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Abstract
Time-dependent double-diffusive convection was studied numerically to clarify the mechanism of layer merging in a salt-stratified system. Using the Chebyshev collocation method, a typical example of stably stratified salt fluid subject to a lateral temperature difference in a rectangular enclosure (Ar = 1.25) is considered for realistic values of parameters (RaT = 2.7 X 107, Ni = 0.882, Pr = 7.15, and Sc = 685). Two cases that differ by the initial salt concentration profile, i.e., linear and steplike profiles, are examined. Although globally, in both cases, the layer merging process is characterized by the mass transfer across the interface separating two convection layers, the two instances are quite different with respect to the interface structure. For the linear profile, vertical motion due to salt fingers is dominant, whereas for the steplike profile horizontal motion due to strong shear flows prevails. In particular, in the latter case, unlike for the linear profile case, traveling plumes perpendicular to shear flows that lead to the time variations in temperature and concentration are periodically generated within the interface. Predictions obtained with the simulations are in good agreement with experimental data.