Boundary layers in turbulent vertical convection at high Prandtl number

Many environmental flows arise due to natural convection at a vertical surface, from in buildings dissolving ice faces marine-terminating glaciers. We use three-dimensional direct numerical simulations of channel with differentially heated walls investigate such convective, turbulent boundary layers. Through the implementation multiple-resolution technique, we are able perform wide range Prandtl numbers ${Pr}$ . This allows us distinguish parameter dependences horizontal heat flux and layer widths terms Rayleigh number $\mbox {{Ra}}$ For considered $1\leq {Pr} \leq 100$ , $10^{6} \mbox {{Ra}} 10^{9}$ find flow be consistent ‘buoyancy-controlled’ regime where is independent wall separation. given found scale linearly friction velocity $V_\ast$ Finally, discuss implications our results for parameterisation salt fluxes ice–ocean interfaces.