Surface wrinkling of a channelized flow

Abstract

We consider an inclined rectangular duct of constant cross-section conveying viscous fluid and covered by an elastic plate. The fluid is described by the Stokes equations and the plate by the Föppl–von Kármán equations. The equations admit an equilibrium solution in which the plate is flat and fluid flows underneath due to gravity. This base flow induces a varying traction across the plate, which can lead to out-of-plane buckling due to the associated in-plane shear. Linear stability analysis demonstrates that buckling occurs for sufficiently thin plates on steep slopes and deep channels. The most unstable modes take the form of either symmetric or antisymmetric downslope-directed chevron patterns that travel downstream at a fraction of the average speed of the base flow. An analogous analysis shows that similar buckling also occurs if the elastic plate is replaced by a thin skin of very viscous fluid. Our description provides a simple model for the formation of ropy pahoehoe lava.