Entrainment in bottom gravity currents over complex topography from three-dimensional nonhydrostatic simulations

Abstract

By recognizing that oceanic overflows follow the seafloor morphology, which shows a self-similar structure at spatial scales ranging from 100 km to 1 m, the impact of topographic bumps on entrainment in gravity currents is investigated using a 3D nonhydrostatic spectral element model. It is found that a bumpy surface can lead to a significant enhancement of entrainment compared to a smooth surface. The change in entrainment is parameterized as a function of statistical estimates of the amplitude and wavenumber parameters of bumps with respect to the background slope. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.