Abstract
An upwind wedge-shaped intermediate layer between upper mixed and lower undisturbed layers, which was formed in a wind induced two-layered flow, was studied theoretically and experimentally.
Assuming the wedge as a mass body, equations governing for the wedge depth at the upwind end and the wedge density were lead from the two-dimensional volume and mass conservation equations.
The parameters which were related to the geometric configurations, density, expansion and contraction velocities and entrainment from the wedge to the mixing layers, were investigated by using experimental data.
The scale of the wedge formation was dependent on the overall Richardson numeber. The wedge density increased exponentially with time. In a growing state of the wedge formation the entrainment rate from the wedge to the mixing layer was much smaller than in a quasi-steady state.
