Fine-scale simulations of aeolian sediment dispersion in a small area in the northern Chihuahuan Desert

Autor: George E. Bowker, Gilles Bergametti, David Heist, Béatrice Marticorena, Dale A. Gillette
Přispěvatelé: Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA (UMR_7583)), Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 (UPEC UP12)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 (UPEC UP12)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2008
Předmět:
Atmospheric Science
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
[SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes
Soil Science
Aquatic Science
Oceanography
01 natural sciences
Grassland
Deposition (geology)
010305 fluids & plasmas
Geochemistry and Petrology
0103 physical sciences
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
[SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces
environment
ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Earth-Surface Processes
Water Science and Technology
Hydrology
[SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean
Atmosphere
geography
geography.geographical_feature_category
Ecology
Paleontology
Sediment
Forestry
Storm
Vegetation
Wind direction
Geophysics
13. Climate action
Space and Planetary Science
[SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]
[SDE]Environmental Sciences
Erosion
Aeolian processes
Geology
Zdroj: Journal of Geophysical Research
Journal of Geophysical Research, American Geophysical Union, 2008, 113 (F2), ⟨10.1029/2007JF000748⟩
ISSN: 0148-0227
2156-2202
DOI: 10.1029/2007JF000748⟩
Popis: [1] The northern Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico contains mesquite bushes and small coppice dunes as well as open areas lacking vegetation. Sandstorms are common in this area, gradually reshaping the flat grassland into a landscape of mesquite coppice dunes and bare open patches. During storms, complex airflows entrain sediment from the open areas, depositing it around downwind bushes and dunes. Understanding and quantifying these processes could help to clarify the ongoing process of desert formation. Sand flux patterns for eight storms occurring in April 2003 and April 2004 were predicted for a (60 m by 60 m) site on the basis of 297 10-min average velocity simulations using a semiempirical mass consistent diagnostic wind field model: Quick Urban & Industrial Complex version 3.5 (QUIC) used with a sand flux parameterization. The sand flux patterns were highly heterogeneous, varying with wind direction and differing between storms. Generally, the nonvegetated areas experienced high sand fluxes, while wake areas behind dunes experienced little or no sand flux. Sediment erosion and deposition patterns were calculated by taking the divergence of the sand flux. The open areas were the sources of the sediment, while the windward sides of the mesquite bushes and dunes were the primary deposition areas. The simulated sediment erosion and deposition magnitudes were qualitatively similar to an annual average from 45 years of measurements.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz: