A Guided Tour Through Buoyancy Driven Flows and Mixing
Résumé
The major source of energy for fluid motion on the earth surface is the thermal heating by the sun, leading to temperature differences in the atmosphere and the ocean. These temperature difference and differences of other fluid properties (as e.g. salinity, humidity, particles, ...) lead to differences in density which generate fluid motion when subject to the gravitational force. In the interior of our planet the motion of the magma is also generated by density differences.
the same is true for the dynamics of the sun. Although the resulting fluid motion is influenced by a variety of processes
as the interaction with the boundaries, the rotation of the earth and others, the primary source of the fluid motion are density differences. The same is true for other planets and the stars in the universe.
At smaller scale, the buoyancy force lets rivers flow downslope rise (descend) hot (cold) air along mountain slopes
generate waves within the atmosphere, the ocean and at their interface.
Buoyancy driven flows are also key in many engineering applications and the heating and circulation of air in
houses. This guided tour is inspired by the book ``Buoyancy Effects in Fluids'' by J.S. Turner.
In this guided tour I try to present the subject: ``as simple as possible, but not simpler''