Entrainment in lock-release gravity currents propagating up a slope

The dynamics of lock-release gravity currents flowing up a sloping bottom are investigated by laboratory experiments. Several experiments were conducted by varying both the inclination of the bottom and the depth ratio between the dense and the ambient fluid. The dynamics of the interaction was analysed and two flow regimes were discussed depending on the slope of the bottom. The density fields highlight the presence of a backward flow which, for steep upslopes, is composed by part of the current reflected by the inclined bottom acting as an obstacle to the flow. Finally, the entrainment of ambient fluid within the dense current is evaluated and its dependency on the inclination of the bottom is discussed