The thermal bar

Abstract

A simple theoretical model of the thermal bar is derived on the basis of heat budget equations for the following three zones of a wedge-shaped water basin warmed from above: (i) stably stratified shallow warm-water zone; (ii) vicinity of the bar; (iii) convectively mixed deep cold zone. In contrast to the traditional approach, advective warming of the vicinity of the bar and associated facilitating of the thermal bar propagation are taken into account. Theoretical predictions are compared with the data of lacustrine and laboratory measurements taken from current literature. New laboratory experiments have been carried out to examine the laminar regime of the thermal bar.