Time-resolved 2D x-ray densitometry of turbidity currents

Gravity currents occur when a higher-density fluid flows into a lower-density fluid, such as pyroclastic flows out of volcanoes and turbidity currents in the ocean. Turbidity currents are characterized by particles suspended in water, causing an increase in density. The density profiles of turbidity currents are challenging to measure due to the optical opacity of the solid-liquid mixture. In this work, we use x-ray densitometry to investigate sand-water turbidity currents in a lock-exchange configuration with varying sand properties. We demonstrate the capability of x-ray densitometry to characterize density profiles and present the evolution of the density fields and their associated flow features.