Water-related accidents often occur near waterfalls. Although the forcefully falling water may appear refreshing and inviting, the flow structures formed in the plunge pool and their associated dangers are not yet well understood.
We have recently begun a research project to evaluate these risks by applying our coupled human–fluid simulation model to flows in waterfall plunge pools.
The simulation shown below is only a preliminary trial conducted to examine the computational scale required. In future work, we will work toward reproducing the actual topography and hydraulic conditions of real waterfalls.