Quasi-steady circulation regimes in the Baltic Sea

Circulation plays an essential role in the creation of physical and biogeochemical fluxes in the Baltic Sea. The main aim of the work was to study the quasi-steady circulation patterns under prevailing forcing conditions. Six months of continuous vertical profiling and fixed-point measurements of currents, two monthly underwater glider surveys, and numerical modelling were applied in the central Baltic Sea. The vertical structure of currents was strongly linked to the location of the two pycnoclines: the seasonal thermocline and the halocline. The vertical movements of pycnoclines and velocity shear maxima were synchronous. The quasi-steady circulation patterns were in geostrophic balance and high-persistent. The persistent patterns included circulation features such as upwelling, downwelling, boundary current, and sub-halocline gravity current. The patterns had a prevailing zonal scale of 5–60 km and considerably higher magnitude and different direction than the long-term mean circulation pattern. Northward (southward) geostrophic boundary current in the upper layer was observed along the eastern coast of the central Baltic in the case of southwesterly (northerly) wind. The geostrophic current at the boundary was often a consequence of wind-driven, across-shore advection. The sub-halocline quasi-permanent gravity current with a width of 10–30 km from the Gotland Deep to the north over the narrow sill separating the Farö Deep and Northern Deep was detected in the simulation, and it was confirmed by an Argo float trajectory. According to the simulation, a strong flow, mostly to the north, with a zonal scale of 5 km occurred at the sill. This current is an important deeper limb of the overturning circulation of the Baltic Sea. The current is stronger with northerly winds and restricted by the southwesterly winds. The circulation regime has an annual cycle due to seasonality in the forcing. Boundary currents are stronger and more frequently northward during the winter period. The sub-halocline current towards the north is strongest in March–May and weakest in November–December.

On the interaction between oncoming internal waves and a dense gravity current in a two-layer stratification

A series of laboratory experiments was conducted to investigate the dynamics of a dense gravity current flowing down an inclined slope into a two-layer stratification in the presence of oncoming internal interfacial waves. The experiment is set up such that the gravity current propagates towards a wave maker emitting interfacial waves such that the current and waves propagate in opposite directions. The results were compared with the case of gravity current without oncoming waves. The gravity current splits into a portion that inserts itself into the pycnocline as an interflow and another that propagates down the slope as an underflow, with the proportionality depending on the characteristics of the gravity current and the oncoming waves when they are present. The interflow is shown to arise from a combination of detrainment and the preferential insertion of fluid with density greater than the upper layer and less than lower layer along the pycnocline. The mass flux of the interflow is observed to be reduced by the oncoming waves, as waves act to decrease the interflow velocity. The internal waves also increase the path length that the interflow must travel. A combination of reduced velocities and increased path length explains the observed reduction in cumulative flux. The trend of the final cumulative flux is consistent with the mass change observed by comparing density profiles obtained before and after the experiment.

The fate of continuous input of relatively heavy fluid at the base of a porous medium

We evaluate theoretically and confirm experimentally the shape of the fluid envelope resulting from the input of relatively heavy fluid at a constant rate from a point source at the base of a homogeneous porous medium. In three dimensions an initially expanding hemisphere transitions into a gravity current flowing over the assumed rigid, horizontal and impermeable bottom of the porous medium. A range of increasing transition times occurs if defined by extrapolation of the relationships in the two extreme regimes (hemispherical shape and thin-layer gravity current) so that they intersect, for: the ratio of buoyancy to fluid resistance; the horizontal extent of the fluid; the ratio of height at the centre to the radius; and just the height at the centre. Corresponding results are derived for two-dimensional geometries. In this case, we conduct a series of laboratory experiments demonstrating the transition between the radial and gravity current regimes both in terms of form and propagation rate. The results are extrapolated briefly to two-layer systems, in order to begin to understand effects due to vertically heterogeneous pore structures. We sketch, and verify by experiment, that an expanding hemisphere in a lower layer can reach a much more permeable upper layer and flow through it as a gravity current, thereby uniting the two regimes.

Leakage dynamics of fault zones: experimental and analytical study with application to CO2 storage

Fault zones have the potential to act as leakage pathways through low permeability structural seals in geological reservoirs. Faults may facilitate migration of groundwater contaminants and stored anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO $_2$ ), where the waste fluids would otherwise remain securely trapped. We present an analytical model that describes the dynamics of leakage through a fault zone cutting multiple aquifers and seals. Current analytical models for a buoyant plume in a semi-infinite porous media are combined with models for a leaking gravity current and a new model motivated by experimental observation, to account for increased pressure gradients within the fault due to an increase in Darcy velocity directly above the fault. In contrast to previous analytical fault models, we verify our results using a series of analogous porous medium tank experiments, with good matching of observed leakage rates and fluid distribution. We demonstrate the utility of the model for the assessment of CO $_2$ storage security, by application to a naturally occurring CO $_2$ reservoir, showing the dependence of the leakage rates and fluid distribution on the fault/aquifer permeability contrast. The framework developed within this study can be used for quick assessment of fluid leakage through fault zones, given a set of input parameters relating to properties of the fault, aquifer and fluids, and can be incorporated into basin-scale models to improve computational efficiency. The results show the utility of using analytical methods and reduced-order modelling in complex geological systems, as well as the value of laboratory porous medium experiments to verify results.

Internal Bore Evolution Across the Shelf Near Pt. Sal CA interpreted as a Gravity Current

Off the central California coast near Pt. Sal, a large amplitude internal bore was observed for 20 h over 10 km cross-shore, or 100 m to 10 m water depth (D), and 30 km alongcoast by remote sensing, 39 in situ moorings, ship surveys, and drifters. The bore is associated with steep isotherm displacements representing a significant fraction of D. Observations were used to estimate bore arrival time tB, thickness h, and bore and non-bore (ambient) temperature difference ΔT, leading to reduced gravity g′. Bore speeds c, estimated from mapped tB, varied from 0.25 m s−1 to 0.1 m s−1 from D = 50 m to D = 10 m. The h varied from 5 to 35 m, generally decreased with D, and varied regionally alongisobath. The bore ΔT varied from 0.75 to 2.15 °C. Bore evolution was interpreted from the perspective of a two-layer gravity current. Gravity current speeds U, estimated from the local bore h and g− compared well to observed bore speeds throughout its cross-shore propagation. Linear internal wave speeds based on various stratification estimates result in larger errors. On average bore thickness h = D/2, with regional variation, suggesting energy saturation. From 50–10 m depths, observed bore speeds compared well to saturated gravity current speeds and energetics that depend only on water depth and shelf-wide mean g′. This suggests that this internal bore is the internal wave analogue to a saturated surfzone surface gravity bore. Alongcoast variations in pre-bore stratification explain variations in bore properties. Near Pt. Sal, bore Doppler shifting by barotropic currents is observed.

On symmetric intrusions in a linearly stratified ambient: a revisit of Benjamin's steady-state propagation results

Previous studies have extended Benjamin's theory for an inertial steady-state gravity current of density $\rho _{c}$ in a homogeneous ambient fluid of density $\rho _{o} < \rho _{c}$ to the counterpart propagation in a linearly stratified (Boussinesq) ambient (density decreases from $\rho _b$ to $\rho _{o}$ ). The extension is typified by the parameter $S = (\rho _{b}-\rho _{o})/(\rho _{c}-\rho _{o}) \in (0,1]$ , uses Long's solution for the flow over a topography to model the flow of the ambient over the gravity current, and reduces well to the classical theory for small and moderate values of $S$ . However, for $S=1$ , i.e. $\rho _b = \rho _c$ , which corresponds to a symmetric intrusion, various idiosyncrasies appear. Here attention is focused on this case. The control-volume analysis (balance of volume, mass, momentum and vorticity) produces a fairly compact analytical formulation, pending a closure for the head loss, and subject to stability criteria (no inverse stratification downstream). However, we show that plausible closures that work well for the non-stratified current (like zero head loss on the stagnation line, or zero vorticity diffusion) do not produce satisfactory results for the intrusion (except for some small ranges of the height ratio of current to channel, $a = h/H$ ). The reasons and insights are discussed. Accurate data needed for comparison with the theoretical model are scarce, and a message of this paper is that dedicated experiments and simulations are needed for the clarification and improvement of the theory.

Lifecycle of a Submesoscale Front Birthed from a Nearshore Internal Bore

The ocean is home to many different submesoscale phenomena, including internal waves, fronts, and gravity currents. Each of these processes entail complex nonlinear dynamics, even in isolation. Here we present shipboard, moored, and remote observations of a submesoscale gravity current front created by a shoaling internal tidal bore in the coastal ocean. The internal bore is observed to flatten as it shoals, leaving behind a gravity current front that propagates significantly slower than the bore. We posit that the generation and separation of the front from the bore is related to particular stratification ahead of the bore, which allows the bore to reach the maximum possible internal wave speed. After the front is calved from the bore, it is observed to propagate as a gravity current for ≈4 hours, with associated elevated turbulent dissipation rates. A strong cross-shore gradient of along-shore velocity creates enhanced vertical vorticity (Rossby number ≈ 40) that remains locked with the front. Lateral shear instabilities develop along the front and may hasten its demise.