Author(s): Maria Rita Maggi; Giovanni Di Lollo; Claudia Adduce
Linked Author(s): Claudia Adduce
Keywords: Gravity currents Laboratory experiments Non intrusive density measurements Bottom roughness
Abstract: This study investigates the influence of bottom roughness on the evolution of gravity currents through laboratory experiments, employing a non-intrusive light attenuation technique to measure instantaneous density fields. The gravity currents are generated by the lock-release technique. The primary parameters examined include the ratio of the current depth and the roughness elements height and the dimensionless spacing between these elements. Across all experiments, the drag induced by bottom roughness adds significant complexity to the flow dynamics, altering the propagation characteristics and structure of the current. A lower ratio of current depth to roughness height increases extra drag, enhancing dissipative processes, while for higher ratios, the propagation of the gravity current is less affected by the bottom roughness.
Year: 2025