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Turbidity current simulation in a diverging channel
Author(s) -
Akiyama Juichiro,
Stefan Heinz G.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr024i004p00579
Subject(s) - turbidity current , entrainment (biomusicology) , turbidity , deposition (geology) , sediment , mechanics , current (fluid) , channel (broadcasting) , hydrology (agriculture) , conservation of mass , erosion , geology , flow (mathematics) , geotechnical engineering , geomorphology , environmental science , physics , sedimentary depositional environment , oceanography , engineering , structural basin , rhythm , acoustics , electrical engineering
Spatially varied turbidity currents with erosion and deposition of sediment occurring in slightly diverging‐sloping channels with a rectangular cross section are simulated. The model consists of cross section integrated equations for conservation of volume and mass, x momentum equation, and empirical relationships for water entrainment and sediment entrainment. The continuity equation for the sediment bed is coupled with the equations for the flow in order to simulate the change of bed elevation due to erosion and deposition of turbidity currents. The gradually varied flow equations are solved. The simulations show (1) underflows in diverging channels do not reach a normal condition, (2) three different types of turbidity currents can be simulated, (3) turbidity current behavior is sensitive to particle size, water viscosity, channel slope, as well as channel diverging angle when channel aspect ratio is small.