The Dynamics of Flow on a Submarine Ridge

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Abstract
The equations of motion are developed in a form appropriate to flow parallel to a uniformly sloping bottom. Some cases of two-layer flow are considered in which the flow is concentrated in the lower layer, as in the overflow over a submarine ridge. Whereas in the absence of friction such currents would tend to follow the contours of the bottom, the effect of bottom friction is to deflect the current to the downslope side of the contours. Numerical solutions show that in some cases the angle of deflection might be as large as 30°, but in most circumstances it is probably less, of the order of 5° or 10°. An indication is given of how the theory may be applied to the case of density varying continuously with depth, as in a real ocean. Some general conclusions, which are relevant to the interpretation of observational data, are drawn. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1960.tb01328.x

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