Offshore aeolian sediment transport across a human‐modified foredune

Concepts derived from previous studies of offshore winds on natural dunes are evaluated on a dune maintained for shore protection during three offshore wind events. The potential for offshore winds to form a lee‐side eddy on the backshore or transfer sediment from the dune and berm crest to the water are evaluated, as are differences in wind speed and sediment transport on the dune crest, berm crest and a pedestrian access gap. The dune is 18–20 m wide near the base and has a crest 4.5 m above backshore elevation. Two sand‐trapping fences facilitate accretion. Data were obtained from wind vanes on the crest and lee of the dune and anemometers and sand traps placed across the dune, on the beach berm crest and in the access gap. Mean wind direction above the dune crest varied from 11 to 3 deg from shore normal. No persistent recirculation eddy occurred on the 12 deg seaward slope. Wind speed on the berm crest was 85–89% of speed at the dune crest, but rates of sediment transport were 2.27 times greater during the strongest winds, indicating that a wide beach overcomes the transport limitation of a dune barrier. Limited transport on the seaward dune ramp indicates that losses to the water are mostly from the backshore, not the dune. The seaward slope gains sand from the landward slope and dune crest. Sand fences causing accretion on the dune ramp during onshore winds lower the seaward slope and reduce the likelihood of detached flows during offshore winds. Transport rates are higher in access gaps than on the dune crest despite lower wind speeds because of flatter slopes and absence of vegetation. Transport rates across dunes and through gaps can be reduced using vegetation and raised walkover structures. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental study of aeolian sand ripples in a wind tunnel

The topographic parameters and propagation velocity of aeolian sand ripples reflect complex erosion, transport, and deposition processes of sand on the land surface. In this study, three Nikon cameras located in the windward (0–1 m), middle (4.5–5.5 m), and downwind (9–10 m) zones of a 10 m long sand bed are used to continuously record changes in sand ripples. Based on the data extracted from these images, this study reaches the following conclusions. (1) The initial formation and full development times of sand ripples over a flatbed decrease with wind velocity. (2) The wavelengths of full development sand ripples are approximately twice the wavelengths of initially formed sand ripples. Both wavelengths increase linearly with friction velocity. During the developing stage of sand ripples, the wavelength increases linearly with time. (3) The propagation velocity of full development sand ripples is approximately 0.6 times that of the initially formed sand ripples. The propagation velocity of both initial and full development of sand ripples increase as power functions with respect to friction velocity. During the developing stage of sand ripples, the propagation velocity decreases with time following a power law. These results provide new information for understanding the formation and evolution of aeolian sand ripples and help improve numerical simulations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characteristics of aeolian grain transport over a fluvio-glacial lacustrine braid delta,Lake Tekapo,New Zealand

This paper presents results from one of the few scientific studies to examine the physical characteristics of aeolian sediment transport in an alpine area, where topographically reinforced foehn winds initiate dust storm events. The major objective of this study is to improve knowledge of aeolian processes in mid-latitude alpine regions experiencing extreme wind speeds. Of particular interest is the role of surface characteristics in contributing to the unusually deep saltation layer which is seen to form over fluvio-glacial deposits in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Sediment was collected at several heights (0ċ5, 1, 2 and 4 m) and locations over a large alpine braided river delta, and standard laboratory techniques used to examine grain size characteristics. An image processing technique was also used to evaluate grain roundness. Grains filtered from the airstream at 0ċ5 m and 1 m above such surfaces were found to display a mean grain size of approximately 300 to 435 μm, resembling grain size characteristics of saltation clouds previously observed in high latitude, cold climate locations, in contrast to desert and prairie environments. Samples collected at 2 and 4 m above the surface were found to consist of 60 to 65 per cent sand-sized material, with some grains exceeding 1–1ċ5 mm in diameter. Grain shape analysis conducted on silt- and clay-sized grains filtered from the airstream above mixed sand and gravel surfaces showed such grains to display an increase in grain roundness with height. This characteristic is thought to reflect the airstream's shape-sorting ability and has important implications with respect to the often observed increase in grain roundness in aeolian deposits with increasing distance from source areas. Namely, if more rounded grains are preferentially carried higher into the airstream and therefore into regions of higher wind speed, they should theoretically be transported further from the entrainment zone before being deposited. The high wind speeds observed, often exceeding 30 m s⁻¹, are seen to transport significantly larger sediment than reported in the literature for desert and prairie environments. In addition, the mixture of grain sizes, and especially the pebble- and cobble-sized clasts that dominate the fluvio-glacial deposits associated with the braided rivers in this mountain region, also appear to increase significantly the trajectory height of saltating sand grains. As a result of these two factors, the depth of the saltation cloud often exceeds 1 m. Observations made in this study therefore highlight the need for field and laboratory aeolian process studies to be extended to examine grain transport over coarse-grained beds during much higher wind velocities than typically reported in the literature. Such studies would provide a valuable insight into aeolian processes in high latitude/altitude environments, such as loess genesis. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Terrestrial LiDAR monitoring of coastal foredune evolution in managed and unmanaged systems

Coastal dunes provide essential protection for infrastructure in developed regions, acting as the first line of defence against ocean-side flooding. Quantifying dune erosion, growth and recovery from storms is critical from management, resiliency and engineering with nature perspectives. This study utilizes 22 months of high-resolution terrestrial LiDAR (Riegl VZ-2000) observations to investigate the impact of management, anthropogenic modifications and four named storms on dune morphological evolution along ~100 m of an open-coast, recently nourished beach in Nags Head, NC. The influences of specific management strategies – such as fencing and plantings – were evaluated by comparing these to the morphologic response at an unmanaged control site at the USACE Field Research Facility (FRF) in Duck, NC (33 km to the north), which experienced similar environmental forcings. Various beach-dune morphological parameters were extracted (e.g. backshore-dune volume) and compared with aeolian and hydrodynamic forcing metrics between each survey interval. The results show that LiDAR is a useful tool for quantifying complex dune evolution over fine spatial and temporal scales. Under similar forcings, the managed dune grew 1.7 times faster than the unmanaged dune, due to a larger sediment supply and enhanced capture through fencing, plantings and walkovers. These factors at the managed site contributed to the welding of the incipient dune to the primary foredune over a short period of less than a year, which has been observed to take up to decades in natural systems. Storm events caused alongshore variable dune erosion primarily to the incipient dune, yet also caused significant accretion, particularly along the crest at the managed site, resulting in net dune growth. Traditional empirical Bagnold equations correlated with observed trends of backshore-dune growth but overpredicted magnitudes. This is likely because these formulations do not encompass supply-limiting factors and erosional processes. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Horizontal water trap for measurement of aeolian sand transport

A new type of horizontal trap was developed for measuring the aeolian sand transport rate on a flat surface. The trap consists of an adjustable frame that is embedded level with the sand surface, into which a plastic liner is installed and filled with water to capture the blown sand. The water trap has high efficiency and does not disturb the wind field or induce upwind scour. Deployment on Padre Island, Texas, indicated that this portable and adjustable trap catches and retains all the sand blown into it, even under relatively strong wind. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aeolian deposits on a Scottish mountain summit: characteristics,provenance, history and significance

The summit plateau of The Storr (719 m) in northern Skye is mantled by a sheet of aeolian sediment up to 2·9 m thick, covering an area of 33 000 m² with a volume of 41 000 m³. The deposits are of massive, poorly sorted sand with significant components of silt and fine gravel, and contain clasts up to 109 mm in length. The thickness and coarseness of the deposits decline westwards and northwards away from the highest cliffs, implying that the sediment comprises particles dislodged from rockwalls and blown upwards in an accelerating vertical or near-vertical airflow, settling through a lower-velocity flow onto the plateau surface where they are trapped by vegetation. Radiocarbon dating of soils buried under and within the deposits suggests that accumulation began after 7·2–6·9 calendar ka BP but before 5·6–5·3 calendar ka BP , and was probably initiated by exposure of the present rockwall by a massive landslide at c. 6·5 ± 0·5 calendar ka BP . Pollen analyses of buried organic horizons suggest that a vegetation mat dominated by grasses and sedges was present throughout the period of sediment deposition. Sediment accumulation over much of the plateau averaged 10–20 mm per century throughout the late Holocene, but reached c. 60 mm per century in the area of the thickest deposits. The volume of the deposits implies the removal of 420–480 mm of rock (averaged over the face) during the late Holocene, and suggests that small-scale granular disaggregation and release of small clasts constitute a major component of rockwall retreat under present conditions. The origin of the Storr deposits suggests that plateau-top aeolian sediments on other Scottish mountains accumulated in a similar way, but have been eroded and redeposited on lee slopes following breakage of vegetation cover. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

毛乌素沙区沙漠化土地防治区划

毛乌素沙区在自然条件、沙漠化程度和变化趋势及产业经济发展特征等方面具有明显的空间异质性,合理地进行区域沙漠化土地防治区划是因地制宜开展土地沙漠化防治工作的重要基础。选取自然条件、沙漠化发展过程及人类活动等方面12个指标,将毛乌素沙区划分为黄土高原与鄂尔多斯高原过渡区、毛乌素沙地腹地典型草原区和西鄂尔多斯荒漠草原区3个区、7个亚区、12个小区。在区域可持续发展战略的实施过程中,要根据亚区和小区的特点有针对性地进行沙漠化土地的防治,充分利用区域资源优势,优化产业结构,确保经济效益、社会效益和生态效益的稳步提升。     

小冰期福建海岸沙丘的沉积环境

选取福建东南沿海典型海岸沙丘——东海沙丘,运用GPR（Ground Penetrating Radar）技术探测海岸沙丘内部构造,辅助天然剖面和人工探槽观测,进行系统的年代采样与OSL（Optically Stimulated Luminescence）测年,并选择物理意义明确的粒度参数作为主要环境代用指标,获得了亚热带季风区砂质海岸带典型海岸沙丘的沉积年代和沉积结构。结果表明：（1）东海沙丘是由若干灌丛沙丘组成的横向沙丘,0～6 m主要是～0.45 ka BP以来形成的海岸风成沙丘,可以划分为～0.45 ka BP和0.22～0.12 ka BP两个阶段。（2）东海沙丘沉积过程是多因素共同作用的结果,冷干的气候环境是沙丘发育的适宜条件,入境台风频率增加可能加快了风沙的沉积过程。对比历史文献资料发现,气候异常期往往与社会动荡期、重要历史事件相对应。     

青藏铁路格拉段典型沙害路段风沙地貌专题图编制

随着青藏铁路全线开通,风沙危害已成为影响铁路安全运营的主要环境问题之一。铁路沿线风沙危害路段主要集中在措那湖、沱沱河、北麓河等地。基于高分辨率卫星遥感影像QuickBird数据,通过野外实地勘察,同时参考Google Earth影像和DEM数据,绘制了3个典型沙害路段的风沙地貌专题图,地貌图比例尺为1:50000,采用二级分类系统,一级类为6个,共包含18个二级类。由于青藏铁路地处西风带中部急流区,风力强劲;铁路沿线生态环境脆弱、地表类型复杂,冻融和风蚀时空交错,地表沙物质丰富,风沙活动强烈而频繁,铁路沙害正呈现出迅速增长的态势。鉴于此,很有必要绘制青藏铁路沿线风沙灾害现状及防治措施布局的专题地图,为科学合理地制定青藏铁路沿线风沙危害综合防护体系提供依据。     

旱麻岗沙漠风沙地貌发育与演化

旱麻岗沙漠位于腾格里沙漠南部,是腾格里沙漠的重要组成部分。目前对该沙漠几乎没有研究。旱麻岗沙漠最主要的地貌是风沙地貌和流水地貌,且近似南北方向平行相间排列。该沙漠主要的沙丘类型有新月形沙丘链、反向沙丘和灌丛沙丘,其中新月形沙丘链和反向沙丘分布在海拔相对高的区域,且呈条带状分布,而灌丛沙丘主要分布在冲沟内。旱麻岗沙漠的起沙风主要为西北风,其次为东南风。风能环境属于低等风能环境,合成输沙方向为282°~331°,方向变率为中等变率。流动沙丘表面平均粒径最大,其次为结皮下层和结皮表层;分选性与平均粒径有相似的规律。石羊河流域、祁连山东端的冲积-洪积物和湖相沉积为旱麻岗沙漠的形成与演化提供了重要的沙源。根据野外考察,结合以往研究成果,该沙漠的形成与演化可以概括为以下几个阶段:大湖期;湖水干涸期,在退水过程形成近似平行排列的小冲沟;沙漠形成与扩张期,流动沙丘覆盖整个区域;沙漠萎缩期,降雨量增加,沙漠萎缩,平行排列的冲沟宽度和深度增加,冲沟内的流沙随流水冲向下游,而冲沟间的沙丘仍然保留在原来的位置,形成现代的地貌格局。