Spatial ‘intermittency’ in the velocity field fine-structure of fully turbulent flow regions, first observed by Batchelor & Townsend (1949), is studied further here in grid-generated nearly isotropic turbulence and on the axis of a round jet. At large enough Reynolds numbers, appropriately filtered hot-wire anemometer signals appear intermittent as the turbulent patterns are convected past the hot wire by the mean flow. Measurements show that there is a decrease in the relative fluid volume (equal to the ‘intermittency factor’) occupied by fine-structure of given size as the turbulence Reynolds number is increased. They show also that, for a fixed Reynolds number, the relative volume is smaller for smaller fine-structure. The average linear dimension of the fine-structure regions turns out to be much larger than the sizes of fine-structure therein. At Rλ, = 110, for example, the ratio ranges from 15 to 30, decreasing with decreasing ‘eddy’ size. It appears to be approaching an asymptote with increasing Rλ.The flatness factors and probability distributions of the first derivative, the second derivative, band-passed and high-passed velocity fluctuation signals were also measured. The turbulence Reynolds numbers Rλ ranged from 12 to 830. The flatness factors of the first and the second derivatives increase monotonically with Rλ. Those of the second derivative vary with Rλ0.25 for Rλ < 100, and with Rλ0.75 for Rλ > 300. No indication of asymptotic constant values was observed for Rλ up to the order of one thousand.The probability distributions of velocity fluctuations and large-scale signals are nearly normal, while the small-scale signals are not. The flatness factor of the filtered band-pass velocity signal increases with increasing frequency.At the larger Reynolds numbers, the square of the signal associated with large wave-numbers may be approximated by a log-normal probability distribution for amplitudes when probabilities fall between 0·3 and 0·95, in limited agreement with the theory of Kolmogorov (1962), Oboukhov (1962), Gurvich & Yaglom (1967).

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In most hydrodynamic models, friction and turbulent diffusion/dispersion coefficients are the important calibration parameters affecting the calculation of surface elevation, velocity and salinity distribution. This paper presents a rational approach to calibrate and verify a hydrodynamic model of partially stratified estuaries. The calibration procedures and verification requirements are demonstrated with the application of a vertical (laterally averaged) two-dimensional model to a branched estuarine river system. The friction coefficient is calibrated and verified with model simulation of barotropic flow, and the turbulent diffusion and dispersion coefficients are calibrated through comparison of salinity distributions. The overall model verification is suggested to be achieved with comparisons of Eulerian residual circulation and salinity distribution. In the case of the Tanshui River system, the available prototype current records are too short to calculate slowly varying residual currents. The snapshots of the model-computed and field-measured residual currents are provided to qualitatively agree with theoretical analysis. The overall performance of the model is verified with an additional set of salinity data.