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Laboratory modelling of the effects of temporal changes of estuarine-fresh-water discharge rates on the propagation speed of oceanographic coastal currents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

PETER J. THOMAS  and
P. F. LINDEN
PETER J. THOMAS*
Affiliation:
Fluid Dynamics Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
P. F. LINDEN
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK
*
†Email address for correspondence: pjt1@eng.warwick.ac.uk
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Abstract

In this paper, results of laboratory experiments simulating buoyancy-driven coastal currents produced by estuarine discharges into the ocean, are discussed. The responses of the propagation speeds of the currents to increases and decreases of the volumetric discharge rate at the source are investigated. For increasing discharge rate, we find that the mean speed of the current head displays a sharp rise some time after the source discharge condition has changed. In contrast, a decrease of the current speed following a decreasing discharge rate proceeds gradually. The current speed after acceleration or deceleration is found to be equal to the speed that would be expected had the discharge been at the higher or lower rate from the start of the experiment. The relative speed at which the information of the changed discharge condition at the source approaches the advancing current head from upstream, for both increasing and decreasing discharge rates, is found to be approximately one to three times the mean speed of the current. Further, we find that this transmission speed is 0.82±0.20 times the propagation speed of a linear, long interfacial Kelvin wave.

JFM classification

Geophysical and Geological Flows: Geophysical and Geological Flows Geophysical and Geological Flows: Gravity currents Geophysical and Geological Flows: Rotating flows
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 664 , 10 December 2010 , pp. 337 - 347
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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