Author(s): E. Dureuil; L. Gostiaux; N. Rivière; E. Mignot; P. Boyer; J. Le Coz
Linked Author(s): Jérôme Le Coz
Keywords: River confluence; Buoyancy; Gravity current; Lateral mixing
Abstract: The hydrodynamics of water masses at river confluences is sensitive to several parameters (Cheng & Constantinescu, 2022): velocity differences between the tributaries (horizontal shear), angle between the tributaries, complex bathymetry, curvature and bottom friction. In addition, a density difference between the affluent waters will induce buoyancy effects that must also be taken into account to properly model the lateral spreading of water masses (Pouchoulin et al., 2020). These density differences are often present in natural confluences due to seasonal temperature or suspended sediment concentration variation of the tributaries. Also, in the case of open circuit water cooling used by nuclear power plants, where the release of warmer water into the main river can be considered as an artificial confluence, a precise modeling of the lateral dispersion of the outflow in the environment is crucial for resource exploitation and environmental safety.
Year: 2025