A buoyant thermal is a localized rising volume of fluid whose <mass density> is lower than its surroundings. It can form the head of a <starting plume>. A spherical mixed thermal of radius $R$ has volume $V=4\pi R^3/3$ and <reduced gravity> $g_t=g(\rho_0-\rho_t)/\rho_0$ in the <Boussinesq approximation>.


Buoyant thermal

A starting plume is the unsteady flow formed when a maintained <buoyancy flux> first begins. An idealized model joins a steady <pure plume> below its growing head to a <buoyant thermal> above. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112062000762[Turner's original starting-plume study] develops this plume-and-thermal description.


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 Incoming links: Starting plume