condition may tend to suppress some of the finer details of the flow resolved by the numerical scheme used by the authors.

Intrusive gravity currents

Intrusive gravity currents arise when a fluid of intermediate density intrudes into an ambient fluid. These intrusions may occur in both natural and human-made settings and may be the result of a sudden release of a fixed volume of fluid or the steady or time-dependent injection of such a fluid. In this article we analytically and numerically analyze intrusive gravity currents arising both from the sudden release of a fixed volume and the steady injection of fluid having a density that is intermediate between the densities of an upper layer bounded by a free surface and a heavier lower layer resting on a flat bottom. For the physical problems of interest we assume that the dynamics of the flow are dominated by a balance between inertial and buoyancy forces with viscous forces being negligible. The three-layer shallow-water equations used to model the two-dimensional flow regime include the effects of the surrounding fluid on the intrusive gravity current. These effects become more pronounced as the fraction of the total depth occupied by the intrusive current increases. To obtain some analytical information concerning the factors effecting bore formation we further reduce the complexity of our three-layer model by assuming small density differences among the different layers. This reduces the model equations from a 6×6 to a 4×4 system. The limit of applicability of this weakly stratified model for various ranges of density differences is examined numerically. Numerical results, in most instances, are obtained using MacCormacks method. It is found that the intrusive gravity current displays a wide range of flow behavior and that this behavior is a strong function of the fractional depth occupied by the release volume and any asymmetries in the density differences among the various layers. For example, in the initially symmetric sudden release problem it is found that an interior bore does not form when the fractional depth of the release volume is equal to or less than 50% of the total depth. The numerical simulations of fixed-volume releases of the intermediate layer for various density and initial depth ratios demonstrate that the intermediate layer quickly slumps from any isostatically uncompensated state to its Archimedean level thereby creating a wave of opposite sign ahead of the intrusion on the interface between the upper and lower layers. Similarity solutions are obtained for several cases that include both steady injection and sudden releases and these are in agreement with the numerical solutions of the shallow-water equations. The 4×4 weak stratification system is also subjected to a wavefront analysis to determine conditions for the initiation of leading-edge bores. These results also appear to be in agreement with numerical solutions of the shallow-water equations.

On the Number of Conserved Quantities for the Two‐Layer Shallow‐Water Equations

The shallow-water equations for two-layer inviscid flow with a free surface overlying a rigid horizontal bottom subject to gravitational forcing only are examined to determine the possible forms of conservation laws that the equations permit. In the case of a single layer with flow in only one horizontal direction, it is known that there are an infinite number of associated equations in conservation form, where the conserved quantity is a multinomial in the layer variables. The method used to determine this result is generalized to show that in the two-layer case, the result does not generalize, and it is discovered that only a finite number of conservation equations exist when the density difference between the layers is nonzero. The subsequent conservation equations are given explicitly, and a systematic method for deriving conservation laws from an arbitrary first-order system is described. For the case when the flow is in both horizontal dimensions, the method of analysis is straightforward in the one-layer case, and the finite number of conservation equations are derived. The two-layer case is similar, and the finite number of generalized conserved quantities are stated, although the question of whether or not there are only a finite number is posed as an open question.

Hydraulic theory and particle-driven gravity currents

Hydraulic theory, as it has been applied to compositionally driven gravity flows, involves the single simplifying assumption that the pressure in the fluid is hydrostatic [1]. This assumption provides, as a consequence, a depth independent horizontal velocity field. This approach has led to a greatly increased understanding of many of the phenomena associated with these complex flows, including issues surrounding internal hydraulic jumps and energy loss [2]. Recently, investigations into flow and deposition of particles from particle-driven gravity currents have been carried out using an approach that employs the hydraulic theory that had proved so successful in the case of homogeneous flows [3]-[7]. Unfortunately, as we show here, there is a fundamental contradiction in adopting this simplifying assumption when particles drive the flow. This contradiction is essentially that one cannot have a hydrostatic pressure that arises from the presence of particles while at the same time maintaining a depth-independent horizontal velocity field, as was assumed in references [3]-[7].