Double diffusion in the mode of “salt fingers” in the ocean: New in methodology of laboratory studies

Studying of convective processes regularities, occurred under different physical and geographical conditions of World Ocean, is a traditional problem of physical oceanology. The laboratory experiments, which allow simulating the real physical processes of various scales-being one of conventional methods of the ocean physics investigations. The aim of this work is the creation of physical-mathematical model for heat- and mass-exchange in self-organizing structure of “salt fingers”. The similar processes are characteristic for thin thermohaline structures formed in the ocean by the double diffusion. Experiments with model solutions (NaCl) and natural seawater were performed. The process of development of convective motion in two-layer nonstable system was initiated by double diffusion in the bath experiment. To measure the parameters of the process the special automatic installation with the thermoprobe was designed and used, that allows to obtain good spatial-temporary resolution for the temperature. Dynamics (in time and space) and parameters of the 3-dimension complicated structure were studied. The fluxes of heat and salt between the structural elements were determined and compared with theoretical calculations. The experimental and theoretical results are discussed