Aspects of gravity-driven flows

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Gravity or density-driven currents are ubiquitous in nature and human activities. They can be seen as the driving mechanism for powder snow avalanches, pyroclastic flows from volcanoes, turbidity currents in the oceans, oil spills on lakes and oceans, thermal bars in dimictic lakes, sea breeze fronts, and dense gas releases. They are implicated in the formation of the turbidites that act as oil reservoirs to be found on the abyssal plains of most of the earth's oceans and so an understanding of their role in the initiation of turbidite formation can provide an aid to the location of this valuable natural resource. Buoyancy forces drive the spread of oil spills and these forces can be increased through the absorption of solar radiation. The study of thermal enhancement of surface gravity flows such as oil slicks is thus crucial to the prediction of spread rates and so containment of these potential disasters.Our research will be focused on the many aspects of gravity driven flows with a view to understanding their initiation,the factors that control their spread rates, and their ability to transport material. Our approach will use a combination of analytical, numerical, and experimental methods.