Numerical simulations of subaqueous bipartite gravity flows

Large mass gravity flows are characterized by bipartite flows: a basal very dense laminar flow having Bingham fluid characteristics and an overlaying turbulent flow. In a first phase the turbulent flow is generated and dragged by the basal dense flow, then it continues to flow independently over very long distances after the basal flow has come to rest. The physical modelling of such complex phenomenon has been approached with the development of two coupled models, one for the basal dense flow, the other for the turbulent flow. The present paper briefly describes the coupled models and illustrates the results of their application to simulate outcropping ancient events.