Two explicit numerical schemes to solve depth-averaged equations describing the evolution of a turbidity current over a slope change with a confined condition in the downstream end are proposed and compared. The first scheme corresponds to an adaptation of a recently developed upwind conservative finite-volume scheme, originally intended for solving Saint-Venant equations. The second one is a classical predictorcorrector finite-difference MacCormak scheme. Comparison between the numerical schemes is made based on their physical behavior and, at the same time, contrasting the predicted values for depth-averaged quantities with experimental measurements reported by Garcia (1993). It is concluded that the upwind scheme shows better conservation of quantities and similar precision of results than MacCormak scheme and does not require any special treatment, such as the artificial viscosity used in the latter, thus being more efficient in computational sense. The proposed scheme has the ability to capture fronts and hydraulic jumps in a variety of hydrodynamic situations, however it may present some stability problems in the case of reversal flows.
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