Dissolution of a vertical solid surface by turbulent compositional convection

Abstract We examine the dissolution of a vertical solid surface in the case where the heat and mass transfer is driven by turbulent compositional convection. A theoretical model of the turbulent dissolution of a vertical wall is developed, which builds on the scaling analysis presented by Kerr (J. Fluid Mech. , vol. 280, 1994, pp. 287–302) for the turbulent dissolution of a horizontal floor or roof. The model has no free parameters and no dependence on height. The analysis is tested by comparing it with laboratory measurements of the ablation of a vertical ice wall in contact with salty water. The model is found to accurately predict the dissolution velocity for water temperatures up to approximately 5– 6\, ^ C, where there is a transition from turbulent dissolution to turbulent melting. We quantify the turbulent convective dissolution of vertical ice bodies in the polar oceans, and compare our results with some field observations.