Mixing layers and coherent structures in vegetated aquatic flows

To date, flow through submerged aquatic vegetation has largely been viewed as perturbed boundary layer flow, with vegetative drag treated as an extension of bed drag. However, recent studies of terrestrial canopies demonstrate that the flow structure within and just above an unconfined canopy more strongly resembles a mixing layer than a boundary layer. This paper presents laboratory measurements, obtained from a scaled seagrass model, that demonstrate the applicability of the mixing layer analogy to aquatic systems. Specifically, all vertical profiles of mean velocity contained an inflection point, which makes the flow susceptible to Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability. This instability leads to the generation of…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• MI
  Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• UO
  University of Cambridge