SOME FEATURES OF TURBULENT
DIFFUSION FROM A CONTINUOUS
SOURCE AT SEA
K. F. BOWDEN, D. P. KRAUEL,' AND R. E. LEWIS~
Oceunoyruphy Department. University of Liverpod, Liverpool. England
1. INTRODUCTION
The problem considered in this investigation is the dispersion which
occurs in flow from a fixed source into a current of water, such as a tidal
stream. In these conditions lateral and vertical eddy diffusion give rise to the
formation of a plume. The properties of plumes arising from discharges into
the atmosphere have +n studied quite extensively and the results of these
studies are applicable to some extent to plumes in fresh water or the sea.
However, there are significant dinerenas, one of which is the greater ratio of
the'lateral to vertical extent of the plume in water.
Dispersion in inland bodies of water was investigated in a comprehensive
series of dye plume experiments in the Great Lakes (Csanady, 1970; Murthy,
1972). The conditions of flow in hkes dfler from those in the sea mainly in
the relative weakness of the currents, compared with the tidal streams in
many coastal areas. Comparatively few observations of dye plumes from
continuous sources have been made in the sea, although many experiments
on instantaneous discharges have been carried out. Among the continuous
release experiments which have been reported are those of Reinert (1965)
in Long Island Sound and of Karabashev and Omidov (1965) in the Black
Sea. Foxworthy (1968) and Foxworthy and Kneeling (1969) have given the
results of several plume experiments, as well as a number of instantaneous
releases, off the coast of southern California, where the conditions were
characterised by high stability and weak currents.
2. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
The experiments which provided the data for this paper were carried out
in several areas of the Irish Sea, where the tidal currents had an amplitude of
the order of 50- 100 cm/sec, and in the Holy Loch, an inlet off the Firth of
' Presrnr uddress: Aedford Institute of Otxanography. Dartmouth, Nova Scatia, Canada.
' Prcsent ui/dre.s.\ : 1.C.I. Brixhnm Laboratory, Devon. England.
315
DIFFUSION FROM A CONTINUOUS
SOURCE AT SEA
K. F. BOWDEN, D. P. KRAUEL,' AND R. E. LEWIS~
Oceunoyruphy Department. University of Liverpod, Liverpool. England
1. INTRODUCTION
The problem considered in this investigation is the dispersion which
occurs in flow from a fixed source into a current of water, such as a tidal
stream. In these conditions lateral and vertical eddy diffusion give rise to the
formation of a plume. The properties of plumes arising from discharges into
the atmosphere have +n studied quite extensively and the results of these
studies are applicable to some extent to plumes in fresh water or the sea.
However, there are significant dinerenas, one of which is the greater ratio of
the'lateral to vertical extent of the plume in water.
Dispersion in inland bodies of water was investigated in a comprehensive
series of dye plume experiments in the Great Lakes (Csanady, 1970; Murthy,
1972). The conditions of flow in hkes dfler from those in the sea mainly in
the relative weakness of the currents, compared with the tidal streams in
many coastal areas. Comparatively few observations of dye plumes from
continuous sources have been made in the sea, although many experiments
on instantaneous discharges have been carried out. Among the continuous
release experiments which have been reported are those of Reinert (1965)
in Long Island Sound and of Karabashev and Omidov (1965) in the Black
Sea. Foxworthy (1968) and Foxworthy and Kneeling (1969) have given the
results of several plume experiments, as well as a number of instantaneous
releases, off the coast of southern California, where the conditions were
characterised by high stability and weak currents.
2. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
The experiments which provided the data for this paper were carried out
in several areas of the Irish Sea, where the tidal currents had an amplitude of
the order of 50- 100 cm/sec, and in the Holy Loch, an inlet off the Firth of
' Presrnr uddress: Aedford Institute of Otxanography. Dartmouth, Nova Scatia, Canada.
' Prcsent ui/dre.s.\ : 1.C.I. Brixhnm Laboratory, Devon. England.
315