Presentation
Turbulent Strata
SessionArt of HPC Gallery
DescriptionWe here visualize a snapshot in time from one of the largest numerical simulations of stratified turbulence performed to date, generated by directly simulating the Navier–Stokes equations on the Frontier supercomputer (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) through an INCITE award. Stratified turbulence refers to chaotic motion arising in a fluid of variable density, where buoyancy forces strongly influence the flow dynamics. This type of turbulence plays a central role in a variety of natural and industrial processes, such as influencing the dispersion of heat and pollutants in the ocean and atmosphere, but remains poorly understood due to the vast range of interacting length scales that must be resolved.
A zoomed-in vertical slice of the 6 trillion grid point simulation is shown here, yielding unprecedented resolution into the rich variety of flow structures underpinning the turbulence. Energy is injected at large scales to drive the turbulence, which cascades down through progressively smaller structures until eventually being dissipated by viscosity. The colors in the visualization show perturbations to the fluid’s density relative to the stable background gradient: red and blue indicate lighter and denser fluid, respectively.
This simulation is one of the first to fully resolve stratified turbulence at high Prandtl number, meaning that momentum diffuses significantly faster than density, as is characteristic of ocean flows. A challenge in simulating high Prandtl flows is that the density field develops extremely fine structures that require immense resolution to capture, necessitating the use of Frontier.
A zoomed-in vertical slice of the 6 trillion grid point simulation is shown here, yielding unprecedented resolution into the rich variety of flow structures underpinning the turbulence. Energy is injected at large scales to drive the turbulence, which cascades down through progressively smaller structures until eventually being dissipated by viscosity. The colors in the visualization show perturbations to the fluid’s density relative to the stable background gradient: red and blue indicate lighter and denser fluid, respectively.
This simulation is one of the first to fully resolve stratified turbulence at high Prandtl number, meaning that momentum diffuses significantly faster than density, as is characteristic of ocean flows. A challenge in simulating high Prandtl flows is that the density field develops extremely fine structures that require immense resolution to capture, necessitating the use of Frontier.
Event Type
Art of HPC
TimeSunday, 16 November 20258:00am - 6:00pm CST
LocationArt of HPC - Plaza Lobby
Art of HPC