# The long-term circulation driven by density currents in a two-layer stratified basin

@article{Wells2007TheLC,
title={The long-term circulation driven by density currents in a two-layer stratified basin},
author={Mathew G. Wells and John S. Wettlaufer},
journal={Journal of Fluid Mechanics},
year={2007},
volume={572},
pages={37 - 58}
}
• Published 23 January 2007
• Environmental Science
• Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Experimentation and theory are used to study the long-term dynamics of a two-dimensional density current flowing into a two-layer stratified basin. When the initial Richardson number, $\hbox{\it Ri}_{\rho}^{\hbox{\scriptsize\it in}}$, characterizing the ratio of the background stratification to the buoyancy flux of the density current, is less than the critical value of $\hbox{\it Ri}_{\rho}^{*} \,{=}\, 21-27$, it is found that the density current penetrates the stratified interface. This…

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