Transition of flow from the rapid to the tranquil state. A varied flow phenomenon producing a rise in elevation of water surface. A sudden transition from supercritical flow to the complementary subcritical flow, conserving momentum and dissipating energy.
The sudden and usually turbulent passage of water in an open channel from low stage, below critical depth, to high stage, above critical depth. During this passage, the velocity changes from supercritical to subcritical. There is considerable loss of energy during the jump. For meteorological applications, see pressure jump. See also bore, critical velocity. Lamb, H., 1953: Hydrodynamics, 6th ed., sec. 187.