Cenedese Claudia

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Cenedese

First Name

Claudia

ORCID

0000-0002-2959-0468

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Laboratory experiments on two coalescing axisymmetric turbulent plumes in a rotating fluid

( 2011-04-07) Yamamoto, H. ; Cenedese, Claudia ; Caulfield, C. P.

We investigate the early-time coalescence of two co-flowing axisymmetric turbulent plumes and the later-time flow of the induced vortices in a rotating, homogeneous fluid using laboratory experiments. The experiments demonstrate the critical importance of the rotation period Tf = 2π/f, where f is the Coriolis parameter of the background rotation. We find that if the plumes’ sources are sufficiently “close” for the plumes to merge initially at an “early time” tm≲tr = 3Tf/4, the experimentally observed merging height zme agrees well with the non-rotating theoretical relationship of zmt ≈ (0.44/α)x0tr, however, the flow dynamics are substantially more complicated, as the flow becomes significantly affected by rotation. The propagation and entrainment of the plumes becomes strongly affected by the vortices induced by the entrainment flow in a rotating environment. Also, the plume fluid itself starts to interact with these vortices. If the plumes have already initially merged by the time t = tr, a single vortex (initially located at the midpoint of the line connecting the two plume sources) develops, which both advects and modifies the geometry of the merging plumes. Coupled with the various suppressing effects of rotation on the radial plume entrainment, the “apparent” observed height of merger can vary substantially from its initial value. Conversely, for more widely separated “distant” plumes, where x0>xc = (25α/2)F01/4f-3/4, the plumes do not merge before the critical time tr when rotation becomes significant in the flow dynamics and two vortices are observed, each located over a plume source. The combined effect of these vortices with the associated suppression of entrainment by rotation thus significantly further delays the merger of the two plumes, which apparently becomes possible only through the merger of the induced vortices.
Laboratory observations of enhanced entrainment in dense overflows in the presence of submarine canyons and ridges

( 2008-01-29) Wåhlin, A. K. ; Darelius, Elin ; Cenedese, Claudia ; Lane-Serff, G. F.

The continental slopes in the oceans are often covered by small-scale topographic features such as submarine canyons and ridges. When dense plumes, flowing geostrophically along the slope, encounter such features they may be steered downslope inside and alongside the topography. A set of laboratory experiments was conducted at the rotating Coriolis platform to investigate the effect of small-scale topography on plume mixing. A dense water source was placed on top of a slope, and experiments were repeated with three topographies: a smooth slope, a slope with a ridge, and a slope with a canyon. Three flow regimes were studied: laminar, waves, and eddies. When a ridge or a canyon were present on the slope, the dense plume was steered downslope and instabilities developed along the ridge and canyon wall. This happened regardless of the flow characteristics on the smooth slope. Froude and Reynolds numbers were estimated, and were found to be higher for the topographically steered flow than for flow on smooth topography. The stratification in the collecting basin was monitored and the mixing inferred. The total mixing and the entrainment rate increased when a ridge or a canyon were present. The difference in mixing levels between the regimes was smaller when topography was present, indicating that it was the small-scale topography and not the large-scale characteristics of the flow that determined the properties of the product water.
Laboratory experiments on mesoscale vortices colliding with an island chain

(American Geophysical Union, 2008-04-17) Tanabe, Aya ; Cenedese, Claudia

The present laboratory study investigates the behavior of a self-propagating barotropic cyclonic vortex colliding perpendicularly with aligned circular cylinders and determines the condition for a vortex to bifurcate and split into multiple vortices and/or to generate dipoles downstream of the cylinders. During the experiments, four parameters were varied: G, the gap width between the cylinders; d, the diameter of the incident vortex; Y dis , a parameter expressing the initial vortex positions; and D isl , the total length of the “middle” island. It has been observed that as long as 0.1 < G/d ≤ 0.4, the vortex fluid was funneled between two cylinders at one of the gaps and a dipole generally formed, much like water ejected from a circular nozzle generates a dipole ring. After the dipole formed, the cyclonic part of the dipole became dominant and self propagated away from the cylinders. Furthermore, in some experiments having 0.2 < D isl /d ≤ 0.5, after a weak dipole formed, the remnant of the original vortex moved zonally “south.” When the remnant of the vortex came in contact with a new cylinder, fluid peeled off the outer edge of the vortex and a so-called “streamer” went around the cylinder in a counterclockwise direction. Under the right conditions, this fluid formed a new cyclonic vortex in the wake of the cylinder, causing bifurcation of the original vortex into two vortices, as observed in previous studies. In general, independently of the configurations and Y dis , the number of cyclonic vortices downstream of the cylinders was one, either originating from the dipole or generated by the bifurcation of the original vortex. The vortex center position, radius, and circulation, before and after the interaction, were computed from its velocity field. It was found that for 0.1 < G/d ≤ 0.4, intense vortices experienced greater amplitude loss than weak vortices. The formation of both a dominant cyclone and an anticyclone (i.e., a dipole) downstream of the aligned cylinders, representing an island chain, is in agreement with recent oceanic observations of North Brazil Current (NBC) rings interacting with the Lesser Antilles in the Eastern Caribbean Sea. Since the passages of the Lesser Antilles have values of 0.07 ≤ G/d ≤ 0.3, the oceanic observations might be explained by the experimental results reported in this paper.
Impact of two plumes’ interaction on submarine melting of tidewater glaciers : a laboratory study

(American Meteorological Society, 2016-01) Cenedese, Claudia ; Gatto, V. Marco

Idealized laboratory experiments investigate the glacier–ocean boundary dynamics near a vertical glacier in a two-layer stratified fluid. Discharge of meltwater runoff at the base of the glacier (subglacial discharge) enhances submarine melting. In the laboratory, the effect of multiple sources of subglacial discharge is simulated by introducing freshwater at freezing temperature from two point sources at the base of an ice block representing the glacier. The buoyant plumes of cold meltwater and subglacial discharge water entrain warm ambient water, rise vertically, and interact within a layer of depth H2 if the distance between the sources x0 is smaller than H2α/0.35, where α is the entrainment constant. The plume water detaches from the glacier face at the interface between the two layers and/or at the free surface, as confirmed by previous numerical studies and field observations. A plume model is used to explain the observed nonmonotonic dependence of submarine melting on the sources’ separation. The distance between the two sources influences the entrainment of warm water in the plumes and consequently the amount of submarine melting and the final location of the meltwater within the water column. Two interacting plumes located very close together are observed to melt approximately half as much as two independent plumes. The inclusion, or parameterization, of the dynamics regulating multiple plumes’ interaction is therefore necessary for a correct estimate of submarine melting. Hence, the distribution and number of sources of subglacial discharge may play an important role in glacial melt rates and fjord stratification and circulation.
Interaction between a vertical turbulent jet and a thermocline

(American Meteorological Society, 2016-11-10) Ezhova, Ekaterina ; Cenedese, Claudia ; Brandt, Luca

The behavior of an axisymmetric vertical turbulent jet in an unconfined stratified environment is studied by means of well-resolved, large-eddy simulations. The stratification is two uniform layers separated by a thermocline. This study considers two cases: when the thermocline thickness is small and on the order of the jet diameter at the thermocline entrance. The Froude number of the jet at the thermocline varies from 0.6 to 1.9, corresponding to the class of weak fountains. The mean jet penetration, stratified turbulent entrainment, jet oscillations, and the generation of internal waves are examined. The mean jet penetration is predicted well by a simple model based on the conservation of the source energy in the thermocline. The entrainment coefficient for the thin thermocline is consistent with the theoretical model for a two-layer stratification with a sharp interface, while for the thick thermocline entrainment is larger at low Froude numbers. The data reveal the presence of a secondary horizontal flow in the upper part of the thick thermocline, resulting in the entrainment of fluid from the thermocline rather than from the upper stratification layer. The spectra of the jet oscillations in the thermocline display two peaks, at the same frequencies for both stratifications at fixed Froude number. For the thick thermocline, internal waves are generated only at the lower frequency, since the higher peak exceeds the maximal buoyancy frequency. For the thin thermocline, conversely, the spectra of the internal waves show the two peaks at low Froude numbers, whereas only one peak at the lower frequency is observed at higher Froude numbers.
Mixing in a density-driven current flowing down a slope in a rotating fluid

(Cambridge University Press, 2008-05-14) Cenedese, Claudia ; Adduce, Claudia

We discuss laboratory experiments investigating mixing in a density-driven current flowing down a sloping bottom, in a rotating homogenous fluid. A systematic study spanning a wide range of Froude, 0.8 < Fr < 10, and Reynolds, 10 < Re < 1400, numbers was conducted by varying three parameters: the bottom slope; the flow rate; and the density of the dense fluid. Different flow regimes were observed, i.e. waves (non-breaking and breaking) and turbulent regimes, while changing the above parameters. Mixing in the density-driven current has been quantified within the observed regimes, and at different locations on the slope. The dependence of mixing on the relevant non-dimensional numbers, i.e. slope, Fr and Re, is discussed. The entrainment parameter, E, was found to be dependent not only on Fr, as assumed in previous studies, but also on Re. In particular, mixing increased with increasing Fr and Re. For low Fr and Re, the magnitude of the mixing was comparable to mixing in the ocean. For large Fr and Re, mixing was comparable to that observed in previous laboratory experiments that exhibited the classic turbulent entrainment behaviour.
Variations in ocean surface temperature due to near-surface flow : straining the cool skin layer

(American Meteorological Society, 2009-11) Wells, Andrew J. ; Cenedese, Claudia ; Farrar, J. Thomas ; Zappa, Christopher J.

The aqueous thermal boundary layer near to the ocean surface, or skin layer, has thickness O(1 mm) and plays an important role in controlling the exchange of heat between the atmosphere and the ocean. Theoretical arguments and experimental measurements are used to investigate the dynamics of the skin layer under the influence of an upwelling flow, which is imposed in addition to free convection below a cooled water surface. Previous theories of straining flow in the skin layer are considered and a simple extension of a surface straining model is posed to describe the combination of turbulence and an upwelling flow. An additional theory is also proposed, conceptually based on the buoyancy-driven instability of a laminar straining flow cooled from above. In all three theories considered two distinct regimes are observed for different values of the Péclet number, which characterizes the ratio of advection to diffusion within the skin layer. For large Péclet numbers, the upwelling flow dominates and increases the free surface temperature, or skin temperature, to follow the scaling expected for a laminar straining flow. For small Péclet numbers, it is shown that any flow that is steady or varies over long time scales produces only a small change in skin temperature by direct straining of the skin layer. Experimental measurements demonstrate that a strong upwelling flow increases the skin temperature and suggest that the mean change in skin temperature with Péclet number is consistent with the theoretical trends for large Péclet number flow. However, all of the models considered consistently underpredict the measured skin temperature, both with and without an upwelling flow, possibly a result of surfactant effects not included in the models.
A laboratory study of iceberg side melting in vertically sheared flows

(American Meteorological Society, 2018-06-12) FitzMaurice, Anna ; Cenedese, Claudia ; Straneo, Fiamma

An earlier study indicates that the side melting of icebergs subject to vertically homogeneous horizontal velocities is controlled by two distinct regimes, which depend on the melt plume behavior and produce a nonlinear dependence of side melt rate on velocity. Here, we extend this study to consider ice blocks melting in a two-layer vertically sheared flow in a laboratory setting. It is found that the use of the vertically averaged flow speed in current melt parameterizations gives an underestimate of the submarine side melt rate, in part because of the nonlinearity of the dependence of the side melt rate on flow speed but also because vertical shear in the horizontal velocity profile fundamentally changes the flow splitting around the ice block and consequently the velocity felt by the ice surface. An observational record of 90 icebergs in a Greenland fjord suggests that this effect could produce an average underestimate of iceberg side melt rates of 21%.
Impact of periodic intermediary flows on submarine melting of a Greenland glacier

(John Wiley & Sons, 2014-10-24) Sciascia, R. ; Cenedese, Claudia ; Nicolì, D. ; Heimbach, Patrick ; Straneo, Fiamma

The submarine melting of a vertical glacier front, induced by an intermediary circulation forced by periodic density variations at the mouth of a fjord, is investigated using a nonhydrostatic ocean general circulation model and idealized laboratory experiments. The idealized configurations broadly match that of Sermilik Fjord, southeast Greenland, a largely two layers system characterized by strong seasonal variability of subglacial discharge. Consistent with observations, the numerical results suggest that the intermediary circulation is an effective mechanism for the advection of shelf anomalies inside the fjord. In the numerical simulations, the advection mechanism is a density intrusion with a velocity which is an order of magnitude larger than the velocities associated with a glacier-driven circulation. In summer, submarine melting is mostly influenced by the discharge of surface runoff at the base of the glacier and the intermediary circulation induces small changes in submarine melting. In winter, on the other hand, submarine melting depends only on the water properties and velocity distribution at the glacier front. Hence, the properties of the waters advected by the intermediary circulation to the glacier front are found to be the primary control of the submarine melting. When the density of the intrusion is intermediate between those found in the fjord's two layers, there is a significant reduction in submarine melting. On the other hand, when the density is close to that of the bottom layer, only a slight reduction in submarine melting is observed. The numerical results compare favorably to idealized laboratory experiments with a similar setup.
How entraining density currents influence the stratification in a one-dimensional ocean basin

( 2005-11-03) Wåhlin, A. K. ; Cenedese, Claudia

The sensitivity of the basin-scale ocean stratification to the vertical distribution of plume entrainment is being analyzed. A large ocean basin supplied by dense water from an adjoining marginal sea is considered. The dense water flows into the ocean basin as an entraining density current and interleaves at the bottom (or at the level of neutral density), where it deposits a mixture of marginal seaand basin water. As the basin water, i.e. 'old' plume water, is entrained and re-circulated in the plume a stratification develops in the basin. The mixture deposited at the bottom hence contains an increasing fraction of marginal sea water, and the basin density increases with depth as well as with time. A stationary solution in which diffusion of buoyancy from above is important is approached asymptotically in time. Non-diffusive solutions to the initial transient adjustment, as well as the diffusive asymptotic state, have been studied in four different parameterizations of plume entrainment. It is shown that in the transient regime the basin stratification and plume density are highly sensitive to how mixing is parameterized. The stationary diffusive solution that is approached asymptotically in time is less sensitive to parameterization but depends strongly on basin topography, source water density, and buoyancy flux at the surface.
Surface expression of a wall fountain: application to subglacial discharge plumes

(American Meteorological Society, 2020-04-27) McConnochie, Craig D. ; Cenedese, Claudia ; McElwaine, Jim N.

We use laboratory experiments and theoretical modeling to investigate the surface expression of a subglacial discharge plume, as occurs at many fjords around Greenland. The experiments consider a fountain that is released vertically into a homogeneous fluid, adjacent either to a vertical or a sloping wall, that then spreads horizontally at the free surface before sinking back to the bottom. We present a model that separates the fountain into two separate regions: a vertical fountain and a horizontal, negatively buoyant jet. The model is compared to laboratory experiments that are conducted over a range of volume fluxes, density differences, and ambient fluid depths. It is shown that the nondimensionalized length, width, and aspect ratio of the surface expression are dependent on the Froude number, calculated at the start of the negatively buoyant jet. The model is applied to observations of the surface expression from a Greenland subglacial discharge plume. In the case where the discharge plume reaches the surface with negative buoyancy the model can be used to estimate the discharge properties at the base of the glacier.
A new parameterization for entrainment in overflows

(American Meteorological Society, 2010-08) Cenedese, Claudia ; Adduce, Claudia

Dense overflows entrain surrounding waters at specific locations, for example, sills and constrictions, but also along the descent over the continental slope. The amount of entrainment dictates the final properties of these overflows, and thus is of fundamental importance to the understanding of the formation of deep water masses. Even when resolving the overflows, coarse resolution global circulation and climate models cannot resolve the entrainment processes that are often parameterized. A new empirical parameterization is suggested, obtained using an oceanic and laboratory dataset, which includes two novel aspects. First, the parameterization depends on both the Froude number (Fr) and Reynolds number of the flow. Second, it takes into account subcritical (Fr < 1) entrainment. A weak, but nonzero, entrainment can change the final density and, consequently, the depth and location of important water masses in the open ocean. This is especially true when the dense current follows a long path over the slope in a subcritical regime, as observed in the southern Greenland Deep Western Boundary Current. A streamtube model employing this new parameterization gives results that are more consistent with previous laboratory and oceanographic observations than when a classical parameterization is used. Finally, the new parameterization predictions compare favorably to recent oceanographic measurements of entrainment and turbulent diapycnal mixing rates, using scaling arguments to relate the entrainment ratio to diapycnal diffusivities.
2007 program of studies : boundary layers

(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2008-06) Cenedese, Claudia ; Whitehead, John A. ; Pedlosky, Joseph ; Lentz, Steven J.

The topic of the Principal Lectures for the forty-ninth year of the program was “Boundary Layers”. The subject centers around those problems in which the boundary conditions lead to a large gradient near the boundary. Nine of this year’s principal lectures were given by Joe Pedlosky and the tenth was given by Steve Lentz. The fluid mechanics of boundary layers was reviewed, first starting from its classical roots and then extending the concepts to the sides, bottoms, and tops of the oceans. During week four, a mini-symposium on “Ocean Bottom and Surface Boundary Layers” gathered a number of oceanographers and meteorologists together to report recent advances. And, finally, Kerry Emanuel of MIT delivered the Sears Public Lecture to a packed hall in Clark 507. The title was “Divine Wind: The History and Sciences of Hurricanes.”
Laboratory experiments on mesoscale vortices interacting with two islands

(American Geophysical Union, 2005-09-30) Cenedese, Claudia ; Adduce, Claudia ; Fratantoni, David M.

The present study investigates the interaction between a self-propagating cyclonic vortex with two right vertical cylinders and determines the conditions for a vortex to bifurcate into two or more vortices. As in previous studies, after the cyclonic vortex came in contact with a cylinder, fluid peeled off the outer edge of the vortex and a so-called “streamer” went around the cylinder in a counterclockwise direction. Under the right conditions, this fluid formed a new cyclonic vortex in the wake of the cylinder, causing bifurcation of the original vortex into two vortices. In some cases, two streamers formed and went around the two cylinders, each forming a new cyclonic vortex. During the experiments, three parameters were varied: G, the separation between the cylinders; d, the diameter of the incident vortex; and y, the distance of the center of the vortex from an axis passing through the center of the gap between the cylinders. The number of vortices generated by the interaction depends on the ratio G/d and on the geometry of the encounter, which is given by the ratio y/g, where g = G/2. An unexpected and revealing result was the formation of a dipole vortex downstream of the two islands for values of −2 < y/g < 0, 0.25 ≤ G/d ≤ 0.4, and Re G > 200, where Re G = U G G/ν is the Reynolds number and U G is the maximum velocity of the vortex fluid in the gap. A possible mechanism is that the flow within the vortex was funneled between the two islands, and provided it had a sufficiently high velocity, a dipole formed, much like water ejected from a circular nozzle generates a dipole ring. The formation of a vortex of opposite sign to the incident vortex (i.e., anticyclonic) is in agreement with recent observations of North Brazil Current (NBC) rings interacting with the islands of Saint Vincent and Barbados in the eastern Caribbean. The passage between the islands of Saint Vincent and Barbados has values of G/d of approximately 0.5; hence the laboratory result suggests that both cyclonic and anticyclonic vortices could form downstream of them.
Stability of a buoyancy-driven coastal current at the shelf break

(Cambridge University Press, 2002-02-15) Cenedese, Claudia ; Linden, P. F.

Buoyancy-driven surface currents were generated in the laboratory by releasing buoyant fluid from a source adjacent to a vertical boundary in a rotating container. Different bottom topographies that simulate both a continental slope and a continental ridge were introduced in the container. The topography modified the flow in comparison with the at bottom case where the current grew in width and depth until it became unstable once to non-axisymmetric disturbances. However, when topography was introduced a second instability of the buoyancy-driven current was observed. The most important parameter describing the flow is the ratio of continental shelf width W to the width L* of the current at the onset of the instability. The values of L* for the first instability, and L*[minus sign]W for the second instability were not influenced by the topography and were 2–6 times the Rossby radius. Thus, the parameter describing the flow can be expressed as the ratio of the width of the continental shelf to the Rossby radius. When this ratio is larger than 2–6 the second instability was observed on the current front. A continental ridge allowed the disturbance to grow to larger amplitude with formation of eddies and fronts, while a gentle continental slope reduced the growth rate and amplitude of the most unstable mode, when compared to the continental ridge topography. When present, eddies did not separate from the main current, and remained near the shelf break. On the other hand, for the largest values of the Rossby radius the first instability was suppressed and the flow was observed to remain stable. A small but significant variation was found in the wavelength of the first instability, which was smaller for a current over topography than over a flat bottom.
The dispersal of dense water formed in an idealized coastal polynya on a shallow sloping shelf

(American Meteorological Society, 2014-06) Zhang, Weifeng G. ; Cenedese, Claudia

This study examines the dispersal of dense water formed in an idealized coastal polynya on a sloping shelf in the absence of ambient circulation and stratification. Both numerical and laboratory experiments reveal two separate bottom pathways for the dense water: an offshore plume moving downslope into deeper ambient water and a coastal current flowing in the direction of Kelvin wave propagation. Scaling analysis shows that the velocity of the offshore plume is proportional not only to the reduced gravity, bottom slope, and inverse of the Coriolis parameter, but also to the ratio of the dense water depth to total water depth. The dense water coastal current is generated by the along-shelf baroclinic pressure gradient. Its dynamics can be separated into two stages: (i) near the source region, where viscous terms are negligible, its speed is proportional to the reduced gravity wave speed and (ii) in the far field, where bottom drag becomes important and balances the pressure gradient, the velocity is proportional to Hc[g′/(LCd)]1/2 in which Hc is the water depth at the coast, g′ the reduced gravity, Cd the quadratic bottom drag coefficient, and L the along-shelf span of the baroclinic pressure gradient. The velocity scalings are verified using numerical and laboratory sensitivity experiments. The numerical simulations suggest that only 3%–23% of the dense water enters the coastal pathway, and the percentage depends highly on the ratio of the velocities of the offshore and coastal plumes. This makes the velocity ratio potentially useful for observational studies to assess the amount of dense water formed in coastal polynyas.
Laboratory experiments and observations of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies impinging on an island

(John Wiley & Sons, 2013-02-13) Andres, Magdalena ; Cenedese, Claudia

Laboratory experiments are conducted to investigate the interactions of self-propagating barotropic cyclones and baroclinic anticyclones with an island. Results are interpreted in the context of observations around Okinawa Island, Japan, where ubiquitous arrivals of cyclones and anticyclones on the southeastern side of the island influence the flow around it, thereby impacting both the Ryukyu Current's and the Kuroshio's transport. In the laboratory, baroclinic anticyclones generate a buoyant current that flows clockwise around an island whereas barotropic cyclones generate a counterclockwise current. In both cases, the interaction is governed by conservation of circulation Γ around the island, which establishes a balance between the dissipation along the island in contact with the eddy and the dissipation along the island in contact with the generated current. Laboratory results and scaling analysis suggest that the interaction between an anticyclone (cyclone) and Okinawa Island should result in an instantaneous increase (decrease) of the Ryukyu Current transport and a delayed increase (decrease) of the Kuroshio transport. The estimated delays are in good agreement with those obtained with field measurements suggesting that the dynamics at play in the laboratory may be relevant for the flow around Okinawa Island.
Nonlinear response of iceberg side melting to ocean currents

(John Wiley & Sons, 2017-06-12) FitzMaurice, Anna ; Cenedese, Claudia ; Straneo, Fiamma

Icebergs calving into Greenlandic Fjords frequently experience strongly sheared flows over their draft, but the impact of this flow past the iceberg is not fully captured by existing parameterizations. We present a series of novel laboratory experiments to determine the dependence of submarine melting along iceberg sides on a background flow. We show, for the first time, that two distinct regimes of melting exist depending on the flow magnitude and consequent behavior of melt plumes (side-attached or side-detached), with correspondingly different meltwater spreading characteristics. When this velocity dependence is included in melt parameterizations, melt rates estimated for observed icebergs in the attached regime increase, consistent with observed iceberg submarine melt rates. We show that both attached and detached plume regimes are relevant to icebergs observed in a Greenland fjord. Further, depending on the regime, iceberg meltwater may either be confined to a surface layer or distributed over the iceberg draft.
Entrainment in a dense current flowing down a rough sloping bottom in a rotating fluid

(American Meteorological Society, 2017-02-20) Ottolenghi, Luisa ; Cenedese, Claudia ; Adduce, Claudia

Dense oceanic overflows descend over the rough topography of the continental slope entraining and mixing with surrounding waters. The associated dilution dictates the fate of these currents and thus is of fundamental importance to the formation of deep water masses. The entrainment in a dense current flowing down a sloping bottom in a rotating homogeneous fluid is investigated using laboratory experiments, focusing on the influence of the bottom roughness on the flow dynamics. The roughness is idealized by an array of vertical rigid cylinders and both their spacing and height are varied as well as the inclination of the sloping bottom. The presence of the roughness is generally observed to decelerate the dense current, with a consequent reduction of the Froude number, when compared to the smooth bottom configuration. However, the dilution of the dense current due to mixing with the ambient fluid is enhanced by the roughness elements, especially for low Froude numbers. When the entrainment due to shear instability at the interface between the dense current and the ambient fluid is low, the additional turbulence and mixing arising at the bottom of the dense current due to the roughness elements strongly affects the dilution of the current. Finally, a strong dependence of the entrainment parameter on the Reynolds number is observed.
Offshore transport of shelf waters through interaction of vortices with a shelfbreak current

(American Meteorological Society, 2013-05) Cenedese, Claudia ; Todd, Robert E. ; Gawarkiewicz, Glen G. ; Owens, W. Brechner ; Shcherbina, Andrey Y.

Interactions between vortices and a shelfbreak current are investigated, with particular attention to the exchange of waters between the continental shelf and slope. The nonlinear, three-dimensional interaction between an anticyclonic vortex and the shelfbreak current is studied in the laboratory while varying the ratio ε of the maximum azimuthal velocity in the vortex to the maximum alongshelf velocity in the shelfbreak current. Strong interactions between the shelfbreak current and the vortex are observed when ε > 1; weak interactions are found when ε < 1. When the anticyclonic vortex comes in contact with the shelfbreak front during a strong interaction, a streamer of shelf water is drawn offshore and wraps anticyclonically around the vortex. Measurements of the offshore transport and identification of the particle trajectories in the shelfbreak current drawn offshore from the vortex allow quantification of the fraction of the shelfbreak current that is deflected onto the slope; this fraction increases for increasing values of ε. Experimental results in the laboratory are strikingly similar to results obtained from observations in the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB); after proper scaling, measurements of offshore transport and offshore displacement of shelf water for vortices in the MAB that span a range of values of ε agree well with laboratory predictions.

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