51cg

We will present an overview of high-resolution, Navier-Stokes based simulations of gravity/turbidity currents and river outflows. The turbidity currents we consider are driven by particles that have negligible inertia and are much smaller than the smallest length scales of the buoyancy-induced fluid motion. For the mathematical description of the particulate phase an Eulerian approach is employed, with a transport equation for the particle-number density. The governing equations are integrated numerically with high-order techniques.

We will discuss differences between two- and three-dimensional turbidity current dynamics, along with effects due to complex topography and background stratification. Results will be shown for the unsteady interaction of a gravity current with a submarine structure, such as a pipeline. Furthermore, we will discuss the linear stability problem of channel and sediment wave formation by turbidity currents.