Abstract
In this paper, the flow dynamics of three-dimensional thermals is invesigated experimentally and theoretically. The variations of the maximum height, the maxiumum width and the speed of the three-dimentional thermals are measured by the experiment. It is shown that the non-dimensional height and speed are both dependent on the non-dimensional time. Next, the fundamental equations are developed for the three-dimensional inclined thermals. The theory consists of the equations of the mass concervations of water and salinity in the thermal, the momentum equation, and the equation of the thermal width. The numerical integral of the basic equations described well the experimental results of the height and the speed of the inclined thermals.
