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Incompressible mass conservation in a moving gap givesCombined with the local Couette-Poiseuille flux, this is the Reynolds lubrication equation.

For a thin gap $h$ with tangential wall velocities ${\mathbf{v}}_0,{\mathbf{v}}_h$, lubrication theory and the no-slip boundary condition give the integrated volume fluxConservation of mass gives $h_t+{\nabla }_{\parallel }\cdot \mathbf{q}=0$. This is the Reynolds equation; it determines the lubrication pressure from wall motion and gap geometry.

In the translating-cylinder frame, a wall moves at $-U$ and the nearby cylinder surface at $W$. With gap $d+x^2/(2a)$ and equal outer pressures, lubrication theory gives the displayed forces with $J_1=\pi \sqrt{2a/d}$. Wall and cylinder shear forces alone do not balance because the sloping cylinder's pressure force is of the same order. Their complete sum is zero. Pressure exerts no moment about the circular cylinder center, while shear supplies the leading singular rotational resistance.

A thin dense gravity current on a rigid no-slip substrate can be carried downstream by imposed upper shear stress $\tau$. For density contrast $\Delta \rho$, lubrication theory gives $\mathbf{q}=A{h}^2{\mathbf{e}}_x-D{h}^3\nabla h$, where $A=\tau /(2\mu )$ and $D=\Delta \rho g/(3\mu )$. The continuity equation gives the displayed equation. Besides small slopes and reduced inertia, the hydrostatic reduction requires $\tau /(\Delta \rho gL)\ll 1$ to keep shear-related normal stress small. Finite zero-thickness fronts are formal outer profiles and need a separate local description when their slopes are large.

If a draining gravity current is supplied with volume flux proportional to $t^{\alpha }$, a first-kind similarity solution hasprovidedThese relations follow by balancing the time derivative, horizontal lubrication theory flux, vertical drainage, and imposed inlet flux.

For a gravity-current nose of height $h_N$ on a small incline of slope $\theta$, the travelling front of a gravity-driven thin film satisfies $h_y=\theta (1-h_N^2/h^2)$. Close to its dry tip, $h\sim (-3\theta h_N^{2}y{)}^{1/3}$. The slope becomes order one at $h\sim \sqrt{\theta }{h}_N$, giving an $O(\sqrt{\theta }{h}_N)$ region where lubrication theory fails. The main nose length is $h_N/\theta$. Comparing capillary pressure gradients $\gamma h_N/(h_N/\theta {)}^3$ with gravitational forcing $\rho g\theta$ gives the crossover $h_N\sim \theta \sqrt{\gamma /(\rho g)}$. This concerns the main nose length; capillarity may already matter in a much smaller tip region.

For a no-slip planar liquid film with an insoluble surfactant, lubrication theory gives $q=-h^3{p}_x/(3\mu )+h^2{\gamma }_x/(2\mu )$ and surface velocity $u_s=-h^2{p}_x/(2\mu )+h{\gamma }_x/\mu$. Mass conservation and conservation of insoluble surfactant on a moving interface give $h_t+q_x=0$ and $C_t+(C{u}_s{)}_x=0$. With $\gamma ={\gamma }_0-AC$ and small slopes, $p_x=\rho g{h}_x-(\gamma h_{xx}{)}_x$. The different coefficients in $q$ and $u_s$ are essential: Marangoni stress and hydrostatic return flow transport fluid and surfactant differently.

Let $x$ be slant distance from an upward apex, and let the surface slope down at angle $\alpha$ to the horizontal. Axisymmetric lubrication theory givesFor conserved volume $V$ and $x_N^3\gg V/\sin \alpha$, the leading similarity solution has $h=\sqrt{x/(5K\sin \alpha t)}$ in $0<x<x_N$, withThe outer front is a discontinuity in this reduced conservation law; the hydrostatic-gradient term and the full local flow resolve the front and apex regions where the outer approximation fails.

A fluid advancing under an elastic plate can be resisted mainly by lubrication theory flow near its front. For front gap $h_f$ and peeling length $l_p$, the elastic pressure gradient is of order $B{h}_f/l_p^5$, while the gap volume flux is of order $B{h}_f^4/(\mu l_p^5)$. Mass balance therefore gives peeling speed $U_p\sim B{h}_f^3/(\mu l_p^5)$.