A steady-state model for asymmetric intrusive gravity currents in a linearly stratified ambient

Abstract

The behavior of the steady intrusive gravity current of thickness h and density ρ _c which propagates with speed U at the neutral buoyancy level of a long horizontal channel of height H into a stratified ambient fluid whose density increases linearly from ρ _o to ρ _b is investigated. The intrusive and the ambient fluids are assumed to be asymmetric with respect to the neutral-buoyancy level. The Boussinesq, high-Reynolds number two-dimensional configuration is considered. Long’s model combined with the flow-force balance over the width of the channel and the pressure balances over a density current are used to obtain the desired results. It is shown that the intrusion velocity decreases with decreasing the asymmetry of the system and approaches its minimum for the symmetric configuration (however, the difference of speed between asymmetric and symmetric configurations shows no significant differences).