Comparison of Flow Characteristics Between Conservative 2-D Inclined Thermals and The Front of Inclined Starting Plumes

Abstract

Miscible conservative two-dimensional gravity currents traveling downslope, namely, inclined starting plumes and inclined thermals, are investigated in the laboratory, emphasizing on differences and similarities in flow characteristics of the flows. Using a large volume of experimental data, such gross flow properties as the dimensionless propagation speeds, the spatial growth rates, the shape factors, and the entrainment functions are quatified for the bottom slope angles ranging from 5° to 90°. The study is directed toward the comparison of entrainment functions of the flows.