The dynamics of bi-directional exchange flows

Laboratory experiments on uni and bi-directional exchange flows have been conducted at the CNRS Coriolis Rotating Platform at LEGI. Both rotating and non-rotating experiments were performed in a trapezoidal cross section channel and different configurations were considered by varying both the upper fresh water volume fluxes and the channel rotation rates. Detailed 2D velocity fields were measured by Particle Image Velocimetry in different vertical planes spanning the width of the channel. Results show that as the rotation rate increases, the tilt of the interface between lower salty and upper fresh water flow increases, generating a meandering pattern within the salty layer along the trapezoidal channel.