Modeling Gravity and Turbidity Currents: Computational Approaches and Challenges

In this review article, we discuss recent progress with regard to modeling gravity-driven, high Reynolds number currents, with the emphasis on depth-resolving, high-resolution simulations. The initial sections describe new developments in the conceptual modeling of such currents for the purpose of identifying the Froude number-current height relationship, in the spirit of the pioneering work by von Karman and Benjamin. A brief introduction to depth-averaged approaches follows, including box models and shallow water equations. Subsequently, we provide a detailed review of depth-resolving modeling strategies, including direct numerical simulations (DNS), large-eddy simulations (LES), and Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations. The strengths and challenges associated with these respective approaches are discussed by highlighting representative computational results obtained in recent years.