Geophysical and planetary flows in stratified media exhibit stratified turbulence that give rise to a variety of flow phenomena spanning a range of spatial scales from the Kolmogorov to planetary scales. Stratified turbulence significantly influences the flow dynamics on various temporal scales via complex nonlinear interactions, which continue to be challenging to understand, diagnose, and quantify from both theory and numerics. This understanding is fundamental to advance our knowledge of turbulent flow dynamics, and a prerequisite for improved turbulent closures and parameterizations for robust predictions of weather and climate.
Gravity-driven flows, driven by density differences, due to temperature (e.g. katabatic winds) and/or salinity (e.g. density currents) differences, and/or the presence of particles (e.g. snow avalanches, debris-flows turbidites, pyroclastic flows) are an ubiquitous geophysical phenomenon involving stratified turbulent effects. These effects are coupled with entrainment, particle–fluid interactions, non-Newtonian rheologies, and interactions with ambient stratified environments. Although occurring in various planetary environments and similar physical processes governing their dynamics, a universal description of gravity-driven flows remains elusive, as the feedback on the aforementioned flow processes is particularly difficult to predict.
This session aims to bring together the recent advancements in stratified turbulence and gravity-driven flows in geophysical, planetary, and astrophysical flows. We welcome fundamental and applied contributions from theoretical, numerical, and modelling perspectives, as well as complementary approaches based on field observations, laboratory and analogue experiments, and numerical simulations (including data-driven and IA-based methods). Topics include, but are not limited to:
— turbulent fluxes and transports; turbulent decay, mixing, and dissipation
— stable atmospheric boundary layer flows and intermittent turbulence
— wave turbulence and wave-vortex dynamics in various turbulent regimes
— turbulence in weakly and strongly stratified flows and stratified shear flows
— snow avalanches, dust storms, landslides, turbidity currents
— river, volcanic and oceanic plumes, mud, debris and pyroclastic flows
— katabatic winds, oceanic density currents
We particularly encourage participation from early career researchers.