Examples of sediment mixing

Four images showing sediment mixing in action. Top left shows a composite image of the colorful Kepler’s nebula, top right is a satellite photo of the Río de la Plata estuary, bottom left is a satellite photo of the Red Sea with a visible dust plume, bottom right is a photo of a wastewater treatment plant in a lush setting.

Examples of sediment mixing across a range of phenomena. The new framework allows researchers to accurately study the rate at which two fluids mix, enabling much more precise measurements in both fundamental sciences and engineering.

(Top left) Composite image of the remnants of Kepler’s Supernova, where stellar matter is mixing with the surrounding dust cloud. (Top right) The Río de la Plata estuary in South America, where sediment-filled water from the Uruguay and Paraná Rivers mixes with clear seawater. (Bottom left) A sandstorm spanning the Red Sea, where a plume of dust from the Sahara Desert mixes with the air and travels enormous distances. (Bottom right) Wastewater treatment facility in Germany, where solids from sewage settle and are removed during the treatment process.

Date:
12 March 2026
Credit:
T-L, T-R, B-L: NASA (public domain). B-R: Hicham Oukachi via Pexels.

Public Domain (CC0)

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