Nonlinear traveling waves in a two-layer system with heat release/consumption at the interface

•The influence of an interfacial heat release on oscillatory regimes has been studied.•The joint action of buoyancy and thermocapillary effect has been investigated.•Periodic boundary conditions on lateral boundaries have been considered.•Standing symmetric oscillations and traveling waves have been found.

The influence of an interfacial heat release and heat consumption on nonlinear convective flows, developed under the joint action of buoyant and thermocapillary effects in a laterally heated two-layer system with periodic boundary conditions, is investigated. Regimes of traveling waves and modulated traveling waves have been obtained. It is found that rather intensive heat sinks at the interface can lead to the change of the direction of the waves' propagation.