Earth Fluids

Course Outline

 
Introduction
Strategies in the study of fluid physics
Units and mathematical conventions

Fluids and Porous Media as Continua
Mathematical and physical points
Representative elementary volume

Mechanical Properties of Fluids and Porous Media
Body and surface forces
Ideal versus real fluids
Fluid rheology
Compressibility
Surface tension

Thermodynamic Properties of Fluids
Specific heat
Heat conduction
Fluid phases
Equations of state
Thermodynamic state and the first law of thermodynamics
Isobaric and isothermal processes
Adiabatic processes
Compressibility and thermal expansion

Dimensional Analysis and Similitude
Dimensional homogeneity
Dimensional quantities
Buckingham pi theorem
Geometrical similitude
Dynamical similitude

Fluid Statics and Buoyancy
Static pressure
Equation of fluid statics
Hypsometric equations
Buoyancy

Fluid Kinematics
Qualitative descriptions of motion
Substantive derivative

Conservation of Mass
Continuity in Cartesian coordinates
Continuity of solutes
Continuity in large control volumes

Conservation of Energy
Energy equation
Hubbert's potential

Inviscid Flows
Euler's equations
Bernoulli's equation

Vorticity and Fluid Strain
Flow with rotation
Vorticity
Fluid strain

Viscous Flows
Viscous forces
Newtonian fluids
Non-Newtonian fluids

Turbulent Flows
Onset of turbulence
Time-averaged velocities and pressures
Reynolds stresses
Time-averaged continuity and Navier-Stokes equations

Turbulent Boundary-Layer Shear Flows
Turbulent boundary-layer development
Prandtl's mixing-length hypothesis
Mixing length and eddy viscosity
Logarithmic velocity law

Buoyancy Driven Flows


For more information, please contact .