Work

Numerical Study of the Transport Process of Shallow Heat Carried by Turbidity Currents in Deep‐Sea Environments

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Turbidity currents often originate from relatively high‐temperature water bodies near the coast of the upper continental shelf. Turbidity currents are the main carriers that transport land sediments to the deep sea. Their impact on heat exchange and material transport in the deep‐sea ecosystem is receiving more attention. However, presently, there are few studies on heat transport by turbidity currents. This article presents a coupled model of multiphase flow and heat transfer through laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. The effects of sediment particle size, density, and Froude number on the characteristics of turbidity current heat transfer are analyzed, and the heat flux carried by turbidity currents transporting upper‐layer heat into the deep sea is reproduced. The results indicate that turbidity currents are carriers of shallow heat into the deep sea. The temperature structure within turbidity currents follows a Gaussian function and can effectively preserve heat. The efficiency of the long‐distance transport of heat carried by turbidity currents is negatively correlated with sediment particle size and the velocity of turbidity currents, and positively correlated with sediment concentration. Turbidity current heat shock events in the future may have significant and far‐reaching impacts on deep‐sea ecosystems.

Source: Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans

DOI: 10.1029/2022jc019478

Authors: Hao Tian, Yupeng Ren, Zhiyuan Chen, Wei Tao, Hanru Wu, Guohui Xu

Institutions: Ocean University of China, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Geological formations and processes

Subfield: Earth-Surface Processes

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life below water, Climate action

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,700